There were hot Slavic words in the Skupshtina, Jugoslavia's Parliament in Belgrade. Again, after three years of debate, the Treaty of Nettuno which would permit "peaceful penetration" into Dalmatia by Italian colonists was being fiercely attacked by Stefan Raditch, Croatian leader of the Opposition. Leader Raditch, a gypsy, a lover of freedom, saw in the impending "penetration" the dangerous colonizing hand of Benito Mussolini, whose land is just across the Adriatic from Dalmatia and neighboring Croatia. Croat Raditch shouted in furious, wild speech. Supporting him were the Dalmatian and Croatian deputies. Against him were lined the Serbs and Slovenes: the Government. Finally Croat Raditch roared in what was destined to be his valedictory: "You are not men! YOU ARE SWINE!"
From the Government benches across the House came an immediate answer— decisive, sudden bullets flew six times from the blue-steel barrel of an automatic pistol coolly aimed by Deputy Punica Ratchitch. Each bullet found a man and brought him down, wounding four, killing two. Paul Raditch, nephew of Stefan and father of seven, was one of those who died. Stefan Raditch crumpled with a bullet in his stomach. Fifty days later, in Zagreb, Croatian Capital, he died. That was last summer. To Croats, still, the name Raditch means Hero and Martyr. They gather in thousands to cry "Zhivoi Raditch! (Hail Raditch!)." Impatiently have they waited to be avenged.
Last week, in Belgrade, Punica Ratchitch was brought to trial. He pleaded self-defense. The charge was manslaughter. The court was crowded with relatives, friends of the late great Stefan Raditch. Present also was many a Serb. In many a pocket revolvers rested heavily with good cause.
Since last June Jugoslavia has ratified the Treaty of Nettuno, riots and shootings have continued, the constitution has been abolished and Jugoslavs live tensely under the absolute dictatorship of Serb King Alexander I, "The Absolute."
Thirty lawyers appeared to defend Assassin Ratchitch last week; 60 to prosecute him. The legal babble approached a pandemonium. Jugoslavia is excellent tinder for an immediate conflagration. Therefore, the trial of Ratchitch was despatched with more than usual speed and sentence was passed, last week, condemning the slayer of Raditch to 20 years' imprisonment at hard labor. Croats calculated the bitter mathematics. Three men had died from the Ratchitch bullet. Twenty years' imprisonment for Ratchitch; the life of a Raditch therefore was worth exactly six years and eight months of a Ratchitch life. They fingered the revolvers in their pockets, left the courtroom with ideas.
Unhappy Croats had another reason to be bitter last week. Seven governing committee members of the Croatian Peasants Party, including Martyr Raditch's successor, Dr. Matchek, left an anti-Belgrade-dictatorship demonstration at Zagreb, were arrested, taken to Belgrade for incarceration.