Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-10-31

| the Balkan peninsula was turned int
a second Asia Minor. 1t is one of the
| proudest boasts of the Bulgars thai
for more than four centuries they
were the bulwark of Europe against
the Mohammedan armies, and that
when they did fall they fell gloriousIy
fighting to the last
Then Came Degeneration.
But in the cycles that came after
kosovo the Bulgar race degenerated
sadly. 1t became a race of stolid peas
ants. heavy, stupid. uneducated, and
so 1t remained until the wave of insur-
rection swept over Europe in the first
half of the nineteenth century.
San Stefano made Bulgaria nominal
Iy free from Turkey. She was to have
almost the whole of what is now
known as Macedonia, with a seacoast
on the Aegean, besides the country be-
yond the Rhodopes. But this did not
suit Disraeli. He summoned the con-
gress of Berlin and British battle
ships proved too much for Russian
diplomacy Bulgaria was hacked, cut
down. amputated into a tuppenny-ha'-
penny principally, a vassal state of
Turkey, bound to pay fixed annual
tribute, to be determined later.
And the Bulgarians were not dis
couraged, even though disappointed
They began their uphill fight at once
They ignored the clauses of the treaty
binding them to vassalage; they ig-
nored the tribute to Turkey, and, when
the time came, in 1885, they annexed
Eastern Rumelia, a Turkish province
having about the same status as Bull
gar1a proper, and over which the
prince of Bulgaria was governor-gen-
eral. Turkey was afraid to fight Bull
garia then, but Servia, jealous at such
an important acquisition by her young
er neighbor, declared war and was
whipped at Slivnitza.
Since then Bulgaria has been devot-
ing her efforts to educating her people,
to building up the most efficient fight
ing machine owned by a small power
In Europe, and to skillfully carrying
ON propaganda in Macedonia calcu-
lated to advance her interests in that
At the same time the Bulgarian
statesmen have been watching and |
waiting an opportunity to proclaim the |
independence. Actually, they |
nave always been free; nominally, the |
sultan has been their suzerain In |
Prince Ferdinand they had a ready |
DOL at hand. He is vain, ambitious
and equally crafty. AS a statesman he
has proved himself no mean antagon-
st during the 20 years of his reign,
md he has been willing to sacrifice
anything for tho privilege of calling
himself king.
Prince Tolerated for His Brains. /
So Europe has had the curious spec
acle of ruler, selfish and bound to
lis own ends, working hand in glove
With his people for the same result 1t
Indifferent to his subjects what Fer
linand of Bulgaria calls himself. They
lespise him personally, while recog-
lizing that he is an able ruler and |
ct it go at that.
In the Turkish revolution, brought
bout by the Young Turks party. Bull
aria saw the opportunity she had
waited so long. In fact, some ex-
remists may be prone to believe that
Bulgaria had hand in the organiza-
ion of the Young Turks
Ferdinand saw instinctively the best
Vay to accomplish what he wanted
AUSTRIA, trembling over the safety of
er tenure of Herzegovina and Bosnia.
vas anxious for any plan that would1
ndermine the treaty of Berlin. Very
kelly Austria was only too happy to
ave small nation like Bulgaria start
RMY DRILL.