If '
I
STARVING SERBIA CRIES TO AMERICA FOR
ASSISTANCE LEST SHE PERISH
through Albania now leads Into Ser
bia since the railroad was ciit by the
Bulgars. The same road supplies
BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD
United Press Staff Corfespdhdent
Monastir, Serbia, fJay23 (Delay
ed) Serbia is starving. ""Men, wom
en, children and even animals, flee
ing before the advance of hostile
armies, are dying of hunger by the
roadsides and mduritain paths.
In large areas of this war-racked
country there" Ms been no food for
many days. Packs of dogs prowl the
breadless land like wild animals
searching for food.
The world war has developed no
scenes of greater horror thati those
being enacted alohg the trail of the
marching armies.
The road from Nish to Monastir is
a highway of agony, more dreadful
than the corpse-Strewn Klondike
trail. It is lined with dead horses,
interspersed with the hodies of men,
women and children, fugitives who
dropped out through exhaustion and
lack of food. Mdre refugees are still
streaming in, stutnbling into the out
skirts of Monastir, semi-delirlbtis be
cause df the privations they have
suffered or hysterical with joy over
their safe arrival id. a spot wherfe they
may at least find some little food.
Madame Slavko Groitoh who arriv
ed here today after a terrible twenty
day trip from Nish described some of
her experiences.
"Even the horses we rode wfere
starving," she said. Some fell ex
hausted by the roadside and died be
fore our eyes. We were members of
a government party, but the most we
could get to eat each day was a
scanty half loaf of bread.
"The others, women and Children,
as well as the men, dragged them
selves aloiig day by day on foot with
little or nothing to eat Women fell
ill for lack of nourishment and lay
down in the road to die, surrendering
babies and little children to the care
of strangers.
"Only one narrow horse trail
Montenegro and Albania. The people
of those countries are facing starva
tion, too. But what is happening in
Serbia is the blackest page in human
history!"
M. Michotte De Welle, Belgian min
ister to Serbia and one of the party
of refugees of which Mme. Groitch
was a member, corrohorated her
statements.
"Before I left Albania I offered my
servants money," said the Belgian
minister. "They burst into tears and
cried to me: 'We can't eat gold. For
God's sake, have you no bread?' -
"Fleeing here from Nish we heard
the wfid scream of a man along the
niduntain road one night. They told
us the next day the shrieks came
from a man who had been murdered
for his little chunk of bread.
"All Serbia is looking toward
America for relief. Germany must
let America help the Serbians. Cdt
off from the world they will starve
by thousands unless food comes.
Mme. Groitch herself has wired
John D. Rockefeller asking aid for
starving non-combatants. The mes
sage, will be delayed several days in
delivery and no answer is expected
before the end of the week.
Food is very scarce here now. Even
the hospital, full of wounded, lacks
supplies of fuel.
Monastir's fall is expected very
soon. If It conies within a few days
thousands of refugees, now enroute
here, will be Caught on the trail frOm
Nish without food and with no place
of refuge but the mountains. Only
a miracle can save them.
o o
Baltimore. "Life is one damned
slide after another," is the sigh in
Col. Goethals' office in canal zone,
according to tourist rettirnirg from.
Panama.
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