Blessings, Kisses
and Battle Hymn Speed Serb and Montenegrin Patriots on Way to War
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Father Pashkovsky of Russian Church Heads Procession
With Cross of Gold.
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Their brass band did not play
"Onward, Christian Soldiers," when the Servians and Montenegrins left San
Francisco yesterday for the war in the Balkans, but the young Slavs went forth
Christian soldiers marching as to war with the benediction of two priests to
speed them on their tour of 10,000 miles to fight for the freedom of their
people, now under the heel of Turkey and Moslemism.
Father Pashkovsky of the Russian
church, in a deep blue velvet cassock, marched at the head of the Serbs from
their hall in Golden Gate avenue near Laguna street to the ferry. He bore a
heavy golden cross and with the sacred symbol blessed the patriots.
At the hall those of the Roman
Catholic faith were blessed by their pastor, Father Turk, of the Servian
Catholic church.
There was much of the music of
war and the shouting of the forming legions, but there were also kisses and
tears as the young Serbs bade farewell to their mothers, wives and sweethearts.
The faces of the girls were bright with savor of military adventure, but the
elderly women had tears for the youths who were marching away.
Many of these women knew the
savagery of the Turk, they had seen his fury in the days when they dwelt in the
austere black mountains near the frontier of the Ottoman empire, in the path of
the maurading Moslem, and they knew that war could mean death as well as glory
— that many of the youths who blithely left Market street yesterday would
not return from the battle field.
So they wept while their
bright-faced daughters pinned flowers on the coats of the warriors and kissed
them as sisters should and sweethearts might.
The march down Market Street was
made with the band playing the Servian battle hymn, "Rado Ide," which name may
be rendered into English as "Willingly He Goes." Two hundred and fifty Servians
went willingly yesterday.
At the head of the column were
carried four flags. Two of them were American flags, one was the red, white and
blue emblem of the Servian kingdom, with its royal arms on the tricolored
field, and the other was the square Montenegrin flag, a red field, bordered by
white, and bearing the war eagle of the fighting people of the black mountain
country. The tops of the staffs bore knots of flowers and the scene in Market
street was vivid with the color of the banners flying in the sunlight, the
richness of the priest's cassock and the picturesqueness of the native
Montenegrin uniform worn by Ilya Vujanovich, one of the volunteers.
For several blocks behind the
group of patriots marched their countrymen and country women, each bearing two
flags, an American banner and the tricolor of Servia.
There were many women in line
— pretty Dalmatian girls, strong Servian women, with their arms filled
with flowers to toss at the departing warriors.
In the line were Cedo Pavich,
editor of the Servian Herald, who left his classes at the University of
California to enlist in his country's war, Bozo Gopcevich, Milo Martinovich,
first cousin to King Nikola of Montenegro and uncle of the Montenegrin minister
of war; Bozo Lazarevich and R. Vukich, who sold their business to go to war;
George Cvetkovich, who left his cafe and billiard parlors to fight against the
Turks; Spaso Milanovich, George Revarsky, Milorad Ajdukovich and more than 200
others.
Peter Gopcevich was marshal of
the parade and his aides were Vladimir Popovich, John Sherovich, Milan
Stanisich, Adam Vercevich and E. T. Balich, president of the Servian National
Defense League of San Francisco.
Among others prominent in the
line of march was Stephen N. Mitrovich, a leader in the local Montenegrin
colony, who will depart in a few days for the front, joining his comrades in
New York. He is a veteran of the Montenegrin army, having fought in 1877
against the Turks. In addition to their banners, the Servians bore a standard
on which was the declaration, "Servians going to the front for justice and
liberty."
The start was made from the
Servian-Montenegrin club, Golden Gate avenue near Laguna street, at 2:30
o'clock. The line of the parade, in which more than a thousand marched, was
along Golden Gate to Van Ness avenue, in Van Ness to Market street and down
Market to the ferry, where the 250 volunteers embarked on the 4:20 boat for the
Oakland mole, where a special train was waiting to take them to New York.
The volunteers are being sent to the front by the Servian National
Defense League, which furnishes the sinews of war. The fund is popular, and so
far nearly $20,000 has been either paid in or subscribed. The various Slavonian
societies have given sums ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, and individuals have
come forward with cash in sums from $10 to $500. The Crocker National Bank has
charge of the fund, and will receive subscriptions.
The following societies have
subscribed: Servian and Montenegrin society, $5,000; Servian Ladies' society,
$1,000; Servian national fund, $1,000; Servian Benevolent society "Zeta,"
$1,000.
Richard de Fontana, Greek consul
at San Francisco, received yesterday the following telegram from the Greek
embassy at Washington:
"Turkish army, together with
Bazi bazouks, continues work of destruction. Burnt villages of Syriana, Zizana,
Lyssana, Meohori, Rapsifta and Stazraka, situated in the district of Yannina.
Many assassinations by Turks of peaceful men and harmless women and children
among them the bishop of Papayannis in Yannina.
"CAFTANZOZLU,
"Charge d'Affaires."
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
PETALUMA, Oct. 30.— Four
Greek business men of Petaluma left here today for their native land, where
they will take their place in the Greek army, fighting against Turkey. The
party consisted of E. Eliopaules, J. Metropolis, C. Eliopaules and L. Apostale.
They were given a reception and banquet by Petaluma citizens and escorted to
the depot by their friends.
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[Special Cable to The Call]
SOFIA, Oct. 30.— The
Russian aviator, Popoff, was brought down by the Turks while reconnoitering
over Adrianople in behalf of the Bulgarians. Many rifle shots had been fired at
him in vain, but cannon which is supposed to have fired shrapnel was more
successful. The aeroplane was seen to fall suddenly, and it disappeared in the
Turkish lines.
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PARIS, Oct. 3.— Official
advices from various parts of the Ottoman empire give evidence of the extreme anxiety of the foreign communities
over the possibility of anti-Christian outbreaks in the event of further
reverses to the Turkish troops. The French government has been urgently
requested to station warships along the coasts in readiness to take off
refugees.
The government will dispatch
tomorrow additional ships to Beirut.
France and Great Britain are
acting together in this matter, Great Britain sending ships to Saloniki, where
the Turks have been landing troops from Asia Minor.
San Francisco Morning Call, Thursday, October 31, 1912,
pp. 1, 2
PHOTO:
Father Pashkovsky of the Russian church, who, holding aloft a
golden cross, led the procession of Servian and Montenegrin patriots on their
way to war, through this city's streets yesterday. Above him is Peter Vaich,
one of those who left for the front, saying goodby to girl friends.