New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-28
Declare War on Bulgaria.!
Why We Should Break With One OF
the Kaiser's Most Useful Allies

the Kaiser's Most Useful Allies
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The position your paper has taken
with respect to the question Of war against
Bulgaria is admirable, and too much cannot
be- done in repeating 20 the American puDlo
the truths you have told, and tins IS an
especially opportune time to DO so, whcn
the Serbian Mission is in this country
A glance at the map of Serbia will sho"
the valley CT the Morava, an effluent oil the
Danube, which flows north and empties INTO
the greater stream near Semendria lSme-
derevo), about forty kilometres to the east
ward and downstream from Belgrade. ms
valley runs south and connects by 10"
pass with the valley Of the Vardar, which, IN
turn, opens a road to Salonica. About the
middle OF the valley Of the Morava ana at
the town OF Nish runs OF to the eastward
little vallcy-that of the Nichava (Nisavs)
which affords roadway for the railway via
Prot, to Sofia. This valley OF the MoraVa'
with its outlets 10 the south and east, az
fords by far the best, II not the only possible
routes for a railway from the valley OF the
Danube 20 Saonica and TO Constanthop'e'
II is therefore an essential link in the Der
lin 20 Bagdad railway and explains why tne
Central Powers began the great war with
the ultimatum to Serbia. There can be no
really free Serbia if the valley Of the Moraya
is taken away with the country to the east
of it. There can be no Teutonc Bagdad
railway if Serbia is freed and holds that
valley.
Now, the Berlin to Bagdad railway will
alone permit of German domination over
Turkey and alone give Germany land out
let, which Allied sea power makes so de-
sirable for her. II follows, therefore, that
Germany could better afford to give up Bel
GUM and Alsace and Lorraine than the VAL
ley Of the Morava, and hence Serbian in
dependence becomes perhaps the most vital
issue of the war.
This Country's Aim
The United States is, of course, in no
wise responsible for the Allied blunders in
1915, which led to the destruction of Serbia;
but this country is in the war to prevent
Germany from being stronger after the war
or from reaping such benefits as would
tempt her to try again at some future time
20 conquer the world, and the retention Of
Serbia by the Central Powers would consti-
tute such a victory for it would give them
the door of the East.
Whatever may be the state of the Bulgar
people, the real powers there have been
treacberous and have shown an utter lack
r., - IL.
since the murder of Stamboulov The fe-
lonious attack on their allies, the Greeks
and Serbians, in 1913, was followed by their
misrepresentation to England, France and
Russia in this war, and the final throwing
off Of the mask whch produced the present
tragedy Of Serbia.
The Bulgarian claim to the valley of the
Norava on the ground that its inhabitants
are Bulgars is as absurd as it is cynical, and
it could with much more reason be claimed
that Sofia itself should be given to Serbia
because the people there speak dialect re-
sembling Serbian more than it resembles
Bulgarian.
The Bulgarian sentiment in this country
was perhaps caught from England, but there
is now no reason for any one to be further
deceived by the false claims made by those
tools of the Kaiser Those who support the
Bulgarians to-day are doing the Kaiser's
work; those who oppose declaration OF
war against Bulgaria are doing the most use
full work for the Central Powers that can
be found anywhere TO do.
The Bulgarian claim on the United States
is based on the fact that we, through Rob-
ert College at Constantinople and other
American schools, have educated them. Aside
from the reversal from the usual cause for
gratitude that this implies, there is the fail
ure we have made in that in spite OF our
schools and the education we have given
them they remain a conscienceless lot Of
traitors to all those who have helped them
20 the Russians, who gave them their free
dom; TO the French and English, who be-
friended them; to their allies, the Greeks
and the Serbians, who helped them to the
victories of the First Balkan War, and now
to Us, who are fighting for the freedom of
the world.
Now that our friends from Serbia, the
Serbian Mission, are here is it not right
that we give to that valiant people the
pledge of support which declaration Of war
against Bulgaria would imply, and that we
show Germany thus clearly that we shall
prevent the Berlin TO Bagdad railway from
passing over and strangling free and brave
people whose only crime is that they live on
the keystone of the main arch Of German am-
billions? T. TILESTON WELLS.
New York. Dec. "a, 1917
Those Who Helped