Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-13
BULGARIAN ATROCITIES
Greeks Defend Themselves Against
CHARGES of inhumanity.


smoking ruins of the pillaged towns
and the thousands upon thousands Of
mutilated corpses. 1t was not until
peace had been declared that any
charges were preferred against the
Greek army.
3-Bulgaria uttered no denunciation
of the Greeks until after peace was de-
clared. Greece, it will be remembered,
called the attention of the whole world
to the Bulgarian atrocities at the very
outset of the war, and invited the for
eign correspondents to come at once
to the front and witness the horrors
perpetrated by her barabrous enemy.
bulgaria offers an excuse for her
singular silence concerning the afro
cities at the very outset Of the claims
they were committed. According to her
present statement she was cut Off
from all communication with the other
world during the war, and consequent
ly was unable to register her protests
against Greece This is obviously lie,
for 1t is the incentestible fact that dur
ing the whole war, Mr.. Bourchier the
official press bureau, and the notorious
Lieutenant Wagner, Of the Vienna
Reichpost. were exceedingly busy
sending out war news, though they
managed to color it to suit their de-
sires, and to minimize the facts Of rout
and defeat. There was nothing what
ever to prevent Bulgaria from protest.
ing or for calling for disinterested wit
nesses to any Greek atrocity" had
any Greek atrocity occurred.
5-The foreign witnesses who
described the Bulgarian horrors, COM
mitted during the second war, number
more than thirty with the Greek army
and over twenty WITH the Servian
troops. Bulgaria's indictment, brought
after the close of the war, was signed
by two journalists who never left So
fla. Among those who formerly de-
nounced the Bulgarian atrocities were
two foreign consuls, two vice consuls,
nine war correspondents, representing
almost every nation Of Europe; a
French diplomat, an officer Of the Brit
ish Royal Navy, the heads Of five for
eign missions and many residents and
travellers of all nationalities, including
American.
6-Bulgarias savage bloodthirstiness
was demonstrated and authenticated
Before the outbreak Of the war with
Greece OF the rs foreign correspon-
dents attached to the various armies
embroiled in the war with Turkey, II
united in accusing the Bulgarians Of
wholesale slaughter Of Mohammedan
noncombatants and the torture and
massacre of Turkish prisoners Of war
These charges were officially confirmed
in the house of commons by the Brit
ish minister Of foreign affairs. Sir Ed
ward Grey on the strength Of the evil
dence submitted to him through con-
sular channels. Nowhere is there men
ton of the slightest stain upon the
honor of the Greek army. The jour-
nalistic supporters of Bulgaria, the
only four who did not bring charges
against her, were Lieutenant Wagner,
Bourchier, Wallis and Marsh.
ITEMS Of thousands Of Greeks
Turks, Jews and even Bulgarians fled
from the districts where the Bulgarian
army was operating, seeking refuge
from their depredations, while not a
single refugee during the second war
sought Bulgarian protection. They
knew better than to trust such fiends.
S-The ruins of Series, Doxato and
Nigrita and dozens of other Greek viii
lagos, burned and looted by the Bull
garians, are still standing-a ghastly
monument to Bulgarian vandalism and
undeniable proof Of her guilt.
9-On learning that their districts
had been allotted to Bulgaria by the
treaty of peace, the inhabitants of Me-
lenico and StrumitZa burned their
towns behind them and sought Greek
territory. They were not only the
Greeks Of the province, for 5000 Bull
garians emigrated with them. Greek,
Turk, Jew and Bulgarian, they all
knew the terrorS Of Bulgarian occupa-
ton and fed from it as from the
plague.
10-The Greeks and Caucasians, they
belong, de facto, to the European
group of nations. They have behind
them glorious past and before them
an ideal Of nobility and honor. The
Bulgarians are Mongolian Tartars, as
unciviliZed at heart and as grossly ig-
norant as their ancestors, the preda-
tory nomads, and inclined by nature to
atrocious and barabrous acts.
We will now consider the so-called
evidence offered by Bulgaria in proof
of her allegations against. the Greeks,
and contained in number Of pamph-
let's, which have been sent broadcast
over the whole world by the Royal
Printing Office Of Sofia.
First in order of Importance is col
lection of letters purported to have
been written by Greek soldiers to their
families at home, describing the hide
Gus tool of revenge they had eXacted
from the Bulgarians who fell into their
hands. The letter bag Of the Nine
teenth regiment, Seventh division, was
supposed to have been captured by the
Bulgarians.
The facts are these-Bulgaria found
herself at the close of the war, over
whelmed with dishonor and confronted
by mountain of proof Of her inhuman
savagery. In the lust and fury of
SlduSuleT SHE Idu lOISOllSu WHil Tic
results might be and must find a way
out of difficult and embarrassing po-
sition. To distract public attention
from her crimes, and by a campaign of
libel to confuse the public mind was
her crafty solution Of the difficulty. 1t
was an easy method, a method entire
ly in keeping with Bulgarian duplicity.
1t was also a we'll tried plan with
which she had the advantage of being
thoroughly familiar. She had used it
on several occasions, notably during
the years from 1900 to 1903, when Bull
garia terroriZed the Greek inhabitants
of Macedonia by means of bands of
Comnitadjis, organized and equipped
by Bulgarian authority. Macedonia
was held by Turkey, but these raids
were invariably directed against the
Greeks, thousands of whom were kill
ed. Bulgarian reports styled this ter
rorization revolution" and when at
last the eXasperated peasants arose
and offered armed resistance, driving
out the marauders, Bulgaria cried aloud
that she was prosecuted. With the as
sistance Of Mr. Bourchier and Mr..
Brailsford, author of Macedonia and
Its Race" and one of the founders Of
the Balkan committee Of London, Pro-
fessor Milukoff and a number of other