Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-29
BULGARIA VS.. TURKEY.
Relative Fighting Strength Of the Two
Countries.

does not intend to go to war, but
meanwhile feverishly hastens to mobi-
lize her troops, calling out 10000 ir-
regulars, the Circassians, Kurds, Bas-
ni-Bazouks, Albanians, etc., to sup
plement the regular army, levying ad-
tional taxes, and forgetting the usual
Turkish dictum that Haste Is devil
ish," proceeds with unprecedented
vigor to get everything on war foot
ing.
The Macedonian insurgents, dis
couraged at the apathy Of the powers,
say nothing, but keep on with their
guerilla warfare. The powers stand
aloof and virtually say, Flight 1t out
alone" while Bulgaria and Turkey
with lowered heads, take each others
measure and prepare for. the conflict.
The question that now arises Is:
What Is the relative strength Of the
principal mbatants-Bulgaria and
Turkey-what their weight and stay
ing qualities, and who their hackers.
In times Of peace Bulgaria has a
standing army Of $4,000 soldiers, while
in case of war 100000 stand ready to
be called upon, quite as brave, all Of
them, as those who, under the leader
ship of Prince Alexander, wrested VIC
tory from the Servians on the field Of
Slivnitza. Though so much smaller
numerically than the Turks, the quail
80 In p,,1n ri 10
not superior, for the Bulgarians inherit
the fighting blood Of their Thracian
and Illyrian forbears, concerning
whom Herodotus said: IF they could
only agree among themselves they
would be the greatest Of all nations"
Even five hundred years of vassalage
to Turkey has failed to extinguish
their national bravery.
Furthermore both officers and the
rank and file of the army are of a
much higher order Of intelligence than
the Ottomans. Since their emanci-
patton fine public school system has
provided education for the masses,
while the higher official element have
all been educated in Austria, Germany,
France or Robert College, our own
American institution, on the Bos-
phorus. Until 1892 Russian prestige
was paramount, the army being
drilled by Russians and Russian Of
fcials dominating the court; but the
Bulgarians are most independent Of
people and, resenting too much out
side interference, sent the Russians
about their own business. Since then
Bulgaria has stood for Bulgaria alone
in church, state and army. Under
their own officers today (for Sofia has
fine military school and asks odds
of no one regarding Instruction. the
Bulgarian army Is admirably trained
and equipped with all the modern ap-
pliances for war, even to a bicycle
corps, which could do good service
over the superb government roads Of
Bulgaria, though they would be OBJ
viouly at a disadvantage in the noun
tain passes of Macedonia. At least
one-fifth Of the regular Bulgarian
army is made up Of Macedonians ca
ger to get the fine military training,
even at the modest stipend Of dollar
month and found" It was in this
way that Sarafoff and his principal as
sociates received the training that has
stood them in such good stead, even
though the tactics are distinctly Diff
ferent from those necessary to guer-
rilla warfare. 1t Is these white-capped
Macedonian troops, we'll drilled and
scattered among all the principal cities
of Bulgaria, that have served to keep
the sentiment Of Macedonian freedom
alive among Bulgarians. On their re-
turn to their own homes these whilom
soldiers have left their uniforms be-
hind and assumed their peasant garb;
but the lessons they have learned in
| the methods Of modern warfare are not
forgotten, and are speedily put in
practice for the discontinue Of the
| Turks.
In every Bulgarian hamlet. after
the hard days work Is done, the boys
and old men congregate in the village
square, while the returned soldier pro-
ceeds to drill his neighbors according
to Bulgar tactics. Sometimes the drill
is given with a real gun, which every
Macedonian keeps hidden in a corner
of his garden, or again a stick or one
Of his crude agricultural implemrnts
is made to answer the same purpose.
In villages, where Turks form part Of
the population, this drill has to take
place under cover Of the night, the
participants stealing forth one by one,
to some woodland covert out Of sight
Of their prying neighbors. 1t Is from
among these men that the Macedo-
nian committee has been largely re-
cruited.
1t is this experience in border war
fare that has given the Bulgars the
same hardy endurance that is usually
attributed to the Turkish troops and
it is upon this capital that they pro-
pose to trade in the months to come.
One great advantage that they will
have over the Turks is that they can
stand the rigors of a winters cam
paign in their own land far better than
the Turks, who are largely recruited
from the warmer climate Of South
ern Asia. This, indeed, is one of the
reasons why Bulgaria is delaying the
outbreak of general hostilities as long
as possible. The insurgents now have
rifles in Eastern Macedonia, while