New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-25
Greece-Also.

The situation Of Greece in the latest of
me interminable troubles in the Balkans
Is simple OF the districts in Macedonia
marked by the Bulgar for himself she has
taken the most desirable Salonica is the
gate of Macedonia, and even if Bulgaria
takes all Serbian Macedonia it is poor
acquisition without the port. She also has
taken Kavaa, which is the natural sea
gate to Sofa and all Western Bulgaria.
If Bulgaria gets Monastir and confines
Greece from Strumnitza to the Lake Of
Prespa, then Greece must for all time
confront the possibility Of sudden attack
by Bulgaria both by the Vardar Valley
and by the Monastir railroad. She will
also be completely separated from her ally,
Serbia.
To-day Greece holds much territory
which before the Balkan wars was inhab-
tied by Bulgars: Vodena, Kartoria, Kilkis
and the country north Of Sores and about
Drama is shown by the Slav color on all
chronological maps. But to divide the Bal
kans ethnologically is to create, not several
states, but a crazy patchwork of jumbled
and detached groups. To restore Vodena,
Kartoria and Kilkis to Bulgaria would be
to make Salonica indefensble.
BY contrast the predominant fraction
of the population of the Turkish territory
taken by Bulgaria between the Mesta and
the Martha rivers was Greek, and Dedea-
catch was a Greek town prior to 1918.
The Greek and Bulgar claims might thus
be balanced, the one against the other.
But Bulgaria has no intention Of accept
ing the terms Of the Treaty of Bucharest
on any frontier. She means to have Sa-
lonica and Kavala, as we'll as Monastir
and Istib. If Greece is to save herself,
therefore, she can only fight against Bull
garia and with the Allied powers. This
Is the side Venizelos and the majority Of
the Greek people favor. France and Great
Britain have always been popular at
Athens and champions of the Hellenes.
But the King is warm sympathizer
with the Kaiser, whose sister he married
He has been able to keep Greece neutral
despite Venizelos, up to the present hour.
He may still succeed, but the task will be
difficult, because Bulgaria is the hereditary
enemy and the expansion Of Bulgaria is
promise of the extinction of all Greek
hopes.
1t was by pointing to the Bulgar peril
that King Constantine prevented Nenizelos
from sending Greek troops to Gallipoli.
But can he hold back the people and the
Cretan Premier now, when Bulgaria is
preparing to attack the Serbian ally and
openly boasting her intention to succeed
The Osmanli at the Golden Horn?
For a thousand years at least the Greek
and Bulcar have fought. The supremacy
of either means the ruin of the rival. A
war against Bulgaria would be the most
popular Of all wars in Greece, and war
primarily for existence.
The Balkan situation is too tangled to
encourage prophecy, but history at least
points toward the entrance of Greece CO.
incident with that of Bulgaria and on the
other side. But Rumania still keeps her
own counsel, and hers will be the deciding
voice. If Bulgarian entrance on the leu
tonic side brings both Rumania and Greece
in on the Allied side, the great profit will
he with the sea powers, and Bulgaria will
/ be confronted with as grave peril as in
/ 1918, when she guessed wrong and paid
/ The cost.