Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star. And Evening Star; with which is incorporated the West Coast 'Times. TUSEDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1930. AN UNUSUAL MEMORIAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1930, Page 4

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star. And Evening Star; with which is incorporated the West Coast 'Times. TUSEDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1930. AN UNUSUAL MEMORIAL.

On February 2nd. there was unveileu at Sarajevo, the old capital of Bosnia, a memorial tablet to /Gabriel Princip, the young Serb student who on June /tith. 19i4, assassinated the Archduxe Franz Ferdinand, and thus precipitated khe Great War. Naturally, the German Press has taken the incident seriously, one of the leading news papers referring to it as “a monstrous ■and insufferable act of provocation”; while even in London journalistic opinion regards this curious incident as

an uiiront to tile whole world.” 01 cour.se, the Serbian Government—that is, King Alexander of the “Triune” rierb-C'roat-,Slovene kingdom—has repudiated the ceremony, but has contented itself with permitting its performance on the ground that it is purely a private and personal fundtion arranged by the relatives and friend of Print-ip. Hut doubtless Alexander", inopportune complaisance will revive the sinister rumours of Serbia’s complicity in the original crime. As a matter of fact, says an exchange, the Austrian von Wiesner, who was despatched from Vienna to Bosnia as soon as the murder was reported, could find no evidence for Serbia’s official participation in, any conspiracy against the Archduke; indeed, he reported that this was “out of the question.” At that time. Serbia had everything to gain and nothing to lose by keeping the peace with Austria. But the suspicion that the Serbian Government iiad taken a hand in the preparations for the crime put the Serbs completely in the wrong for the time witli the rest of Europe, and even in England the conviction of Serbia’s guilt is sti'l maintaine. Of all the great crimes recored in history, the murder of the Austrian Archduke on that fateful day in June sixteen years ago, remains one of the most mysterious and inexplicable. For all the evidence goes to show that, though lie was in Austrian territory, no precautions were taken by tlu Austrian authorities to ensure his safety, and even after the futile bomb was thrown by Cabrinovic the appeal made by one of his suite for a military guard was ignored, and that the local police made no attempt to shelter him from the second and fatal attack. The accounts of tho episode given by such well-informed authorities as Seton Watson and Wickham Steed lay stress on all those suspicious circumstances, and on the sinister reception of the news at Vienna and Buda-Pest—the unconcealed delight of the Magyar no bililv, and in the final scene, the hur ried interment of the Archduke, tin heir of the Hapsburgs, in an unhonoured grave. The northern writer adds that Ludwig’s version of the story in his recently published “July 1914 ” contains even more ominous details, and he lays special emphasis on the failure of the Austrian agents to un earth any evidence directly connecting the Serbian Government ■ with the crime Of course there was a plot in which Serbs as well as Bosnians (who were then Austria’s subjects) were engaged. But the assassination was due, not to any insidious treachery on Serbia’s part but to the irrepressible vehemence of the Serb national spirit, which had looked forward for centuries to a union of all the Yugo-slavs, and saw itself balked hv the Austrian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the “trialism” of' the Archduke who wished to conciliate the Austrian Slavs by letting them info the Monarchy on the same level as the Hungarians But the crime itself was the action of irresponsible individuals. Ludwig draws a striking picture of .vouug Prinoip, the 19-yoar-old boy from Belgrade High School, who refused to give the names of any accomplices because he had, “of his own free will, determined to sacrifice his life to the highest ambition of his people.” The only reason that he gave for the crime was this: “1 hold the Archduke to be our mortal enemy, for be wanted to prevent the unification of all the Southern Slavs.” Fanatic and assassin Princip certainly was; hut when he dVd in prison after three years’ solitary confinement—he was too young to be executed under Austrian law—be became, in the eyes of many of his countrymen, a patriot, a hero and a martv.r and we can hardly wonder that his friends and relatives venerate Ids memory to this day

Tiie AA r e.stlaml Competitions Society was able to produce a satisfactory record for its past year’s work. Patrons will recall that the festival passed off very enjoyably, and the balance sheet revealed'that the luiainial result, more than enabled the Society to hold its own. The Society is now in the thick of the preliminary arrangements for this year’s festival which is to bo held three months’ earlier. The change is made largely at the request of the educational authorities to fit in with the term holidays and avoid the closing term of the year when school work is more concentrated, and many of the scholars are preparing for special examinations. There is also the fact that by the earlier term, the local festival will fall well ahead of the Greymouth Competitions, and this fact should he helpful to both. The local society has selected its judges. On this occasion the musical and elocutionary work lias been separated, and each section will have a special judge. This should facilitate the work at the festival. An extra day has been added to the duration of the Competitions ana provision is made also for a second demonstration concert. This will give an extended entertainment period, and should lead to the greater popularity of the festica.l. The Society has decided to make an appeal for a larger membership. The subscription is fixed at £l, and fortified with an increased number of members the Society will be in a, much stronger position. The organisation is responsible for much valuable educational work among the rising generation. By entering the competitions, the youth must make excursions into the works of various authors, a pleasure and an instruction which would be missed otherwise. In the same way, the musical section creates the opportunity for promising pupils to excel. The aim and object of the Society is altogether well worth while, and the public should give ready support to an organisation which is capable of doing so much good in the community.