The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-06-09

to further progress in that direction
by occupying them herself.
But now we are seeing the work
ings of retributioI: The wrong COM
mitted upon Bulgaria has recoiled
upon its perpetrators; its terrible re-
action has convuIsed the world with
war, and changed the history Of the
nations. Because of that wrong, as
the first result, the Balkan confcdera-
ton was dissolved, and Serbia left
alone before the scheming might Of
Austria, long itching to devour her;
the excuse was soon found in the
Archduke's assassination, and Ser
bias punishment began. Her capi-
tai has been demolished, her land
twice overrun by devastating armies.
her wealth and manhood destroyed;
and now the plague of typhus is
slaughtering her remaining popula-
ton.
Roumania, who he'd taken advan-
tage of Bulgaria's plight to seize
the whole of her richest province, the
Dobrudja-in spite of having already
submitted he claims thereto to arbi-
tration, and received the award
then wished to take advantage also Of
Austris's plight. and realize her age
long dreams of possessing Transyl-
vania. But the injured Bulgaria,
wrathful, watching, stood ready to re-
peat upon her the trick she herself
had played; and Roumania's punish
ment began. For six long months
now she has writhed helpless in her
own tolls, watching the days of her
great opportunity fit b. lin vain she
has tried to placate her former vic
tim, offering repeatedly to give the
Dobrudja back-but the stern Bull
gars responded Not enough" You
must make your accoEplice. Serbia,
give back also what she stole
Russia interfered here, from the
beginning, anxious to free the splen-
did Roumanian army to take the field
and her side, and found that she must
take her part of the retribution. Too
late she realized what wrong she
had committed in betraying and sac
rificing one foster-child for another.
She realized it still more when Tur-
key entered the conflict; the one
power then so situated as to be able
| to drive the Turks from Thrace and
free the Dardanelles for Russia was
Bulgaria the victim; and Bulgaria
would no more lift a finger to do this
than she would let the Roumanian
army free to aid Russia against Aus
tria.
England and France Joined their
prayers to the Czar's-the same pow
ers that had stood by to watch Bull.
garia victimized and refused her dc.
spairing appeal for 4 revision of the
Treaty of Bucharest-and found now
that they must take their share Of
the retribution. In vain they and
Russia have labored at Sofia, month
after north. eXcuSing, pleading, ca
jioiing, threatening, trying to get the
| Bulgars on their side, endeavorins
to reconstruct the Balkan League on
any basis whatsoever. Bulgaria's
terms remained always the same
''imm ediate possession of our stoler
Hands, the Dobrudja and Macedonia.
The alternative enticement Of a re
possession of Adrianople and its ter
ritory did not move her at all.
The powers turned upon Albania
to make use Of for their purpose
They offered secretly to suffer its divi
sion between Seryia and Greece i
the latter two would relinquish Mace
donia to Bulgaria. This WIS knowr
to the initiated months ago. and sur
missed by many others. Nearly al
wondered why it did not succeed, fol
it met the desires of the whole three
states. We have the answer onl!
lately-Italy stoou in the way, insist
ing that Albania be kept intact q:
the powers had made her, in order t
have another weapon for her hand il
the day. she saw approaching, when /;
freed and greater Serbia, backed b!
Russia, would demand its fortified
ports on the Adriatic.
The Triple Entente, foiled in al
these Vaccinations, and finding i
necessary at any rate to free the Oar
danelles for Russia, on account of th'
iatter's threats that she would be un
able to keep up the struggle muci
longer unless she could export ant
realize upon her vast stocks of grain
then endeayored to make separate
agreement with Greece for the uS'
Of her army in reducing the strait.
The Greeks, swollen more thar
ever with boundless imperialistic de
sires, listened eagerly to the entice
ments held out, of obtaining Smyrn;
and the whole of Western Asi:
Minor; but here, once more, Bulgaria
the victim, blocked the way. Th'
chief villain now found, as had thu
lesser ones, that he must begin t
take his share of the retribution.
Conscience, too, exaggerated hi
fears of an immediate attack by Bull
garia, if he moved away his army il
force sufficient to assault the strait
Venezelos was frantic over losing
such a wonderful opportunity Of EN-
pire, and wrote to King Constantine
advising the proffered cession of Kav
ala and it's hinterland to Bulgaria, tt
induce. the latter to keep quiet.
The king signif I'd verbally his ap
proval of this course, as the Allies
WarSQlDS were GlFCluy uSdFliy UOu
harding the Dardanelles, whose fore
! ing appeared near at hand. Yet two
strong impulses were pulling Con
stantine in the opposite direction
first. because he was personally deep
ly Germanophile. with great ad
miration and attachment for hi:
brother-in-law, the kaiser; second
because he was jealous of his CO.
worker for Greece's grandeur, Vene
zelos, who he conceived had obtained
altogether too large a share of the
glory.
Therefore, when two or three day:
later the Allies lost three of their bat
tleships in the strait and withdrew
worsted from the attempt, the kine
promptly veered around, dissuadec
his council from adopting the pro
ject of Venezelos, and accepted the
latter's resignation. He further de-
MED Venezelos' assertion as to his
former approval of the project, which
drove the ex-premier in hieh wrath
from the kingdom.
They had ouarreled. and parted