PROTIC, STOJAN (1857-1923), Yugoslav statesman, was born at Krusgvak Jan. 29, 1857, and at first entered the Govern ment service. He soon came into conflict with the repressive regime of King Milan and in 1882 became editor of Samouprava and a leader of the new Radical party. He was imprisoned for a press offence in 1883 and again in 1885. He held subordinate posts in the Radical Cabinet of 1887. In 1899 an attempt on King Milan's life was used by the Government to rid itself of its Radical rivals. ProtiC was sentenced to 20 years' hard labour, although, in fact, he had no connection with the crime. Pardoned nine months later, he became director of the National Library. After the revolution of 1903 he represented the Radicals in the first provisional Cabinet under King Peter and remained Minis ter of the Interior in most of the succeeding Cabinets down to 1907. He was Finance Minister during the Bosnian crisis and again became Minister of the Interior during the period of the Balkan Wars and the European crisis of 1914. In 1914, when leaders of the secret "Black Hand" organization were impli cated in the murder of Serajevo, this organization was actually at daggers drawn with the Serbian Government owing to a quarrel with ProtiC.
ProtiC remained out of office during the period of coalition government from Dec. 1914 to June 1917, but continued to exercise great influence in the background. He was returned to office in 1917 and played an active part in the negotiations leading to the Corfu agreement between the Serbian Govern ment and the Yugoslav Committee. He showed more comprehen sion for the Croat and Slovene standpoint than his colleague Pa'giC, and when the conflict between PaiC and TrumbiC in 1918 delayed the recognition of Yugoslavia by the Allies and created an awkward situation with Italy, ProtiC was appointed the first Premier of the new Yugoslav State. He was keenly interested in the constitutional problem, and after his resignation in Aug. 1919 published his own draft project. Disagreeing with the exaggerated centralism of PagiC, he declined office in 1921 and drifted steadily away from his old colleague. ProtiC died in Belgrade in Nov. 1923.
His publications include The Aspirations of Bulgaria (1916) and Le probleme Albanais, etc. (1913), issued under the pseudonym of "Balkanicus."