The most glaring difficulty at the moment is in Yugo-
slavia, and we confess that we are profoundly disturbed by the disruptive forces that are in evidence in the kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The Croat firebrand, M. Stephen Raditch, died on Wednesday, and all th3 circumstances make a wild demonstration of Croat emotions probable. Already the editor of an anti-Croat paper, venturing to visit Zagreb, has met with a violent death. The Croat members of the Skupshtina have refused to attend its meetings in Belgrade, protesting that it is a murderous body. It has nevertheless met under the Slovene Father Koroshetz, the new Prime Minister, and is proceeding with the ratification of the Nettuno Conventions. That is a piece of work long overdue and likely to conduce to better relations with Italy, and we can well understand Dr. Marinkovitch's determination not to withdraw from his undertaking. But it is the most exasperating step of all to the population nearer Dalmatia. At the same time the Croat members met in the old house of their Sabor at Zagreb. There they demanded Home Rule on somewhat the same lines upon which M. Raditch had claimed that the Crown of the Triune kingdom should be the only visible bond between Serbs and Croats. It is something to be thankful for that the absence of any open demand for complete separation implies that at present the leaders are inclined to moderation.
Previous page
