The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-05
WAR IMMINENT
 IN NEAR EAST Bulgaria Expected to Declare Its Independence at Once, Forcing Immediate
 War.
TROOPS ARE MoBILIzING
Tn Take. Advantage Of . Turkeys Weakness--Austria Also Pre- parcs to Annex Pro
 yinCes.

Constsntinople, oct s.~AltnouEh q peaceful settlement of the Bulgarian questions Is desired Turkey is pushing preparations to meet any development in the situation Orders have been giv- en for the first division of cavalry. consisting of six regiments, to he ready for immediate departure with eight regiments of the second corps and six Of the third Turkey thus will have opposed to eleven Bulgarian regiments, of which six are at Philippopolis two at Sofia and three on the Rumaniau frontier.
 The Bulgarian soldiers are most en- thusastc This being 2 Mohsmmsdan 'ete season. work usually is relaxed, but now the officers are making speeches to the men, telling them that since Turkey has threatened war with g small country they must pull them- selves together unless they wish to go like sheep 10 slaughter The mon have been greatly affected hy these words and have demanded that their whole time be given over to drilling.
 London, oct. 4 Events which threat ,n to change tho political face of Eu- rope are crystallizing with lightning 'apldty. Almost overnight the hori- 5on of the Near East, which seemed gradually toe he assuming q peaceful appearance has become crowded with war clouds
 News reaches here from several sources that two definite strokes are impending which cannot fail 70 bring matters to crisis and perhaps force ,n immediate war. One is tho pro .lsmation by Prince Ferdinand of tho independence of Bulgaria, which will Include Rumela. taking for himself the title Of Car The other Is an announcement by Austria Hungary of the practical annexation of the pro- vinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina as lppenages of the Austro- Hungarian crowd
 Either action will be equivalent 10 the tearing up of the treaty of Berlin, while Prince Ferdinands course seems 'lmost certain to precipitate war be- tween Bulgaria and Turkey, Before these possibilities. the quarrel over the sast Rumelian section of tho orient 'ailway sinks Into msignihcance Both lrmies are reported Co he quietly and swiftly mobilizing near tho borders Bulgaria Is said 10 he buying up muni- ions and horses on an extensive scale.
 The 'Bulgarians have faith in their Nrmy which has reached high state of efficiency although it Is perhaps lacking in officers. and tho war, for which Bulgaria hos long been sus- pected of preparire. could be fought with more advautagc for her now than when tho new Turkish government had time to reorganze Its forces, which have become enervatcd hv the corruption and neglect of tho old re- sime.
 The emperor of Austria lt Is undcr- stood. has dispatched letter to the president of France, setting forth his intentions regarding Bosnia, and fer segovnia although the contents of the letter are kept secret, and ho is sond- Ing similar notes to the other pow ars
 It seems incredible that Emperor Francis Joseph, who always has been scrupuous observer of forms, should reveal his plans to tho rulers Of other nations before he has communicated to them to his own parliament. one explanation is that the letter was not Intended for delivery until Tuesday, when identical notes would he pre- sented to the other powers.
 While Austra's action with regard to the two provinces may not techni- cally he called annexation, 1t is belev- ed it will amount to that, whatever It may be called. Apparently the omper- or is determined that the destiny of these provinces shall be Austrian, not Turkish, For thirty years they have been administered by Austria Hun gary, but they have always remained theoretically Turkish territory and Austria pledged that her admnlstra ton should not deroRate Turkish rights
 English public opinion Is with Fur key in the Bulgarian dispute, as all powers except Austria seems to be, and 1t remains to he seen what the English attitude will he towards an nexation if that becomes fact.
 Austria is suspected of encouraging the recent Bulgarian Turkish trouble for her own interests, but the British government has made proposals to tbe two countries looking to the settle ment of the railway case and the other powers have agreed 10 give sup port 10 the plan, which contemplates the temporary restoration of the rail- way to Turkey. Ito save her face. and then transference from the company 10 the Bulgarian government.