A telegram from Rome to Thursday's Morning Post throws some
interesting light upon what has been termed the Monte- negrin mystery. According to this statement, King Nicholas, when he saw his country and army were going to be overwhelmed by the Austrians, felt inclined to listen to the pleas preferred by some of his subjects with Austrophil tendencies that it would not be reasonable to expect Montenegro to go on fighting against such impossible odds. These whispers apparently came to the ears of some of the troops on Mount Lovtchen, and they thereupon abandoned fighting. Then the Austrians, thinking that all was won, made preposterous demands upon Montenegro, including one that King Nicholas should become a prisoner of war. This provoked an immediate reaction. King Nicholas escaped to Italy, while Prince Mirko continued to fight with the object of saving the dynasty.
