_On Dec. 17, (30, New Style,) 1914, Crown Prince Alexander of Servia,
in his quality of Commander in Chief of the Army, issued the following
order of the day to his troops:_
Soldiers! It is now five months since the day when the enemy attacked
our beloved country. Notwithstanding the fact that we had suffered
the trials of two heroic but hard wars, nevertheless firm and
undaunted we have stood the attack. Having routed the enemy in Tchar
and Zadar we gave him, after heroic and sanguinary battles, the
biggest blow of all.
Thousands of prisoners, hundreds of guns, a quantity of war booty,
which came to our hands, are witnesses of his defeat and our glory.
Soldiers! I feel proud in announcing to you that not a single enemy
remains on the soil of the Servian Kingdom. We cast him out with great
losses.
At this sacred moment, when on the heroic City of Belgrade anew waves
the victorious Servian flag, I desire to fulfill a great duty of
gratitude. In our ranks, in this third war, are fighting our brothers
which we have liberated from the Turkish yoke. The soldiers of
Kossovo, of Vardar, of Hekligovatz, of Bregalnitsa, of Bitolie, and of
Porets, have shown themselves worthy of their brothers of Shumadia and
the Danube, of Poutrin and Morava, of Timok and Usjitsa.
They have shown themselves worthy of the heroes Milaten and Dughan,
who for long have carried the glory and the good name of the Servian
arms.
I want to give to these new soldiers of ours conspicuous proofs of the
gratitude of the fatherland. In the face of the undeniable proof of
their fulfillment of their duty, in the face of their enthusiasm I
declare that these soldiers shall have the political and
constitutional rights of Servia, their liberatrix! The Skuptschina, in
its first sitting after peace is signed, will take all the necessary
measures in order that full liberties be given to our brethren.
Soldiers! The iron ring of our powerful allies is fastening tighter
every day around our common enemy. And he, (the enemy,) feeling that
his defeat is well nigh at hand and dreading its dire consequences,
fights desperately and strenuously. But in vain. The number of their
soldiers is diminishing daily, and our allies are strengthened with
new troops on the fields of battle.
The end of this gigantic struggle is from now known, although not yet
accomplished. We must, therefore, for some time to come, fulfill our
difficult duty and stay by the side of our big and powerful allies,
who are fighting for us, till our enemy is annihilated on the
battlefield.
And then peace will come to crown worthily those who have been
sacrificed for our great fatherland, and then our country will be much
enlarged, much stronger, and much happier than she ever has been. And
for this, oh, my heroic Servia will be grateful to you.