New-York tribune., 1917-12-11

coast. Kavala and the Greek territory cast
Of the Struma, all Of Macedonia, except
Monastir and a small district about Salo-
nica and all Of Eastern Serbia. In addl-
tion, the Turk has ceded TO him a strip OF
territory about Adrianople, not, of course
including the city, which gives the Bul-
garians railroad line on their own soil to
the Egcan at Dcdeagatch Proportoned
10 tho size Of their country, therefore, the
Bulgars have been the greatest gamers Of
the war so far
Moreover, the Bulgars can hope in the
future to regain Monastir AID get Saio-
Mica. Nothing is easier to believe than
that new Austro-German drive may
carry the Central Powers TO Salonica and,
since Greece is now an ally of the Western
nations, the Bulgars can lay claim to this
city which, next to Constantinoplc, is the
prize Of the Near East.
Americans should recognize that the
Bulgarian dream is TO make Bulgaria the
Prussia of the Balkans and reduce the
other Balkan peoples to the condition of
the smaller German states. This Is the
underlying purpose Of Ferdinand, and in
the last three years he has marched far,
toward realizing it. To-day Bulgaria de-
mands Serb. Rumanian and Greek territory
as the price of peace-territory inhabited
by Serbs. Rumanians and Greeks -n not
merely territory won from Turkey in
l9l2-13; above all, Bulgaria demands the
practical extinction Of Serbia and the dis
memberment Of Rumania and Of Greece.
Could this dream be realized, Bulgaria
would be state in which the Bulgars
would be a minority and its existence could
be assured only by German and Austrian
Serb, Greek and Rumanian
populations would infallibly seek liberty,
and in the Balkans Serbs, Greeks and
Rumanians alike outnumber the Bulgars.
To all intents and purposes, therefore, Bull
garia would be absorbed into the Mittel-
europa of the Germans. losing indepen-
dence and at the same time depriving
other races of liberty. Actually she would
become the overseer of German slaves in
che Balkans.
Every one agrees that there can be no
honorable or enduring settlement in
Europe which does not reGstablish Serbia.
But against such a settlement Bulgaria
will fight to the last, and no information
possessed in Washington can Offset this |
logic Of the situation. Unless
the Allies are prepared to sacrifice Ru-
mania, Serbia and Greece, they. cannot
hope to obtain a separate peace with Bull
qaria. and since Russia has collapsed there
is not the remotest chance Of successful
revolution which would remove the Aus
trian prince who rules the country.
Since these are the facts, it seems
TO The Tribune absurd to refrain from
declaring war upon Bulgaria. Every rea-
son that rightly made for war upon Aus
tria makes for war upon Bulgaria, with
the added reason that, while Austria quite
frankly renounces territorial ambitions,
Bulgaria seeks to annex territory larger
in area than her own state and in the
main inhabited by people Of other races
who do not desire to become Bulgars.
1t will be a very great misfortune if the
United States permits Ferdinand to treat
it as he treated Britain and France. 1t
will be a great peril, too, for on the morn
ing of .Bulgaria's declaration Of war. in .
1915. the Bulgar military observer, who as
the representative of friendly nation had .
frequently visited the French front, left
Paris and went TO Berlin carrying with .
him military information of incalculable .
value.
France, Britain and above all, poor
Serbia and Rumania have paid in life
for the credulity of their statesmen who
dealt with Ferdinand. We owe it to our
own soldiers at the front and soon to go .
to the front that their lives shall not be /
sacrificed to readiness to listen to false
words, which, as the recent facts demoa- /
strate, are the medium of exchange of I
Bulgaria. As far as Turkey is concerned, T.
a case may be made for avoiding war, since
the Turkish subjects in this country are