The Balkan Wars and the World-War

Then came the Balkan wars. From these wars Serbia three times emerged victorious,—against the Turks, against the Bulgarians, and against the Arnauts. In Austria the Jugoslavs looked upon Serbia’s war as their war, and felt the Serbian victories as their own. Although themselves in servitude, they nevertheless contributed to these victories. Numerous doctors, nurses, volunteers, medical stores and money were sent by the one brother-nation to the other, and Austria found herself compelled to close her Serbian frontier by a cordon of soldiers. But all in vain! Hearts were full to overflowing, and love waxed stronger than ever. Then came the World-War. All ties between Austria and her Slav subjects were broken. Austria’s declaration of war to Serbia was in many respects also a declaration of war to the Jugoslavs in Austria. Arrests, wholesale hangings, and shootings became the order of the day. All Orthodox and Catholic Bishops were placed under police supervision. Nikodim Milas, Orthodox Bishop in Dubrovnik (Ragusa) suffered such gross ill-usage at the hands of the police, that he died within a few days.

In Dalmatia, Croatia, Istria and Carniola the prisons were filled to overflowing with Catholic priests. So far as voices from Dalmatia have been able to reach us, we learn that Ivo Separovic, Ante Antic, Mate Skarica and Ivo Lutic have been imprisoned in Dalmatia, and in Istria the following priests who are also national delegates: Luka Kirac, Anton Andreicic, Sime Cervar, the canons: Santic, Zavladal, Mandic and Matic, and two Franciscans; in Carniola fifteen priests of the clerical party. About ten of the leading men of the nation,—journalists, artists and writers—both Catholic and Orthodox, fled to Serbia, England, Russia and America. They fled but to repeat the smothered cry of ten thousands of their brothers in Hapsburg prisons. And this cry is all the more terrible because it rings through the Catacombs and the Circus Romanus nineteen centuries ago. It is the cry of the priests of Christ, who preached the Way of Truth before God and man, the despairing cry of the martyrs of the nation, who are giving their life for the salvation of the people; the cry of the shepherd whose flock is being harried by the wolf, the cry of noble and enlightened men who open their eyes in vain to behold the light, for around them is only darkness; they open their lips, they stretch forth their trembling hands, seeking the cheerful warmth of the fire, only to find instead the cold stones and mildew-covered walls of a dungeon; they cry for help, but their cry falls dead upon thick stone walls, and returns like an echo into their hearts. But, as Njegos says:

“From their blood will spring flowers For some far-off generation.”