Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-10
BULGAR|A'S
PROGRESS
UNDER FERD,
Special to The Tribune.

SpcClai 10 1 TIC lIluuHc'
VIENNA. August 10.-TomorlOw
Ferdinand l. will round out quarter
Of a century as ruler of Bulgaria. The
anniversary recalls much that is OF
interest. 1t also serves to show that
political prophecies often so wide OF
the mark
twenty-five years ago last month
there come to Vienna a Bulgarian
statesman, NJ. Stolloff, envoy of STAN.
bouloff. the dictator. Stoiloff was
searching LOT a prince who would design
to accept the Bulgarian crown. The
offer was not very tempting The
fate that befell the unhappy Alexan-
der OF Battenburg, the first prince OF
Bulgaria, made it hard to find his sue
cessOr.
After several princes had been APP
preached without success, Stamboul-
off and Stoiloff thought Of the Co
burgs, who had already furnished sew.
eral kings. SO Stoiloff journeyed to
Ebenthal, near Vienna. and appealed
to the youngest. cleverest, and most
attractive of the Coburgs, Prince Fer
dinand. His mother, Princess Glenn
entine, was daughter Of Louis Phil.
lippe. Ferdinand was a nephew Of
the king of the Belgians and related
to the queens of England and Portu-
gal.
Prince Ferdinand was then twenty
six. He was we'll aware Of the dan
gers his acceptance would involve.
But he saw in young Bulgaria an
enormous force, which, If he could d.
rect and control it, might work mir
acles. He had faith in the people and
faith in himself. He accepted, and
on August IL, 1887, he assumed the
reins of government.
The young prince had an uphill
fight. The confirmation Of his seleC-
ton by the Powers and of his cleo
ton by the Bulgarian national as
sembly was only secured from the
Porte after the most humiliating re-
structions had been placed upon him.
1t was the understanding that he was
to remain permanently in the Princi-
pality and that the state of MS coun-
try-religiOn, education, finance, de-
Tense, industry and commerce-must
be periodically scrutinized by the
Ministry at the Yildiz Kiosk.
NominaIly vassal of Turkey, in
reality Bulgaria was dominated by
Russia, while Austria ana the other
Powers watched with jealons eye
! and stood ready to stir up truble at
any moment. The foreign relations
of the struggling young Principally
| were bad enough, but the condition
! of affairs at home was even worse.
Rival factions disputed the Govern
ment, the army was torn with dissen-
sions, and nothing but the iron rule of
StamboulOi prevented the country's
ruin. r.... .... ..a.l.
! Such was Bulgaria in 1887, when
! Ferdinand arrived. And what marvel.
Gus changes twenty-five years under
his rulership have brought about. At
the start unrecognized by any of the
Powers Of Europe, treated as usurp-
er, laughed at and hated, he achieved
the recognition of all the Powers and
| with it their respect. Today Ferdin-
and is recognized everywhere, receiv-
| GU W I'LL IVY al III Oil IuC Sop-
tals Of Europe; his realm has become
the most prosperous and most power
full of the Balkan States; it has proud
ly broken the last ties that bound it
to Turkey; it has civilized, modern
lied and improved it's system Of gov
eminent; the country is covered with
roads and railways; it has thrifty,
industrious population and brilliant
capital; everywhere are to be seen
magnificent military buildings, for the
backbone Of Bulgaria is her army,
which is the best disciplined in the
Balkans.
Oscar Ferdinand, as he has been
known since Bulgaria achieved her
complete independence five years ago
is in person handsome ,soldierly
man, bearded and always we'll groom
ed. He is not only an earnest stu
dent, with a special leaning towards
botany and ornithology, but also a
man of highly cultivated taste. He
has made a complete study of the diff
ficult language an dthe history of his