New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-30
Expert on Balkans De-
clares 1t Is Only Cues
ton of Price.
GREECE
WOULD FOLLOW
Democracy, 1t Is Asserted, Like
ly to Overcome the Opposi-
ton of King Ferdinand.
by Cable % III. rribnne. !


London, Aug. 29.-"The Chronicle"
publishes an interview by Percy Alden,
NJ. P, with Sir Edwin Pears Alden
points out that Pears, ever since 1878,
when he settled in Constantinople, had
been in close touch with Turkey and
the Ralkans As president Of the Eu-
ropean bar in that city far back
as 1881. and as a newspaper CORE
spondent who called attention 10 the
Moslem atrocities in Bulgaria, he may
be trusted, says the interviewer, to
give a calm and unprejudiced opinion
as TO events that are taking place in
Constantinople, Athens, Belgrade, Sofia
and Bucharest.
Among other things Pears said: IT
Bulgaria can only secure. a promise
from Serbia and the allied powers
that Macedonia will be returned TO
her. my own impression is that despite
King Ferdinand, who is known 70 have
Austrian leanings. she will come IN.
II she enters the arena Greece Will
follow"
Foreign Policy in Kings Hands.
Questioned whether Ferdinsnd's OPP
position TO war with Turkey would
make Bulgarian Intervention lmpos-
sible, Pears replied:
Ferdinand is a born diplomat. He
began life as an Austrian officer and
possesses vast estates in Hungary. he
is very vain, ambitious and, fear, un-
scrupulous The foreign policy, owing
to the group system in Bulgaria pol IL
tics, is almost entirely in his hands.
Nevertheless, Bulgaria is democratic
in name, and may become, at crisis
like this, democratic in reality.
The King regards Bulgaria as the
Prussia of the Balkans. think it
would be a mistake 20 attach too much
Importance TO the influence possessed
BY royal families, but that influence
must not be underestimate. At this
moment in Rumania, Bulgaria, Greece,
Sweden and Russia there are strong
pro German elements in the court.
The democracy, however, for the most
part takes a different view, and ! am
sure that Bulgarlans, but for their
chagrin over the second Balkan war,
would long ago have been on our side. "
With regard 10 Greece, Pears said;
THE Queen, who IS a sister of the
Kaiser, has, as you are aware, great in
fuence with King Constantine, and it
is she who quite recently brought
Greece within measurable distance Of
revolution. The concern of Venizelos
to-day is rather how far he can rely on
the army. which is not inclined 10 take
any great risks.
Would Conciliate Bulgaria.
"Venizelos is in favor Of conciliat-
inn Rftln So 1
pensation would, perhaps, surrender
Kavalla, although in his election ad-
dress he said he would never surren-
der an inch OF Grecan territory. If
Greece had come in at first she would
have had the whole province of Adm,
with Smyrna as its capital, and. even
now, abominable outrages committed
by the Turks on the Greeks Of Aivale
make il certain that the success Of
the Allies in the event of Greece sup
porting them would mean a very large
extension of territory in Asia Minor"
The interviewer asked Pears if fear
Of Russia would likely have any effect
on the attitude of Rumania. Pears
replied:
THE recent reverses of Russia make
that less probable. The present King
or Rumanla is HohenZollern. and
naturally looks toward Germany, as did
King Carol before him, but this in it.
telf would not be sufficient to keep
Rumsnia neutral. Rumania, like Bull
gsria, is somewhat afraid that the sue
cess Of Russia would mean the occupa-
tion of Constantinople and as a con-
sequence the turning of the Balkan
States into Russian provinces. That. at
ali events, is their fear. The danger,
from their point of view. is not so
great as il was, and the German alli-
ance with Turkey compeis> them to
favor Russia rather than the Teutonic
powers of Central Europe. Rumania is
populous. wealthy and powerful. and I
an not without hope that before long
her relations both with Bulgaria and
with Russia may make it possible for
her 20 play part in this great strug-
gle"