The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-08-27
Capital is Center Of World's Great
est Lobby with Rival Dipls-
mats Working Overtime
to Win War Support
BARGAINS OFFERED
BY BOTH SIDES
Sofia Statesmen in Market But Want
Pay in Advance to ForestalI
Danger Of Short
Changing
BY HENRY WOOD.

=
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Sofia, Bulgaria, Aug. 2.--(By mail.)
From the spick and span. but none
the less modest little Balkan capital,
Sofia has become the center OF the
worlds greatest lobby. and the lobby
for the greatest thing in the world
victory in the present war.
BY the vicissitudes OF the present
great European conflict and their Pc
culiar geographical position Bulgaria
has come more than any one other 10
hold an influence over the future des-
tinies of all Europe.
Were Bulgaria suddenly to join the
allies. and falling on the back OF Tur-
key capture Constantinople from the
rear, the allies could at last pass the
Dardanelles and carry to Russia the
help in supplies and munitions that
might quickly turn the whole current
Of the war in their favor,
II Bulgaria continues neutral, tbs
possibility Of the capture of Constants
nople from the Chatalja line is remov-
cd and the eventual passage OF. tho
Dardanelles If not rendered .impossjs
bic will be so indefinitely delayed as
to enable Germany in the meantime TO
fellow up her successes against Russfa
and turn the whole current of the war
in her favor
This, at least, is the way the great
European powers now involved in the
conflict view the situation and that is
why the lobby is here.
In Europe they do not call it lobby
ing. 1t passes under the more polite
term of diplomacy In realty, how.
ever, there is not method nor tactic
known to the most common or the
most distinguished lobbyist at Wash.
ington or any American state capitol
that is not being used to win over the
various members of the Bulgarian cab
met, the members Of parliament, the
political leaders, the heads of the
army and even Czar Ferdinand, the
queen and the crown princes ihenl-
selves. 1t may be that diplomacy and
lobbying are merely the European and
the American terms for the one and
the same thing or it may be that the
issue at stage is so great that the ex-
alted and dignified diplomacy OF Eu
rope has been reduced to the methods
and practices of the vulgarest and
most common of American lobbyists.
The lobby is naturally divided into
two great camps, that Of Germany,
Austria and Turkey and that Of
France. England, Russia, Italy and
Serbia. To the regularly accredited
diplomatic representatives OF these
countries there has been AIDED whole
army Of special diplomatic and other
agents, every one Of whom has been
selected with an eve TO his special
qualifications either for winning over
some special individual or for WELD
ing some special influence on the Bull
garian government as whole.
Both camps have now made more or
less concrete propositions to Bulgaria.
Germany. Austria and Turkey have
told her that if she will remain neutral
till the end of the war they will give
her~al of Serbian Macedonia. which.
after all, is the one thing Bulgaria
most desires. This offer presumes a
final victory for Germany. in which
event Serbia would become an Aus
trian province and would have moth
ing to say as to the disposition OF her
territory. Minor inducements also
have been included in the German OF
fer.
The allies on their part in exchanges
for Bulgarias participation ia the war
and her capture of Constantinopls
from the rear have offered.
l. The bulk OF what remains Of the
Turkish emrse in Europe, including
the city OF Adrianople which the Bul-
garians captured in the first Balkan