Evening star., 1915-02-07
FORMING THE BALKANIC BLOC

the means OF development. notably e~
the two transversal lines indispensable
from Santi-Quaranta-S -Saloniki and from
the beds of the Macedonian and Epirote
rivers. which actually have trans
formed into marshes the finest plains
of the country. The military reasons
need not be presented I'm all their dee
tails; ii is sufficient to say that Greece
may effect her mobilization on admira.
Bile plains whence she may menace az
will the route from Sofa to the north,
the XanthiDedeagatch railroad to the
east
II Greece cedes the Kavala- Drama
district the route from Serres is opened.
1t would thus be necessary to concen-
trate to the west of Strymon. which
would endanger Saloniki In fact
Greek military circles maintain that IL
Bulgaria reclaims Kavala SO persist.
emily it is because Bulgaria nourishes
the intention on the first opportunity
to attack Greece suddenly.
Bulgarians. IL is true. advance tho
idea that the port of kavala Is for them
a commercial necessity. Now. Tor =
fact. the argument cannot be admitted
by those familiar with Balkans geog-
raphy. short distance from kavals
railway from Porto-Lago- -Haskovo
(surveys of which are completely
would be infinitely preferable to an
eventual Kavala-Tatar-PaIarzf line.
WOulO traverse lanQ less fuountaiH~
Gus. on a shorter route by a third
10s miles against 162 miles). moreover
it would lead directly to the center OF
Bulgaria.
Kavala is an open road. In order to
construct a port there IL would be
necessary after the calculations OF tho
French company which recently studied
the matter to eXpeud sS,o00.o0o. NOW
with the half of that sum Porto-Lago
could be marvelousiy arranged.
The Edesse-Yennitsa district: This
question assumes that the Serbs mako
concessions even on
An Impossible the west bank of the
conoas.;or Axius (Vardar)s
ooncession. which is very i'm
probable. AS for the concession by the
Greeks of this district. rich in plains
and waterfalls. and where Hellenism
predominates. II would be equivalent
| to suicide. 1t is sufficient to cast q
glance on the map to be convinced that
| the Bulgarians in possession of Edesse
| and fennitsa, or one of these districts,
| they could seize at pleasure the Sa-
| loniki-Athens railroad. few hum
| dred "comitadjio," renewing the at
| tempt made on Serb territory recently.
could blow up the grand bridge from
| Axius and Saloniki and all eastern
Macedonia would be isolated from
Greece. Besides from the west south
| OF Edesse or Yodena exists a large
plain, which. comprising Cozani. ex-
tends to Sarantapores. 1t will be suf-
ncient to attack brusquely to seize that
famous gorge and bottle up Helle-ism
| in the limits assigned Professionally to
the little kingdom of Greece ~ the
| treaty of Berlin.
Moreover. the Bulgarians have never
SHOWN that they would be content with
part of Macedonia. AS late as No.
vember 81 they officially demanded tho
| whole of Macedonia.
Greece does not formulate claims to
the district of Adrianople and the
Amos -Midia line. Bu' raria for some
weeks has recognized that Adrfanople
and eastern Thrace are peopled by
Greeks and not by Bulgarians. But
| why is 1t that the Bulgarians have ac-
cepted western Thrace, where from
Dedeagatch to Xanthi they were every
where in the minority? How is it they
claim the province of Drama Kavala.
where they represent only a hundredth
of the population? Why is it they have
| ambitions to acquire Saloniki?
In truth the Bulgarians refuse
! Thrace today because they are sure
that if they occupy oriental Macedonia
they must occupy Amos Midia, where
the only neighbor is the Turk.
Greeks are accused of being rapacious.
Bulgarlans say to Greeks: "Sfnce you
! renounce Hellenic lands, why not sacri-
| flee also to the cause of the Balkanic
i bloc some territories belonging to
Greece?" And the Greeks reply: For
an infinity of reasons"
| First OF the territories conquered by
the most bloody sacrifices Greece ceded
| to Serbia Yevgheli, Dol
Why Greece ran and Petsovon.
o- Greece restored to Bull
| -P0oes' garia all western
Thrace from Xanthi to Dedeagatch, and
more-all central Macedonia and that
of the northeast, nominally the dis
| tricts of Stroumnitsa, Petritsi, Kresna,
| Djoumaya, Menelikon and Nevrokop.
Greece halted her concessions only
where strategic necessities demanded.
She has been paid for her moderation
by seeing more than 100000 Greeks in
| habiting the districts restored to Bull
garia shorn of their property and
driven away as if they were lepers.
Greece cannot hope for compensation.
Serbia and Roumania may show them
/ selves generous at the fhoughf that ont of