BULGAR RULE IN SERBIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 6

BULGAR RULE IN SERBIA

HORRORS THAT HAVE BEEN ENDURED

A MOVING STORY (-'y Madame Christitch, in the "Morning Post.") l'or two and a half years we who have been living in Serbia under the Austrian yoke \mr& exposed to famine, vexations, injustice, and humiliation; but our greatest suffering consisted in the knowledge of what Serbians in the Morara district had to undergo at the hands of the Bulgars. It was pad to witness the convoys of helpless men, women, and children directed to the internment camps of Hungary, Jjut we could hope that .some at least might one day return. Aiid, indeed, tho harvest time crowds were permitted to regain their homes to gather in the wheat for the invader,

The convoys of Serbs sent into Bulgaria passed into an abyss whence came no echo. There were reports that many had been despatched to Asia Minor; but one bereaved grandfather told us that the "Asia Minor of 'his' family was a rimrsh two miles outside their native town." The wife (or widow) of Dr. Vesa Milovanoviteh was informed by the Bulgarian Governor of Nish that he could not trace her husband'among tho prisoners, to whom, as was publicly witnessed, the bastinado was freely applied as they were driven'off towards Sofia. She told us, after her escape to Belgrade, how the victim had been dragged from bed in an advanced stage of dropsy, and had foolishly informed hie captors that he wae the brother of the late Dr. Milovanoviteh. Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1912. Par from obtaining consideration through this relationship, he wns treated with increased harshness and forced to take bis placa in the column of chained "suspects" sent to Sofia. She does noj think he survived the first mile. Cold-blooded Massacre. Among the many sad eases was that of a clergyman's wife,- who lost reason and then life owing to the terrible fate of her husband. Their daughter, herself wife of a clergyman (the Eev. .M. Lukitch, actually Religious Instructor in Belgrade schools), told us that her father and six other village pastors, were suddenly summoned to report themselves to tho Bulgarian Synod. She and her mother hastily packed some food and ;i change of linen in a largo red-patterned kerchief, and watched tho travellers out or sight, being forbidden to .accompany them. Two weeks passed, and then rumours were whispered of erect corpses Siiimtini; in a trench, and worried by dogs a mile or so outside the town. Led by loreboding, tho two women braved the prohibition of leaving the town and made their way by stealth to tho place indicated. A scrap of the red-patterned kerchief served to prove the identity of one or the victims, who had been mado to ais their own grave and then descend into it to receive the fatal platoon fire, liot us pass ovef the rest. . . The open grave was filled in by the women at night.

When cold-blooded massacre was tbe recognised method of dealing with undesirable factors, it is not surprising that plunder was an open feature of Bulgnr rule. .Serbia's historic treasures of books end manuscripts were reduced to pulp for newspaper printing works in Sofia; and a beautiful collection of national embroidery prepared for exhibition in London was taken from the custody of Miss lwrinka Nikolitch and sent to Berlin Here it formed the chief ornament of the Jiulganan Art Bazaar, and as such won the special encomium of tlie German hmpre«! The example of the State was naturally followed by individuals; and it was the custom for any Bulgar quartered in a private house to appropriate whatever object took his fancy. The Austrians behaved in like manner at first, but tribunals were wxm'' appointed, to "•Inch Hip despoiled could appeal 'although with scant sucfss. ■ Tho only hop of justice for the Serbians subject" f' l Bnlimna. was vested in the person of tlie local sendarme.

The Children's Ordeal. Murder and plunder, inseparable from the lartar-lfangol race faintly leavened by a few drops of Slav blood, 'were in tliemsslvos less detrimental to Hip Serbians than the demoralisation of its youth bythe ; imposition- of a creed and nationality it had been taught to despi.cp. The cITr-rt on.young minds of totally different ideals, thn BC orn of what they had lieen trninc/1 to revere was cruel beyond all else. The Bulbar school teachers did not stop at bias-' phpiny. Serbian children were forced' to -make tho sign of the Cro.<« whilo repKirimr: "Xly Mhor was a Bulgav. mv ii'ofher was a- Bnlgnr: T urn a T?u)^;n . "''V'- ; fl fn, ' over - A " ,p!l -" The Rlijenv Jf-msW of Mi>-\it.iV» could urojmm in Hip Solirnnje. thnt fV mn \U nf r[ip Relic l '! in the nnennied diofrict nffor Rts niAnfhs of ti«sld\wiis Vfifhine c-.ilrl R"pnk'tlip Biilpariin tonsrup ff ,'Hi. out nnd Hint K» „„„. per on what »-n<. on <-.•;,„•„..% '"■nulafion would nlfofpth»r >« Ihp cy\w «f a fo«- veil" The m Mrf,, r . of h,p S o ~n-v .hi'-Wn ~„„ ~„ ->tiif>riyl from fi« fn/>(: n.») w .,,, v <--«n.. fnm,,;-., i-, nr ,lA. )-„ nvn ;,i nf >1,0 0 1. (Ji rn ,n v ~„,] '•■"'cn'iibed f , * irrief .t" , i-owilrio-.-mn*- -t UIP n»ir. nti-n-qn «-pvl,l In w l,:-.1, ■ H,... f-.MHI tlinn.splrnc, ~f(p r v.H tlldlVT Wil if the Serbian troons