King Alexander╒s Government has been working silently during the last nine months to evolve a plan for the reorganisation of the Serb, Croat, and Slovene kingdom and replace the Vidoydan Constitution, which was repealed on January 6 this year. To-day the Council of Ministers announced the decision that the official name of the kingdom shall henceforth be the kingdom of Jugo-Slavia, thus indicating the Government╒s desire to eliminate completely all distinctions between the three different sections of the South Slav race.
Further, the number of administrative districts is to be reduced from thirty-three to nine. These will be Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Banjaluka, Novisad, Nish, Spokjie, Cettigne, and Split, and they will have a very considerable degree of autonomy.
The Act thus dividing Jugo-Slavia into nine districts was unexpectedly published this evening. It appears from the text that all names reminiscent of racial differences are to be eliminated from the map. The new districts will be called after the most important rivers flowing through them.
The text of the Act states that the boundaries of the districts, which will be called bans, have been settled according to natural frontiers and with reference to lines of communication and the convenience of State administration. The new Act emphasises the full union of the State. ╥This name Jugo-Slavia not only emphasises the full union of the State and people, but is a symbol of the idea of the complete equality and brotherhood of our South Slav peoples. By this division we create all the conditions necessary for one people in complete harmony and internal national unity to give themselves over to a free and peaceful life devoted to cultural and economic development.╙
The news of this decentralisation of the State administration has been received with enthusiasm, especially by the people from the new provinces.
