Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-30
Sofia Is Most Important
Capital in Europe Now

l. The bulk % what remains of tn,
Turkish empire in Europe including the
city of Adri0nople which the Bulgarians
captured in the first Balkan war but
lost in the second.
2. Portions of Serbian Macedonia
which Serbia, it is hoped, at the re-
quest of the allies will cede.
3. The best efforts of the allies to
secure from Greece and Rumania the
cession of those territories which were
taken from Bulgaria at the close of
the second Balkan war.
In response to these offers Bulgaria
has frankly admitted she is in the mar
ket not necessarily to the higher bidder
but to the one who will give her the
most solid guarantees that the promises
made will be carried out; or, rather she
demands, that in as far as possible, her
compensation be given her in advance in
order that there be no short change
operations after the war such as she
alleges were perpetrated at
the close of the Balkan wars. She has
expressed her readiness to treat with
both sides and it is this open, receptive
attitude that has resulted in the mass
ing her of the great lobby.
In the. meantime the activities of
these lobbyists would be an eye opener
to the most hardened Washington vcter-
an. To all of the well known Amer
lean methods have been added all the
fine ones perfected during the last half
century by European diplomacy.
No4 oe 4Ia Ia
one of the most important, if some
times ridiculous parts. Every day the
English and French lobbyists come out
with q bunch of official communica-
tions telling of smashing advances by
the allies troops iii the campaign at
Gallipoli. With equal hurrahs the Tur-
kish lobby comes out with equally as
flamboyant announcements showing
that the allied army at Gallipoli is in
exactly the same position it was the day
it disembarked and equally as powerless
to advance as it is to retreat and he
taken off by the ships. 1t can be
safely said that no one at Sophia has
the remotest idea of the actual status
of the present operations against the
Dardanelles. On the day / arrived here
direct from the Dardanelles I fancied
I knew how things were going but two
days after my arrival the lobbyists had
got in their fine work and l haven t
the least idea.
Naturally the decision of Bulgaria is
of the most supreme importance to
Turkey. In order to carry on her pres
ent effective resistance at the Dardan-
elles Turkey has denuded the rest of
her territory of cannon and troops
Bulgaria IS decision to attack her from
the rear would be tantamount to the
end of Turkey in Europe. Not content
with sending here his best diplomats
and lobbyists, Talaat Bey, the minister
of the interior, and the most powerful
man in all Turkey today, has recently
visited Sophia in person in an effort to
solidify an understanding.
On all sides the German lobby is ad-
mitted to have one great thing in its
favor. 1t is not necessary to persuade
Bulgaria to remain neutral. The er
can be attained by merely keeping Bul.
garia in such state of indecision IT,
before she can come to conclusion the
moment when her help would have bec'
most effective will have passed and her
actual help to the allies rendered of liz
tie if of any value. 1t Is the impression
in outside circles at Sophia that Bull
garia is going to have mighty hard
time to find out what would be best for
her to do and harder time, after she
has found out, actually what to do.