KING OF THE SERBS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 17, 14 October 1921, Page 7

KING OF THE SERBS

REPORTED ABDICATION OF ALEXANDER II By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. October 13, 8.5 p.m.) , London, October 12. The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Express” states that a sensational story has been published that King Alexander of Serbia has abdicated in favour of his elder brother, Prince George, adding: "M. Pasbitch had a three-hour interview with King Alexander, but failed to move him, despite all appeals. Though the Serbian Legation denies the slory, my personal inquiries at tho Trianon Palace, where the Serbian King js staying, suggest that the story ig true. Tho plffce swarms with French and Serbian police. I believe that Alexander never will be King except in name. He goes in daily fear of assassination. It is true be has been ill, but with appendicitis. The truth is the King has not formally abdicated, but has told Prince George he can have tho throne if ho wants it. Alexander prefers Versailles.” —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. [King Alexander, tho second of ths name in the Karageorgevitch Dynasty, is the second king of the name to reign in Belgrade, for his father’s predecessor was the ill-fated Alexander I. Obrenbvitch succeeded to the Crown of the Triple Monarchy on the death of King Peter last August, offer having acted as Regent since Juno 25, 1914, when his father turned over tho exercise of the sovereign power to him. In 1909 his elder brother, George, renounced his righto of succession to the Throne, and Alexander took up the burden of a Crown Prince’s duties, which he carried out very conscientiously. At the time of the death of King Peter. Alexander was reported to bo lying ill in Paris with an acute attack of appendicitis. Alexander II has been described as grave and serious, and inclined at times to be fatalistic, but endowed with a remarkable quality of calm courage, not only when in personal danger, as ho was on many occasions during the war, but also under the more wearing assaults of public misfortune and unlikely disaster.]