expose by the military commandant of
Zagreb of the political situation there and in Croatia generally. He
mentions that when in June 1913 several men deserted from the 4th
company of the 53rd Infantry Battalion, which belonged to the 8th
Mountain Brigade, it was not thought to have any special significance.
"When," says the writer, "I happened to express my astonishment that
Croats should desert to Serbia, I received the following answer: 'The
Croats are loyal, but the Emperor does not care for us; the Magyars do
not understand us and we also do not wish to become Magyars. Therefore
the Croats turn to the Serbs, who at least understand their language.'
At that time," he continues, "I did not understand these words, but
now that I have become more acquainted with this country, I see that
they reveal everything. Alas, so many Croats have adopted this popular
logic and seem to incline to the Serbs."

He explains that harmonious relations did not exist between the
military command and the local government, since the former acted
without taking into account the political position of any individual,
while the latter acted in the reverse fashion.]

HOW THE WAR RAGED IN THE WINTER OF 1914-1915

In the winter of 1914 the Serbian army had been obliged to withdraw,
leaving Valjevo to the Austrians. The retrograde movement had to
continue; Belgrade was abandoned at the end of November, and the
people from those northern and western parts of the country could not
resign themselves to waiting for the enemy, after the manner in which
he had behaved. Terror-stricken fugitives began to block the roads and
to impede the movements of the army. Everywhere was panic. It is
remarkable that the Serbian Government at Ni[vs] chose this time
(November 24) for making to the National Skup[vs]tina the first
Declaration[87] that they proposed to carry on the War until "we have
delivered and united all our brothers who are not yet free, Serbs,
Croats and Slovenes." (Later on when old King Peter after many trials
managed to reach Durazzo he was given a few hours' notice in which to
leave that place; he was also thrust out of Brindisi by the Italians
because he declined to repudiate this Declaration.) "Machen Sie
Ordnung" would soon be heard. Even the army, unaccustomed to defeat,
was losing its self-possession. Putnik, the revered old strategist,
declared that he could do no more. No longer in his over-heated room,
struggling with asthma, could t