One of the complications of the Macedonian muddle is the
possible attitude of Servia. King Peter is trying to eman- cipate himself, with the aid of the Radical party, from the control of the officers who killed King Alexander, but has for the present failed. The struggle raged round patronage, the officers implicated in the great crime wanting everything for themselves. When, therefore, the King appointed a candidate of his own to the control of the Palace they struck, threatened him, and compelled the Radical members of the Ministry to resign. It is, however, certain that the new Skupshtind will be almost entirely Radical, and will try to resist the Army, and it is feared that the officers in power, in dread of a contest with the whole people, may raise the cry of "Servia for the Servians!" and make a rush into Old Servia. This would bring Austria into the field, and probably make a partition of Turkey inevitable. The King, it is said, threatens abdication in favour of his son, but as yet this is only a threat. The " strong" candidate for the throne next time would be Nicholas of Montenegro, who, with his Montenegrins for his guard, would probably be able to vindicate the authority of the Crown, and possibly even to restore discipline among the officers of the Army.
