New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-06
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir. Now, as move for peace has so
prominently been made, the question sga'h
naturally arises: What was it all about Z
Who is chiefly to blame for this calamitous
warP What were his or their motives etc.
Ard the peace move stands rather unheeded
until these questions are better cleared up:
Since Bulgaria has been so conspicuous IN
those gigantic struggles, ready to tear ana
destroy others or risk being destroyed her-
,oIs she too. has received numerous Calls
,sneciaIly by the press OF this country 70
rive account Of her acts. As one OF her
numbers, abhorring the means but sympa-
,bizing with the objects, | want TO ehter
| here plea for her defence
The Balkan Wars
Let us review briefly the events OF the iaS'
four years: IAN n..i.r;.
During the first Balkan war, 1917 bulgs. "a
VAS hailed even by her bitterest ehenl.e9
since AS the liberator of Christendom' Hei
brief history of independent life was 500"
reviewed and she was declared most pro-
cressve. liberal, tolerant and INDUSTRIOUS
Her military achievements at MITE, hlilsSe"'
Tule- Burgas and Chataldja were declared the
shortest in time and among the braVest MS
tory had seen. Strongest words "ere u''
in praising that country, and America sho"eu
her honor by adopting Bulgarian colors'
Tbeu came the second Balkan war, and the
"brsve, progressive" "liberal," etc. Bulga-
riars w.rc at once proclaimed as the most
aho rbaricp "murderous," "treacherous" and
that mott The heroic Bulgarian soldiers VINO
bad inst won universal honors as liberator'
~ the oppressed were now presented as
though having turned overnight into vandals
and savages, Strengthening innocent women
and children, burning people alive and saV-
inc carnage and destruction wherever they
venti And where was il said that they com
mitted all these atrocities? In Macedonia
and Thrace. among their own countrymen'
whom they lust fought 10 liberate from the
Turk and who eagerly aspired TO become part
of free Bulgaria 3,
Whence comes all this strange oddly and
inversion of things? Here! The up-to-no"
Rulparian allies Serbia, Greece and Monte
negro-had conspired with Rumania (Witn
some announcement from Russia TO roo
Rulgaria of the fruits Of her victories and,
If nossible. TO humilate her throughout the
world. The reasons they gave were that bul-
On ria was going TO be much enlarged coun-
try. that. especially, her Gar Ferdinand
wanted the hegemony of the Balkans; that
he is p secret agent Of Austria, etc. For this
vhile the Bulgarian soldiers were freezing
and wearing themselves out at Chatadja and
C,llinoli. their former allies we're settling
themselves in what was previously agreed 70
he bulgarian Macedonia and Thrace, ready 10
foht the Bulgarians on their return; and II
they failed Rumania was 10 help them from
the other end, in which case they were sure
OF success They also organized press ou-
reau, with branches most everywhere Win
nm elaborate scheme behind it, to represent
Tie Bulgarians as race of still barbara IN
stincts. unworthy of civilized consideration
Serbias Treachery
When Bulgaria effected peace with Turkey
she WAS utterly Disguised in facing the new
situation, especially with the Serbians as
nrime factors in it. To the above criticism
she answered that whatever territorial eX-
mansion she made, it was in accord with
secret and sacred treaty with Serbia; that II
was. after all, within recognized bulgarian
ethnology. which she fought to liberate; that
II would be a natural impossibility for Gar
Ferdinand to build a Balkan alliance on one
hand and work secretly against IL on the
other: that, no matter what personal amol-
ticns he may have, If any, he IS, after all
an old man; that his successor Is milo
tempered and democratic young man; ina.
the preservation Of the Balkan alliance would
be in Serbia's best interest; that, since she
has the backing of Russia, her interests from
a Bulgarian point of view would be well pro-
tected etc But Serbia would listen to no
such reasonings cor even pleadings. She stub
bornly insisted on revision of her treaty with
Bulgaria and the latter clipped down or else
r.sde to fight Bulgaria could not sacrliice
what she fought against Turkey to gain-Bul-
rarian Macedonia. So the second Balkan
war as though spontaneously burst out.
Thus Bulgaria. that was. the real victor IN
those Balkan struggles, became the worst
victim 20 treachery and plots. Bulgarian
Macedonia and Thrace went to Serbia and
Greece; Turkey came back and reOccupied
AdrianOple, just ceded to Bulgaria, and Ru-