That Jugo-Slavia, the new kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes created by the Peace Conference, will develop into a strong and unified nation, in spite of all the jealousies, difference in customs among these peoples, was the belief expressed by Professor Archibald Cary Coolidge '87 in the third of his lectures on "Thee States of Central Europe" at the Lowell Institute. The resources of the country and its position in the centre of Europe are in its favor; as soon as its prejudices can be smoothed over and unity of spirit developed its road to strength will be unimpeded.

Boundary Disputes Unpleasant.

"Apart from the fact that Serbia in Particular has suffered ter4mendously and cannot get much pecuniary indemnity, the new State has had a large number of unpleasant boundary questions." Professor Coolidge said, "From Austria and Hungary, enemy States not represented at Paris, the Jugo-Slavs have got almost all they seriously asked. The same thing is true regarding Bulgaria. The last bit of Bulgarian Macedonia has gone to Serbia. Without gong into the Macedonian question, one must say that in spite of the skillful historical and other arguments that have been put forth on the Serbian side, it is hard to dodge two facts. First, until ten years ago the great majority of foreign and unprejudiced travellers in or students of Macedonia regarded the Macedonian Slavs as Bulgars; second, rightly or wrongly, they felt so themselves, and their sympathies were accordingly that of the Bulgars. One the other hand, we may admit that they are a people not far removed from the Serbs and very possibly may be quickly turned into good Serbs. With Rumania there was a violent dispute about the Bavat. The conference gave the Serbs a portion. There was great anger in Roumania, who threatened violence. If there were a conflict between Italy and Serbia they might profit by the chance."

After discussing the present alliance between Serbia and Greece, the questions of Skutari, Dalmatian and of Fiume, the pact of London, Italian occupation, of the armistice; the question of the Serbian ports, with much light thrown upon geography, nationality and history, Professor Coolidge spoke of the felling that exists between the Serbs and the Croats. The latter look on themselves as much more cultured and western, but are willing to be united with the Serbs without domination by them. The Serbs likewise fell a superiority in that they have fought and suffered and freed the others whom they sometimes look upon as rather feeble folk.

Early History Romantic

There is no more romantic history perhaps in all Europe than that of the Slavic peoples who, about the seventh century after Christ, began a considerable movement into the region northeast of the Adriatic. They were divided into various small tribes, and in the earlier ages most of the them were under the more or less nominal rule of the Avars, Greeks, Franks, Magyars and others. They occupied, and their descendants occupy, a solid block of territory, but they have divided into three parts, that have had extraordinarily little to do with each other. This is due in part, the speaker observed, to physical geography.

"They early came under Germany rule, but those nearer to the coast under Venetian," the speaker declared. "Their native aristocracy was displaced or Germanized. Their towns were largely German. Already, by the 13th century, they were under the house of Austria, and the history of their territory has been Austrian." The progress of Germanization has been very slow and unconscious until recent years.

"The Slovenes speak a language of their own, which is a link between Serbo-Croat and Czech. The Croats and Serbs have been closer together, speaking the same language, but having a history totally different. Strange to say, in all their history till the end of 1918, they have never been united in the same nation."

Disputes Through the Centuries

Then followed a survey of the historical features of the Serbs and the Croats, Professor Coolidge first calling to mind that main body of the Croats, after a short period as an independent kingdom, were united to Hungary in 1019, and that there have been disputes to this day over claimed that Croatia became part of the Kingdom of Hungary, while the Croats have claimed that it was a personal union on equal terms. The Croats pased through tot he Adriatic where there was an Italian town population, and the coast later came under Venice. In general after this the history of Croatia and of Hungary run together for several centuries.

Serbia's history was likewise one to test the Imagination of students. Professor Coolidge piled incident upon incident to illustrate the unsettled times, featured by the Turks entering Europe, the Serbs passing under Turkish rule, Serbian immigration into Hungary and the Serbian wars of independence prior to 1876. Bosnia and Herzegovina were alluded to as "the meting ground between Serbs and Croats," and the settlements of the Congress of Berlin, with Austrian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina causing intense disappointment of the Serbs. Nevertheless, there was the Austrian alliance and its predominance in Serbia till the accession of Peter Kaigevyevich in 1903. Yet with all Serbia's troubles, the Jugo-Slav idea blossomed and bore fruit in the minds of the leaders and there was linguistic reform and a literary revival, despite jealousies, religious feelings, the Austrians playing off one against the other.

Hope for Better Timers

The Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913, disapproved by Austria, who believed that first Turkey and then Bulgaria would win, gave Serbia greatly increased territory and prestige, and its was particularly worth recalling that all Jugo-Slave turned toward her. Austria-Hungary felt herself endangered with the menace of the story of the liberation of Italy all over again and determined to prevent it. Then followed the murder of Ferdinand, although he was a friend of the Jugo-Slave, and the beginning of the World War. Swiftly sketching the invasion of Serbia and its conquest, the pact of Corfu, July 20, 1917, between representatives of the Serbs and some exiled Croats, and the proclamation of a Jugo-Slav State; the collapse of Bulgaria and Austria in October, 1918, and the liberation of Serbia and Montenegro, also the detachment of Dalmatia, Croatia and the Slovene territories, Professor Coolidge came down to the formation of the new kingdom, which for many months, if not for years, will excite the attention of the world. "We hope for it a good future," he said, in closing.