Bisbee daily review., 1915-10-15
THE GREAT GAMBLER.


Car Ferdinand Of Bulgaria is stalking his crown and
his kingdom on the success of the German 1t is
one OF the biggest and most spectacular CANDLES in his
tory
II the Kaiser loses it means inevitably that Ferdinand
will lose his throne perhaps his head too-for to the
vengeance OF the Allies may added bloody domestic
revolution
If Germany wins it means, apparently the existence
OF Bulgarian territory include disputed Macedonia
and the end OF the Balkan peninsula to the Bos
porus and the Dardanenes. 1t means the GROWING Of
Ferdinand in Constantnople the ancient cathedral of
Saint Sophia as Of new, greater Bulgaria
and ruler Of the queenly city which the Europeans
have fought for centuries.
In this gamble the people Of Bulgaria seem to have
little part They are slavs, sympathizng with Slavic
Russia Even aside from blood bonds is natural that
many even most of them should lean toward the Allies
because Bulgaria owes to Russia her liberation from
Turkey her independent nationality and her progress in
the last generation debt England TOO, is great
since from the time when Gladstone first championed
the cause Of the struggling Bulgars against the Turks
English support has factor in her protec-
ton and development
An this has been ignored by Car Ferdinand. He is
not q sentimontaist but hardheaded bargainer He
has frankly put his kingdom up auction and sold it TO
the highest bidder The Teutons plainly promised him
more than The Allies or least he has judged their
promises as worth more.
The biggest factor in the bargain is his expectation
of Teutonic success-which naturally is strengthened
by the very fact that army is to be thrown into
the scale It is like betting in where ones own
bet has power in itself to decide the event Bulgaria.
new alliance with Germany Austria and Turkey deters
Rumana and Greece from aligning themselves definitely
with the Allies. They may yet do so in spite OF Bulgaria
but if they are frightened into maintaining their neu
traty the task of the Allies made immensely harde
and the chances Of Germanic victory immensely jim
proved
The Allies are now spurred to superhuman efforts t.
avoid great catastrophe Russia fears to lose the gilt
tering prize Of Consantinope, the vision Of which ha
cneered her even in disastrous defeats. Great Brit
ain fears by failing in her Dardanees campaign, t
lose Egypt to the Turks with India menaced in accorC
ance with Germauys reputed pledge to Turkey. Franc
fears to lose likewise rich North African possession
and her hopes in Asia Minor Italy fears revenge tc
her desertion added to failure in her redemption"
forts An the Allies know too that failure in the Ba
kans might mean the collapse of their whole campaign
n would require incredible for England Franc
and Russia to make the sacrifices necessary for r
sumption of the war on big scale if they were drive
out of the Balkans and the Germanic Empire wei
once established all the way from the North Sea 10 Il
frontiers of INDIAN ironbound federation Of German
Austria. Bulgaria and Turkey with Berlin dominauT
the whole The present blockade lines would be broke
il would no longer possible to "starve out" the Cent?
Powers either in food or in materials; even the
lev Of prolongng the war and slowly killing or dsabli
the available fighting power Of the Germanc allies Won
appear impracticabe The German giant even wes
ened by his wounds would be too strong to succumb
the "nibbling" process.
Serbia over whom the began, is now mere paw
She might be compared to football over which III
teams are struggling in the mud The Allies in deie
ing her are fighting for themselves The war has roll
back 10 the Balkans where it started, and may be
cided there
Ferdinand beaten and Inundated two years ago IN
second Balkan.war is having his revenge An astoni
ing shift of events has suddenly made his little coun
te keystone of the Balkan arch and possibly Of Eur
psell His hate for Serbia and Greece and his amoit
for himself has led him to Or the most daring co
IN history Future dramatsts may write great pl
around him. lie is the center OF the struggling OF
biggest human forces ever oosed in warfare u
time win tell whether he TO rise to the height Of
ambition or so down in enomny dragging his coui
uth him.