New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-12
Bulgaria's Demands.


rians if the frank statement Of the Premier
is accepted as a mere proposal TO put
Bulgarian military resources on the auc-
ton block and sell Bulgarian soldiery IN
q Hessian fashion. What Bulgaria seeks
is the reunion with the Bulgarian KING
dom Of something more than million OF
her race brothers, separated from the
fatherland by the Treaty of Bucharest
It is purely and simply question which
Of the two conflicting alliances can and
will promise this.
For the loss Of the larger part of this
fraction of the Bulgar people bulgarian
craftsmanship is responsible. 1t was the
decision of Gar Ferdinand and his ad-
visers to attack Greece and Serbia in 1913
which provoked the second Balkan wal
and the ruin of Bulgarian hopes. The
attack itself was a piece Of treachery
which takes dishonorable rank beside
Germany's Belgian exploit and belongs to
the same school of morals.
But the consequences of the attack are
now borne by something like million
Bulgars. who were innocent Of all COM
plicity in the crime. To-day Macedonia
the norton Of Macedonia which has ever
been recognized as Bulgar in race, Ian
cuaee. but above all in the desire Of its
population, is subject 10 Greek and Serb
masters.
G., back to the Serbo-Bulgar treaty
which preceded the first Balkan war and
il will be recalled that Serbia agreed to
recognize Bulgaria's claim to all Of Mace
donia east and south Of line drawn from
Lake Ochrida to the point Of contact OF
Serbia. Bulgaria and the Turkish Niayet
of Kossovo This gave to Bulgaria Mo
rastir. Ochrida. Kuprih, Istip and Prilep'
At the close of the war Greece was pre-
nared to surrender her claim to the por-
ton of Macedonia east Of the Struma
River. including Drama, Kavala and
Sores.
But the Serbian agreement was based
On the decomposition that Serbia should
have Albania north Of the Skumbi River
When Austria vetoed this Serbia claimed
as compensation" the portion Of Mace
donia her armies had conquered, including
Nonastir. Kuprili, Ochrida and Prilep
Bulgaria declined to make such a cession
holding Serbia bound by her agreement
and naturally refusing to give up terri.
tory inhabited by population which de-
sired to Join Bulgaria.
While the question was still beng de-
hated Bulgaria struck Serbia and Greece
who had made a common cause. But this
treacherous attack failed, Bulgarian
troops were driven out of Macedonia by
the combined Serb and Greek armies. Al
the same time Turkey retook Adrianoplt
and Rumania invaded Bulgaria from the
north and seized wide district about
Slistria and between the Danube and the
Black Sea.
At Bucharest the ;yictors divided the
spoils Serbia kept al of Macedonia west
of the mountains, including Istip as vel
as Monastir and Prilep. Greece tool
Kavala and Drama, pushing her frontier
east to the Kara-Su. Turkey retook all Of
Thrace save small district between the
Egean and the Rhodopians, west of the
Martha. Rumania annexed the region
between the Danube and the Black Sea.
By these annexations there was taker
from Bulgaria 1,25O,0 people, who in
habited regions Bulgarian troops had con
ouered, or districts which were Bulgarian
before the war. In addition, her claim OF
100000 people in Macedonia about Monas
tir was forfeited to Serbia. Out of the
two wars Bulgaria came with gain o.
less than 100000 in population, while no
less than 100000 Bulgars were placed
under Greek. Rumanian or Serbian rule.
This is the Bulgarian situation. She
now asks Serbia to return upward Of
100000 people in Macedonia, large ma
ioritv of whom desire to become Bulga
rians. Serbia can do this now because the
enemies of Germany are able to restore
the old situation and permit Serbia tC
annex the Albanian regions, which she has
reoccupied, Austria now being out of the
reckoning. Italian consent will restore
the condition on which the erbo-Bulga
rian treaty of 1912 was based, and this
Bulgaria asks. In addition the enemies OF
Germany are prepared to promise Serbia
Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia, south
of the mouth of the Narenta. These re-
gions are inhabited by Serbs, save for the
Albanian district Serbia would thus gain
2.5OO.OOO people and lose to Bulgaria some
100000. She would surrender Bulgars
for Serbs.
The Greek situation is less simple. The
districts Of Kavala and Drama are the
natural seaports of Western Bulgaria
But Kavala and its environs are purely
Greek, and the Bulgarian population is a