El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-06
BULGARIA NOT
GUILTY SAYS
EDUCATOR
Declares Atrocities Were
Perpetrated by Greeks
and Servians.
RUSSIA PREVENTS
BRILLIAN TVICTORY

EW YORK. Sept. 6.-Constantine
NJ Stephanove. professor of Eng
L lish literature in the University
Of Sofia. Bulgaria, has written a letter
to friends in New York in which ne
defends Bulgaria from the allegations
freely made against her that she was
the aggressor in the latest Balkan war;
and that Bulgarian troops have com
mitted a series of atrocities in south
eastern Europe.
The letter is dated Sofia, where pro-
lessor Stepnahove resides, and was
written in August, shortly after the
conclusion at Bucharest me writer
begins by describing the isolation IN
which Bulgaria had found herself Tor
several weeks past Her enemies, ser
via. Rumania, Greece and Montenegro
conspired to make it practically I'M
possible for Bulgaria to communicate
with the outside world during the first
months of the fighting taking adVan-
tage Of this condition to circulate
abroad a number OF misleading ana
even mendactous statements concerning
the progress of the war, all rejecting
Outlines secret Treaty.
He then outlines the secret treaty
concluded last May between Turkey
and Greece, by which Greece guaran-
teed Turkey armed assistance Ior the
reOccupation Of Adrianople, Turkey IN
for the seizure Of Thrace. The con-
spiracy of SerVia Rumania, Greece
Montenegro and Turkey against Bulga-
ria is characterized as one of the most
complete recorded in history, and
distinct and notable phase of this con-
certed action was the circulation OF
baseless and lying reports. all destined
to injUre Bulgaria in the eyes OF the
world and which Bulgaria was at the
time pOWerless to refute or deny.
Continuing his interesting presenta-
ton of Bulgaria's side Of the case, pro
lessor Stephanove writes as follows:
The charge that Bulgaria was the
aggressor in this warfare, in which her
former allies were arrayed against her,
is unjust and untrue Bulgaria did her
utmost to persuade Servia to fulfill the
stipulatiOns of the SerbO-Bulgar1an
treaty for the protection Of Macedonia,
but without success. 1t was for the
freedom of Macedonia that Bulgaria
engaged in the Balkan war. With her
army still at Tchataldja and Gallipon
il was unthinkable that Bulgaria
should declare war upon her former al
Servia and Greece AgEressOrs.
"Servia and Greece inaugurated Sc
ries of cruel attacks, meanwhile, upon
the Bulgarian population OF Macedonia.
Thousands were imprisoned, maltreated,
and many even suffered death; other
thousands escaped into Bulgaria Then
followed the Greek riots at Series.
Angista, Negritta, etc. in which many
Bulgarian soldiers were killed from am
bush by Greek bands The Bulgarian
outpost at Angista resisted. and in re-
venge the Greek general staff planned
the attack on the small Bulgarian gar
rison at SalOnica-
There were other similar skirmishes
on the border What could Bulgaria
do2 She appealed to Russia, the arbi-
ter of the SerbO-B Bulgarian treaty, but
Russia refused to act She appealed
also TO the powers, but her cry was ig-
nOred. SerVia and Greece, fortified by
their secret unders landing with RUma
MIA and Turkey, rapidly became nu-
bearabie in their attitude.
Part of the Bulgarian troops at
Adrianople and Tchataldia had been
brought across the border into Mace
donia by June 80. The burning and
looting Of the village of Zleto, by the
Servians was the first serious incident
to provoke war. A Macedonian leader
named Arbeza retaliated on the Ser
vans for this attack, ana the follow
ing day the Servians advanced against
the regular Bulgarian army. The Bull
garian troops retaliated and drove their
enemies back for a distance Of 20 miles.
That same day the fighting became
general all along The border Bulgaria.
was attacked by Servians Greeks and
Montenegrins- Against the entire Greek
army of 100000 men, Bulgaria had
barely $4,000 men under Gen. Ivanoff.
nevertheless, on the first and second
days of the fighting. Bulgaria routed
her enemies inflicting tremendous
losses.
Inc OeLedl OF the SerVlanS ana the
Greeks was complete. when to the con-
sternatiOn Of the Bulgarian soldiers
there came orders to stop firing and
return to their original positions The
.Qrder was fatal one The army cried
bitterly when called upon to obey it
But Russia. who had promised to set
tie the differences between Serbs and
Bulgars. had to be obeyed Bulgaria
did obey. but not so Servia. The Bull
garian ENJOYS sent to tell the Servians
Of the order were murdered.
Just as Bulgaria was about to exc
cute a brilliant maneuver and admins
ter a death blow to her treacherous
enemies, Rumania attacked her from
the rear and seized northern Bulgaria
At the same time Turkey sent troops to
retaIe AdrianOple. Rumania declared
Bulgaria must stop her invasion of
Servia- ShOrn Of her strength by her
war with Turkey, Bulgaria had to
cOncede.
The powers then interviewed. and
after preliminary meeting at Nish, an
armistice was concluded at Bucharest
It is now believed that a subsequent
conference of the great powers will re-
wise the Bucharest convention and set
tie permanently all territorial differ
ences between the Balkan sattes
As to the charges of atrocities for
which Bulgaria has been uniustIy
blamed, they are unQualifiedly false
The world already Is being informed as
10 the actual perpetrators Of these hor-
rlbte deeds. over 100000 refugees have
fled to Bulgaria from Macedonia. Hun
dreds and thousands have met death at
the hands of Greek and Serviau soldiers
The stories Of these refugees rend the
heart. Many Macedonian towns have
been burned by the Greeks, who killed
every Bulgarian who fell into their
hands"