873.00/64

The Chargé in Serbia ( Dodge ) to the Acting Secretary of State

No. 135

Sir: I have the honor to enclose to you herewith a copy of a letter which was formally handed to me yesterday with its enclosure by the three first signers, in the name of the delegates in Belgrade of the Montenegrin Constituent Assembly. I also enclose translations of these documents7 which I have made. The enclosure will be found to purport to be a French translation of the resolution passed by the Montenegrin Constituent Assembly on November 26th. last, reviewing the situation of Montenegro and the conduct of King Nicholas; resolving the dethronement of King Nicholas and the Petrovitch-Nyegosh dynasty from the Montenegrin throne; the union of Montenegro with Serbia and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes under the Karageorgevitch dynasty; the election of an executive council to be in charge of the Montenegrin Government until the execution of the union with Serbia; and finally the notification of the text of the resolution itself to King Nicholas, the Serbian Government and the Allied and neutral Powers. The letter requests me to convey the text of this resolution to my Government.

On the day previous to that when this letter was handed to me the Montenegrin Delegates, eighteen in number, two from each department of Montenegro, formally handed a copy of the resolution to the Prince Regent who in a short speech, which I believe has not been published, accepted the union of Montenegro with the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Although the Regent’s acceptance is considered to have made the union effective, the Serbian Skupschtina at its coming session will be called upon to ratify it.

I have had several conversations with the Montenegrin Delegates, especially with the Metropolitan of Ipek, one of the principal Orthodox prelates of Montenegro, and with Mr. Spassoevitch, a prominent Montenegrin political leader and a Minister in several Cabinets. They have told me that as soon as the Austro-Hungarian debacle began steps were immediately taken by the leading patriots remaining in the country, who were soon joined by others from abroad and who had succeeded in escaping from Austrian prison camps, to maintain order which was seriously threatened by the disorderly masses of Austro-Hungarian troops in the country and flowing back from Albania. It was soon found possible to hold elections for delegates to a Constitutional Assembly throughout the small State, the [Page 357] only question placed before the people for decision being that of union with Serbia. The Delegates were duly elected and met at Podgoritza where the resolution of union enclosed was unanimously passed. Except for the opposition of a few personal followers of King Nicholas, the people are stated to have been unanimously for union. Whether or not this account is entirely exact I am unable to judge as every one here appears to be, as is natural, strongly in favor of this union and of course not inclined to admit any different version even if such exists. I have had some confirmation of it however for while I was at Ragusa, during the first days of December, I met several of our naval officers who had been at Cattaro at the time of the elections and Constituent Assembly. They stated that they had heard of the election and had even seen something of it and that so far as they had heard everything had passed off quietly and without disorder. At the time Italy was making efforts to occupy Cettigne as she had already occupied the Montenegrin ports of Antivari and Dulcigno but through the efforts of the Allies was dissuaded from this step. Our officers told me however that two companies of Italian troops actually had started for Cettigne, with two companies of American troops (332nd. Infantry) when before reaching the frontier the American commander, Major Scanlon, thought it best to return. The Italians continued and were received at the frontier with gun-shots from the Montenegrins at which they also returned to Cattaro. The Montenegrins are stated to have declared that they would willingly have allowed the Americans to go to Cettigne but absolutely refused to allow the Italians to pass. Serbian troops were occupying Cettigne at the time as well as the principal points of Montenegro.

I now learn from Mr. Gavrilovitch, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, and from other sources, that the King Nicholas is making desperate efforts to recover his lost throne and that his cause is being supported by the Italian Government. It appears that attempts are being made to stir up public opinion in Italy with a view to the restoration of the old King whose country it is hoped would then come under Italian influence and serve as a welcome addition to Albania. Mr. Gavrilovitch however does not appear to believe that the Italian people take much interest in these efforts. Nevertheless this is another link of the vexatious and threatening circle which Italy is engaged in drawing around the new Kingdom. This circle is now complete with the Italians at Fiume, on the Dalmatian coast, in Albania, and intriguing in Bulgaria and Rumania. Mr. Gavrilovitch assures me that he has unimpeachable information that Italy is intriguing in both Albania and Bulgaria against Serbia and that the recent rather truculent attitude of Rumania in the Banat is due to Italian support of Mr. Bratiano who is glad of the opportunity to take a vigorous stand in that region as he believes that it will help him in the approaching Rumanian elections.

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I may add that the substance of the above report has already been communicated to the Department in my telegrams.8

I have [etc.]

H. Percival Dodge
  1. No enclosures printed.
  2. Not printed.