TILE FATE OF KING ALEXANDER OF SERBIA. [To tee Eon.
or TM " SPECIST08."1 111e,--As my copy of the Spectator arrives at somewhat irregular intervals, I am afraid that the subject of this letter is already two months old. I read with the greatest interest your review of Captain Temperley'e Ilistory of Serbia, and I fear that all the sympathy and understanding displayed will be marred in the eyes of most Serbians by the fact that the references to the regicide of 1?.03 show that, in all but one particular, the Austrian account is accepted. It is true that at one time all our informa- tion on Serbian matters passed through—or originated in— Vienna; but that is no longer the ease. It seems to me that an unintentionally false impression is conveyed by the omission of certain important facts: firstly, Alexander—or some one acting in his name--had by a coup d'Ztat possessed himself of powers which made him extremely unpopular with the greater part of the most democratic ration in Europe. Secondly, several prominent men who ventured on a constitutional protest disappeared mysteriously. Thirdly, he was completely under the thumb of his wife. It is also necessary to realize that, rightly or wrongly, most Serbians believed that Queen Drage was in the pay of Austria, and that ter purpose was to stir up a revolution which would give the Austrian Army a pretext for entering Serbia " to protect Alexander." It is possible that the Serbian Government may have thought it wise to soothe the dignity of certain Great Powers by some expression of regret; but an es-diplomat of Alexander's ntvinic whom I met in Belgrade early in 1508 expressed consider- able indignation at the attitude of England and France, which, he said, woe due to gross misapprehension. To-day the unpardon- able sin in Serbian eyes is to suggest, ne Austria did, that the chivalrous old knight-errant King Peter was cognisant of the murder, for thereby an outbreak of savage national indignation is reduced to a mere dynastic plot.—I am, Sir, Sc.,
W. R. S. Heim
Crand Rtitel Pension Ambri, August 3rd.
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