Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-03
PROGRESS OF BALKAN RACES.
Their characteristics and Antecedents
Amazing Development of Bulsa-
rians. Americans of the Near East.

| rians, Americans of the Near East.
The political divisions known as the
Balkan states are five. North Of the
Danube lies Roumania, whose inde-
pendence from Turkey was confirmed
by the Berlin congress in 1878. Imme-
diately south, on the other bank of the
Danube, is Bulgaria, to the west OF
which lies Servia-an Independent
kingdom created by the treaty Of Ber-
! llin-occupying a position Of vast stra-
tegic importance on the Danube, at the
meeting of two great waterways, and
commanding the main line Of railway
from western Europe to Constantine
pie. Southwest of Servia is the little
principality of Montenegro, whose in
dependence from Turkey was assured
by the congress of Berlin. To the
west, about the head of the Adriatic
and between the river Drave and the
coast, are the territories known as
Bosnia and Herzegovina, officially de-
scribed as Turkish provinces, though
by the treaty of Berlin, placed under
the Austro- Hungarian government fol
administration and military occupa-
ton Austria Hungary has decreed the
annexation of these provinces. The
population consists of Moslem beys-
Servians who adopted Islam in order
to be assured of privileges-and Chris
tian peasants, almost exclusively MEM
| bers of the Orthodox Greek church In
Bosnia, but, to a considerable extent
Roman Catholics in Herzegovina. II
is not unusual, however, to find fam
lilies seeking to make friends with
Mammon and righteousness by divid-
| ing their members between the Mos
lens and the Christians.
Bulgaria was conquered by the
Turks in 1896 and for 500 years re-
mained part of the Ottoman empire
It was constituted an autonomous prin-
cipality by the Berlin treaty in 1878
neutrality-suspicious. having been recog.
nized by the Turks in the treaty OF
San Stefano, signed with the Russians
few months earlier in the same year
Prince Alexander Of Battenberg was
elected prince of Bulgaria in April
I1S79. He totally defeated the Servians
at the battle of Slivnitza in November
1885, and in the next year came the
union of Bulgaria with eastern Rou-
melia. Then followed the abdication Of
Prince Alexander owing to Russian
pressure and the election of Prince
Ferdinand Of Sake Coburg in 1887.
The Near East Americans.
In the last twenty years the progress
Of Bulgaria has been amazing-Amer-
lean, indeed, in it's rapidity and Its
thoroughness. The capital, Sofia, II
the early eighties was a collection o.
mean buildings and filthy streets. Now
it is fine modern city, with we'll paved
streets, pleasant parks and beautiful
buildings, with a population Of nearl!
100000 inhabitants.
During the same period the exports
and imports have increased by ovel
1900 per cent, the exports including
grains, altar of roses, silk and tobacco
There is a public elementary schoo
in every village and a secondary schoo
in every town Of 10000 inhabitants
Sofia and the other cities possess ex'
cellently equipped hospitals, and the
state savings bank receives $4OO,OOC
deposits every month.
| Generally it may be said that Bull
garia is a nation Of peasant farmers
The country is divided into small hold.
ings, and the people are as hardwork.
ing and earnest as small farmers gen.
orally are. 1t is quite natural that 81
determined and so progressive people
should possess ambitions, and certainly
Bulgarian ambitions have been fol
many years a most fertile cause o.
| Balkan unrest.
The Bulgarian desires the formation
of a great Bulgaria which will include
Macedonia. The Greeks, and witt
them the Serbs, are as bitterly opposed
to this as are the Turks, and when one
remembers that in the Balkans assas'
| =
parts of political propaganda the west
ern European may have some idea o.
the origin of the horrors that from
time to time occur.
The patriotic Bulgarian Is continual.
ly hearing voices calling to him from
Macedonia to come over and help them
Macedonia is not only inhabited by
Mohammedans and Christians always
ready at the shortest notice to massa.
ere each other, but the Christians are
divided into Greeks, Servians and Bull.
gars, who mutually hate each othel
rather more than they all hate the
Turk.
BuIgaria's Big Army.
The Bulgarian army is certainly one
of the best, if not the best, Of the
smaller armed forces of Europe. After
the formation of the principality Of
1878 Russian officers held all the high.
er posts in the Bulgarian army unit
they were suddenly withdrawn by the
czar on the very eve Of the war be-
tween Bulgaria and Servia in 1885
Even under these difficult circum-
stances the Bulgarian army demon,
strated the quality Of its material by
utterly defeating the Servians.
The peace strength Of the Bulgarian
army is roughly estimated at $4,000
men, but on a war footing it is cal
culated that the enormous fighting
force of at least 375,O00 can be placed
in the field. 1t is believed by the Bull
garian authorities that they can mob
ilize their army, ready for war, ir
about a fortnight 1t is certain tina,
mobilization in Bulgaria will take q
shorter time than in any Of the neigh
boring countries.
Every Bulgarian, whatever be his re-
ligion, is liable to military service
There are the usual exemptions from
service. Mohammedans, whose num-
bers are yearly decreasing, may claim
not to serve on payment Of 500, which
they can seldom afford. Liability fol
service begins at the age Of eighteen