The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-01

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fSy9zH$ NJ is difficult to strike a
EEI1 balance between the
:: Sk{l9gs good and the glaringly
W. reprehensible traits of
MNE~FR character of Prince
I63A,--<>>s' - Ferdinand of Bulgaria,
--- who is just now per
haps the most talked of man in Eu-
rope. He is a queer mixture of weak
ness and strength, of candor and
treachery, of bravery and cowardice.
That he is brave seems to be con-
ceded, for in his private life he has
done many things from which any but
a thoroughly courageous man or
fool would shrink. It is also true that
the consuming ambition of his life is to
go down in history as the best ruler
Bulgaria has ever known. His idea of
the means to that end is to be summed
up in the two words territorial ag-
grandizement." Alexander, his prede-
cessor. was a good soldier; many de-
clared him a military genius. He added
to the territory of Bulgaria, and F'erdi-
nand would die happy if he could do
so with the knowledge that his country
had grown in area under his admins
tration more than under that of Alex
ander.
But that Ferdinand is also a coward
was most fully demonstrated recently
by his precipitate flight from his palace
in Sofia. News had been brought to
him that he was to be assassinated.
He doubtless had the fate of his neigh
bor Alexander of Servia, in mind, and
he fed incontinently. From one city
to another he wandered, afraid evident
Iy to return to Sofia. Meanwhile his
country had reached a point in her re-
Iations with Turkey when an open dec
iaration of war would have ensued, but
that Turkey was unwilling thus to dig
Nifty a vassal state like Bulgaria. Fer
dinand was anxious to be at the head
of his armies for at last there was
chance of the fuIfllment of his dream
of years-the acquisition of territory,
more particularly that of Macedonia,
on whose account the difficulty with the
sultan was ostensibly begun. But he
was afraid to go back; of that there
can be no doubt. At last, spurred on
by his advisers and probably greatly
Influenced by the fact that all talk of
plotting against the government had
been effectually silenced by the danger
threatening from outside, he returned
to Sofia, but not, it is said, until his
mother had exacted from the king of
England a promise to keep war ship
within easy reach of her son.
Ferdinand is noted among the mem
bers of his official household for his alb
solute candor in discussing even the
most trivial matters, and yet there is
ample evidence of his treachery to
those whom he has used to further his
purposes. For instance, there recently
died in Budapest a man named Philip
Waldapfel, who after the abdication of
Alexander devoted time and money
toward making Ferdinand prince of
Bulgaria Toward Waldapfel Ferdi-
nand's conduct was as despicable as
can be imagined. When Alexander alb
dIcated. Ferdinand employed Waldapfel
to direct a propaganda having for it's
purpose Ferdinand's selection as Alex
ander's successor Immediately there
after the papers were filed with stories
OF Ferdinand's fitness for the vacant
post Waldapfel spent a good deal of
money in visiting persons supposed to
have influence in Bulgaria. When Fer
dinand had become the ruler of Bulga-
ria, Waldapfel. his erstwhile press
agent modestly sent him a bill amount
ing to about $4,000 for actual expenses.