The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-08

was obliged to guard against the cen tral powers, who, like the entente, were ready to accept Bulgarias mil itary aid, or a compromising. benevolent neutrality in return for nothing tan gible enough to bring the incorpora- tion of Macedonia perceptibly nearer. Before the premier could do anything at all that would have been of value to either of the belligerent groups. he had to be in possession of reasonably pos Hive assurances that the camp his country was to join would be victor lous, Here, too, he had to be cautious. Waiting too long might find the pros pective victors disinclined to make a bargain advantageous to Bulgaria and acting prematurely might range Bull saria on the losing side. Only in one aspect has this position been easy re- gently. Both sides have lately, it is declared, been willing to cede Mace donia to Bulgaria at the expense of serVia asd Greece, and both sides also were apparently inclined to lend a ready ear to Bulgaria's demand for the return of the Dobrodja, minus the city of Silistria
 Inclined Toward TeutOns
 It was this latter condition which short ly before the culnination of the crisis caused a slight dip of the Bulgarian scale III idNor oI the central powers. BelOre the entente could make definite promises as to Macedonia, Servia and Greece had to be consulted. In the case of Servia this was no easy matter. Servia, as the ally of the entente, could not be ceerced into making concessions which her own interpretation of the nationality might proclaim unjust. The central powers and Bulgaria realized this. oi course, and were thus able to guide tfeir moves accordingly.
 The surrender by Servia of Macedonia as obtainable through the effort of the central powers was a simpler matter, consisting, in fact, of no more than a which, with the possible as- sistance of Bulgaria's army. would 1t seems of necessity be short. But Bulgaria also wanted that part of Macedonia held bv Greece and Greece still was the protege of the German Emperor, and the German intellectuals, despite the fact that its public and press had been decidedly Germanophobe. from the very start of the war. The German Emperor has open ly declared that he had worked like a lion to get Kavalla and Seres for the Creeks"
 Unsuitable Greed
 Meanwhile the efforts of the central powers were rendered more difficult by Bulgaria's desire to shift her border on U get the consent of Turkey for this and Turkey being especially the ally of Ger many much tact had to be exercised by the German government. But these ne- gotiations proved successful sometime in August and Turkey has formally ceded the territory affected
 Bulgaria. well as the entente gov ernments and the central powers how ever, had to bear the other Balkan states in mind. With Servia, Greece and Rou- mania 1t was not question of merely ceding Macedonia and the Dobrodia. If that could be done without disturbing the equilibrium of the peninsula, Bull garia would get those territories almost for the asking. The fact is that the in of Macedonia into Bulgaria. .he return of the Dobrodja district, and the 'rectifcation'' of Ottoman Bulgarian border, would make Bulgaria the first power on the Balkan peninsula, political ly, economically and strategically. The new Ottoman Bulgarian border is purely one. guarding against swift n- yasion of Bulgaria, and making the man- tenance of a large military force super fluous.
 The return of the Dobrodja would have no military effect, but to Roumania, the creation of Balkan power would pat ently be most distasteful.
 Should Bulgaria be given the chance to process of assimilation would, it would seem, be swift, because only Bugars would have to be digested by Bulgaria.