Crusade Against Bolshevism

Crusade Against Bolshevism

King Alexander and his pretty consort, Queen Marie, traveled from Belgrade to Paris. Foreign Minister

Momtchilo Nintchitch traveled from Paris to Belgrade, arriving in the latter capital in time to see the horny hand of Premier Pashitch throttle the Croat and Slovene autonomists.

The aged Premier ordered the dissolution of the Croat Republican Party, the arrest of all leaders of that party and of the Slovene autonomists --two of the principal forces which, with the Montenegrine autonomists, oppose the centralist policy of the Serbians. The Army was held ready to quell disturbers of the peace, the police force was fully mobilized, the atmosphere was tinged with excited expectancy.

The eradication of these political parties gives Premier Pashitch by virtue of law what he could not get by the ballot--a parliamentary majority. The law is called the State Defense Act and prohibits Stefan Raditch, "stormy petrel of the Balkans," leader of the Croatian autonomists, from entering into arrangements with foreign countries. Raditch had become a close friend of the Moscow autocrats; whereupon, after mature thought, Premier Pashitch snapped his fingers and the law became operative.

All this pleased Foreign Minister Momtchilo Nintchitch. He had returned from Paris, where he had spoken with French and British statesmen, full of fire for the spirit of the crusade against Bolshevism. He expects shortly to come to an arrangement in Belgrade with Premier Zankov of Bulgaria* concerning the Bolsheviki.

*Bulgaria and Yugo-Slavia have for many years been bitter enemies. They still are. The visit of the Bulgarian Premier to Belgrade at least signifies: a desire on the part of Yugo-Slavia to recognize the Bulgarian difficulties with Soviet propaganda.