New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-20
WHY BULGARIA HESITATES
She Wants Macedonia, Not What
Greece Wants to Give Her.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.


Sir: Mr.. Scion Stylien I. Vlasto, in his
article in The Sunday Tribune Of June 13.
offers an interesting but not entirely accu-
rate presentation OF affairs in the Balkans
with an especial bearing upon the reasons
for the failure Of Greece, Rumania and Bull
garis 10 enter the war OF the nations on
the side Of the Allies. After having read
the article one gets the impression that the
good Greeks are aching TO plunge into the
conflict, while the bad Bulgarians are hold
ing them back from giving the coup de
grace TO the "foe Of small nationaites" By
ranging their brave army and their invincible
feet with the land and sea forces Of Great
Britain, France and Russia in the Darda-
neles and on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
fThis malicious attitude Of Bulgaria Mr..
Vlasto ascribes 10 the influence of Germany,
which has succeeded in binding the Bugari-
ans to their vital interests in this period oil
.umultuous Encouragement Of the frontiers Of
Europe And because Of this attitude, Mr..
Vlasto asserts, neither Greece nor Rumania
: willing to 20 to the assistance OF the
Triple Entente"
The assumption that Bulgaria Is governed
from Berlin is far-fetched and fanciful. The
Bulgarian people have no sense OF kinshlp
With Germany, whether racial or historical
On the other hand, popular sentiment in the
country is inevitably on the side Of Russia,
enc Of the members of the Triple Entente.
Then why does not Bulgaria cast in her lot
with the Allies, ard thus permit Greece to
chieve her destiny, fast dwindling into
othingness with the passing of every day
nat does not bring the great and decisive
vent of Hellenic--or rather Romsic-lnter-
cntion in the struggle!
The answer is eloquently evident to every
raveller in the part of Macedonia which Is
under Greek occupation. This answer is that
,ince the retirement Of the Bulgarian troops
rom Macedonia under the combined pressure
Of FIVE nations, among whom the Greek army
gas almost the least effective factor, the
Greeks have been carrying on campaign OF
axte rmination against the Bulgarian popu-
alton, with seventies which far exceed the
-ecord established by the Turks, whom Dir.
Vlasto affects to despise so profoundly.
Bulgaria has only one interest in this tragic
situation and that is the liberation OF her
1912. and she has not now, any desire to play
the part OF a Balkan Prussia. She is per-
fectly willing that Greece should have all
hat belongs to her, by the race-test, IN
Asia Minor. She is equally willing that
Servia should acquire not only wlndo"
upon the Adratic, but also the Serb ele-
ments in Austria-that is, if Austria should
let her; that Rumana should annex Trsnsyl-
vania and Bessarabia, il she can; that Mon
tencgro should rule in Scutsri and even
march to Vienna, if that were possible
Bulgaria is perfectly willing that Greeks
should rule in Greece, Serbs in Serbia, Ru-
manians in Rumania. But she most emphatl-
cally objects to the preposterous attempt OF
the Greco Serbo- Rumanisn consplrators TO
Illustrate her legitimate desire for the unih-
cation of all her people under their own nag
If the Greeks-call them Romaioi, II you
prefer-are sincere in their desire TO save
tho Allies from irretrievable disaster, and
incidentally to achieve their own destiny IN
Asia Minor let them now, instead Of to-
morrow, yield to Bulgaria that which is hers
and which will be hers on some tomorrow
close at hand
Until that act of justice has been done TO
people who in 1912 crushed the Ottoman
empire at the point Of its greatest power In
order to liberate their oppressed brothers.
only to see them fall under heavier yoke
than the Turkish yoke at its heaviest, Bull
garia will continue to maintain an attitude
of menace toward all her enemies.
As for Adrianople, that is sop which Bull
garia disdains She disdains it because she
is not animated by land-hunger. What she
wants is her people. And the population OF
the part of Adrianoplevilavet still remain
ing to Turkey is not, like that of Greek and
Serbian Macedonia, Overwhelmingly Bull
garian. SNEIoLAk loNJohOFF'
New York, June 1S, 1915.