Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-10-21


| interests in that country.
At the same time, the Bulgarian
statesmen have been watching and
waiting an opportunity to proclaim
the country's independence. Actually,
they have always been free; NOM
inally, the Sultan has been their suze-
rain. In Prince Ferdinand they had
ready tool at hand. He is vain, am
bilious, and equally crafty AS a
statesman. he has proved himself no
mean antagonist during the twenty
years of his reign and he has been
willing to sacrifice anything for the
privilege of calling himself king.
| Tolerated for His Brains.
| So Europe has had the curious
| spectacle of a ruler, selfish and bound
to his own ends working hand in glove
with his people for the same result.
1t is Indifferent with his subjects
what Ferdinand of Bulgaria calls him
self. They despise him personally,
while recognizing that he is an able
ruler and let it go at that. A royal
ruler is necessary in Europe, and most
of the petty princes are not estimable
characters. If they have brains,
| though, they are tolerated.
/ It cannot be too strongly empha-
sized that what Ferdinand is playing
for is the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Ferdi-
nand of Bulgaria. Territorial gains
he would look upon as providing
chances for applications to the
Sobranje to increase his civil list.
But the Bulgarian statesmen are will
| ing to encourage his aspirations so
| long as they are of assistance to the
ends of state, and the rank and file of
the people are thinking of Bulgaria,
their country, the mother land OF
their tiny race, crammed full of pluck
and determination and fiery energy.
They would as soon fight Turkey as
Servia. They are confident they
could beat either nation.
That is the past history of the Bull
gar race. It's necessary briefneSs
must be the excuse for leaving out
many facts as important as interest
ing. The present situation is not diff
ficult to analyze. In the Turkish
revolution, brought about by the
Young Turks party, Bulgaria saw the
opportunity she had awaited so long
In fact, some extremists may be
prone to believe that Bulgaria had a
hand in the organization of the Young
Turks. 1t is not inconceivable when
one comes to consider the extent OF
the ramifications of the various revo
lutionary parties in war-torn Mace
donia.
1 Ferdinand saw instinctively the
best way to accomplish what he
wanted. Austria, trembling over the
safety of her tenure of Herzegovina
and Bosnia, was anxious for any plan
that would undermine the treaty OF
Berlin. Very likely Austria was only
too happy to have small nation like
Bulgaria start the ball rolling, rather
than run the risk of bringing down
upon her own head the wrath of the
Great Powers.
Those who know him can trace in
the reported policy of Austria-brib
cry of the interested powers to secure
their permission for her own and
BuIgarias acts-the hand of Prince
Ferdinand Somehow, the scheme
smacks of his cynical nature.
Financial Backing Wanted.
Bulgarian statesmen and army of
ficers have repeatedly told the writer
that all Bulgaria wanted before de
} cIaring war against Turkey was the
moral and neutrality-suspicious. the
latter-backing of one of the great
powers. Apparently Bulgaria has
that now in Austria. If Italy, Rus
STA and Germany can be induced te
keep their hands off, then there is
not much chance of France and Eng
land, who, after all, have few inter
ests at stake, interfering. That, al
. least appears to be the argument Of
the Bulgarian government.
That Bulgaria is prepared for war
none who has had an intimate view
of the country can doubt. An Ameri
can finds it hard to appreciate the
military spirit OF the Bulgars, which
enabled them to construct what some
critics have ventured to call the best
army on the continent.
Bulgaria's army on peace footing
consists of over $4,000 men of al
arms The writer was told by Cap
Mischaicoff of the genera staff that
plans had been mapped out Whereby
200, 900 trained men could be pu'- in
the field, on the opposite side Of the
Macedonian frontier in two weeks
In another two weeks. two more ar
mics OF 100000 men each could be
placed on a war footing.
When one considers that Bulgaria
has total population of scarcely 4,
100000, this may seem unbelievable
vet such is the military organization
of the nation that it is an accom-
plished fact Military service is
compulsory. two years being the mini
mum term, and man stays eighteen
/ voars in the reserve after he has com