New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-05
Bulgaria and Serbia.

Bulgar ana SetD Ou'po9N' 4'
Despite all rumors and reports to the con-
trary, the differences between the Serbian
and Bulgarian peoples in Macedonia have
not been accommodated. Now, as at every
moment since the Peace Of Bucharest tenn
norarilv terminated q dispute which it did
not adjust. the Bulcar is ready TO attack
the Serb whenever the moment seems
promising.
That the present moment IS promising
may be doubted A few months ago a Bull
oar army moving west at the hour when
Belgrade had fallen and Serb ruin seemed
imminent might have Joined hands with
the Austrian invader and completed the
conquest Of the bravest Of the foes of the
two Kaisers. But now a Bulgarian attack
would mean prompt ravaginC Of all Bull
parian shores Of the Black Sea by the Rus
sian fleet. while the allied ships before the
Dardanelles would quickly seize Bulgarias
little window on the Egean about Dedea-
catch. Rumania and Greece are, too.
bound by alliance with Serbia to defend
her from such an attack.
But if the fortunes Of Serbia's allies at
the present hour are mounting too high to
tempt Bulgaria to any eleventh hour union
with the two Kaisers, there can be no mis-
taking the fact that the situation in the
Balkans is rapidly becoming critical.
Bulgaria is actually facing d condition IN
which her own people demand that she
take some action. Thus the present at
tack at the precise point where she opened
the disastrous second Balkan War, the
new thrust at the Observation-Disclosures rail
road. the life line Of Serbia, may prove an
adequate warning to the whole allied
camp that Bulgarian grievances must be.
redressed without further delay.
These grievances are Of two sorts. They
concern lands which were once Bulgar and
are still inhabited by Bulgars. They also
concern some hundreds Of thousands of
Bulgars who are being driven out Of Mace
donia by Serbian tyranny or are IN fact
fleeing to escape service in the army Of
their conquerors. For Serbia, hard put to
it now for men, is striving to fill up the
gaps in her ranks by drafting the Bulgar
populations Of the Macedonian districts
taken bv her in the two Balkan wars.
Now. as at all times since the Peace Of
Bucharest. Bulgaria asks that there shall
be returned 10 her the Bulgar districts Of
Macedonia. But who shall decide what
these are? The Treaty of San Stefano as
signed 70 Bulgaria all of Macedonia from
the Rhodopians to Albania. BY this agree
ment she was to acquire Uskub on the
north and touch the Gulf Of Salonica on
the south. But the Congress Of Berlin
tore up this document
A generation later the Serbo-Bulgar
treaty which preceded the first Balkan
War separated Bulgar and Serb spheres in
Macedonia by a line drawn from Egri Pa
lanka to Ochrida. All south Of this line
was to be Bulgar, most of the territory
north Internationally Serb, certain dis
tricts, including Uskub, conditionally, and
the Car of Russia was to settle the ques-
ton. But Europe, in denying Serbia a
window on the sea, destroyed this bar
gain-that is, for the Serbs, who demanded
a new division to compensate them for
their Albania surrenders TO the Concert of
Europe.
This Serb demand provoked the second
Balkan War. In 1913, as now, Bulgaria
insisted that Serbia should keep to the old
bargain But Serbia, victorious in the
second Balkan War, took not merely the
Macedonian districts west of the Vardar,
which she had demanded, but the districts
east, including Istib, Kotchana, Radovi5ta,
leaving Bulgaria only the little circle of
Strumnitza, from which she has just made
her foray into the Vardar Valley. Greece,
for her part, having consented that Bulga-
ria should have all of Macedonia east Of
the Struma and north of the Veles Noun
tains, pushed her frontier east 10 the
Mesta and beyond
Since that time, and particularly since
the Great War broke out, the Allies and
Italy have been endeavoring to persuade
Greece. Rumania and Serbia 10 recede TO
Bulgaria portions Of the territory taken
in 1913. Rumania has been promised
allied support in Bukovina and Transyl-
yania. Greece in Northern Epirus, Serbia
in Bosnia and herzegovina; but aside
from Rumania no one of Bulgaria's enc
mics has made the slightest move toward
concession. Serbia, asked TO cede the re-
glon between the Vardar, the Bregalnitza