The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-08-18
BALKAN CRISIS ON
ENTENTE DEMAND GETS READY
REPLY FROM BULGARIA
OR The WAR

Efforts to Force Bulgarian Action
Rest Entirely Upon Price to be
Paid-If Allies Can Come Across
Army VIII Move Against the Turks
In Twenty-Four Hours.
The situation in Poland and the
Baltic provinces is changing little and
public interest Is turning to the near
East where Quadruple entente diplo-
mats are endeavoring to revive the
Balkan league and bring all the Bal
| kan states over to their side.
Diplomats Of all belligerents for
the moment are concentrating their
attention on Sofia, for Bulgaria holds
the key to the situation. 1t Is said
she Is being offered territorial con-
cessions as an inducement for her to
Join one side or the other or to re-
main neutral.
Both the German and entente min
listers are declared to be finding their
endeavors hindered by their friends.
Greece and Servia are unwilling to
cede to Bulgaria that part OF Mace
donia which Is her price for joining
the allies, while Turkey is opposing
concessions which Austria and Ger
many desire her to make to insure
the continued neutrality Of the Sofa
government.
Bulgaria, too, 1t is asserted, is
weighing the victory the Austro-Ger-
mans have gained in Poland against
the allies renewed efforts in the Dar-
danelles ana the reported signal vic
tory OF the Russians over the Turks
In the Caucasus, which the military
experts in London believe will keep
the Turks quiet on that frontier for
some time.
The correspondent at Saloniki OF
the Havas Agency telegraphs that
diplomatic representatives OF France,
Russia, Great Britain and Italy have
delivered a joint communication to
the Bulgarian government with
view to procuring the collaboration
of that nation witk the allies, as part
of q common understanding with the
Balkan states.
This action was taken in conjunc-
tion with the presentation OF similar
communications to Greece and Servla,
as recently made known. 1t is in re-
sponse to Bulgaria's request on, June
II for information from the quad
ruple entente powers concerning the
advantages she might expect In e1-
change Tor her active cooperation
with them.
In an exclusive interview with
correspondent Of the United Press S.
Radoslavor, the Bulgarian prime
minister, made the following state
ments:
Bulgaria will send her armies
marching against Constantinople in
twenty-four hours il Servia Will cede
Seryian Macedonia to her.
v. Radoslavon, prime minister OF
Bulgaria and the man who more than
any other holds the destinies Of Eu-
rope in his hand, made this frank
statement to Henry Wood, stan cor
respondent Of the United Press, on
Tuesday. :.
In an exclusive interview granted
the United Press, the Bulgarian pre-
mier for the first time revealed to the
world exactly what Bulgaria demands
for remaining neutral, and what she
asks of the allies for driving the
Turks from Europe, an operation
that admittedly would prove the
turning point Of the war for the
allies.
OF equal Importance was his reply
to the report circulated in European
capitals that Bulgaria, having won
Constantinople, would demand the
Ottoman capital as her prize.
"That fear is groundless," he said
with emphasis. THE international
commercial and political responsible
ties attached to city occupying the
geographical position Of CONSTANT
nopIe are too great for a nation that
must always remain small-like Bull
garia.
I'VE will fight but for one end.
That is to extend our frontiers until
they embrace the peoples OF our own
blood, but that end must be guaran-
teed to us beyond all doubt II we
are asked to fight alone, We are
ready. II We are asked to fight with
Greece, Servia and Roumania In
new Balkan alliance, on the side OF
the allies, our willingness remains
the same To the allies we say:
Give us back Servian Macedonia,
and we will fight In the way We can
serve you best"
V. Radoslavof is the storm centre
OF the greatest diplomatic swirl the
world has ever seen. Because Bull
gar.a holds the key to the world war,
the diplomatic agents OF every great
power involved swarm in Sofia, their
pressure centering upon him.
Bulgaria is fully prepared, and
waiting to enter the war the moment
she receives absolute guarantees that
bv so doing she will attain that for
which other nations already engaged
are striving the realization
of her national Ideals" said the pre-
mier.
The bulk Of these aspirations lie
! in Servian Macedonia, which, with It's
one million five hundred thousand OF
| Bulgarian peoples, was pledged and
assigned to US at the close Of the first
| Balkan war. 1t is still ours by right
and the principle Of nationality.
"When the Triple Entente can as
sure us that the territory will be re-
turned to Bulgaria and our minor
claims in Grecian Macedonia and else
where realized, the allies will find us
ready to fight with them. But these
guarantees must be real and abso-
Lutte. No mere paper ones can be ac-
cepted.
"'Unfortunately our aspirations are
not attainable by direct force OF our
arms. We can not go and take the
territorie. which we feel are right
fully ours. Instead, they must be
ceded to US by others in compensa-
ton for the participation OF our arms
in the general conflict. We have,
therefore, frankly and openly accept
ed the offers Of both groups Of powers
in negotiations to that end. Only
- - 4 VIC