Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-08

could have thought Of ever becoming the
ruler of a people.
Much in ~Ferdinand's final decision was
due to the ambition Of his mother. Princess
Clementine, of Orleans, one OF the wealth.
lest descendants of a decayed dynasty. and
thus the prince with the long nose" final
~ became the second ruler of Bulgaria. OF
course. this ruling was not much more
than playing at being prince" The real
ruler was Stambouloff. He Commanded:
ferdinand only wore the crown and signed
the orders prepared by his premier. When
ever during S~tambouloff's reign threaten
ing clouds hung over Bulgaria. whenever
important events occurred for which SIAM
bouloff was responsible. the princeIy mil
ace on the banks of the Iscar was deserted
Ihe psuedo prince was absent. and while
Stambouloff alone braved assassins and
reVoiutions. Prince Ferdinand roamed all
over Europe in search of pleasure.
StnmbouIOR the Real Ruler.
Thus 1t came to pass at the court of Bull
garia that all important documents were
signed by Ferdinand in the last minute.
when he was aboard his yacht. and were
promulgated only after the prince was far
beyond any danger from his subjects.
When. at the time of the trial of Major
Panitza on a charge of conspiracy. the
prince suddenly gave orders to pack his
trunks for 4 two months ~sojourn at Carls-
bad. the whole court was in u tremble.
proclamation TO the Bulgarian nation in
which he intrusted Stambouloff with the
conduct of the affairs of state and appoint
ed him governor.
The prince resigns whispered the
courtiers. Bulgaria is at the eve of great
The yacht with Ferdinand aboard had
steamed out of the harbor and the court:ers
FASTENED to Stambouloff, the regent. 10 paw
homage to him. for was there not to be a
GoEp ae Iaw nv;no not stambouloff to pro.
prevailed at the capital: the most sensa-
tionai rumors circulated. St~ambouloff's
friends would be the first 10 be informed of
what was coming. They went to him with
the question whether it was true that
rrince ferdinand had resigned and that
there was to be a new ruler. stambouloff
smile: ~
20. no: everything remains as It is: only
fanltza VIII he shot tomorrow morning.
A rev months later Stambouloff was at
men, of whom shot him and two stabbed
mn h,mi ib M9u dss in twenty places, he died on
commissioning his p%recarious position:
seems See d;e bent upon Increasing the number Of
Until the death of Stambouioff he had no
frmer friend than the British government.
queen Victoria expressed her admiration
1or the manner In which her young Coburg
relative had succeeded in Bulgaria. had
treated him with marked consideration on
the occasions of his two visits to Balmoral.
sentatives at Sofia to abstain from the spe-
cies of ostracism to which the prince is of
ficially subjected by the diplomatic corps
at Sofia. owing to the fact that he has not
yet been recognized by the powers as the
de -jure sovereign of Bulgaria.
Yet. Ferdinand has succeeded in COM
pletely, ~estranging British good feeling
toward him by his unaccountable partisan
ship for the assassins of Stamboulof and
by neslecting to heed British remonstrances
in the interest of justice. Neither Lord Sal
isbury nor yet Queen Victoria is the kind
of person to allow either themselves or their
country to be treated with such scant cour-
tesy. least of all by a prince occupying a
position like that of Prince Ferdinand.