Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-17


Turkish rule in Europe. save in Con-
stantinople-
1t now remained for the victors to d.
vide the spoils on the basis of their
early agreements. But now the fatal
influence of Austrian intrigue was felt
Bulgaria and Serbia had agreed upon a
division of Macedonia which gave Us
kub to Serbia and Monastir to Bulga-
ria. But they had also agreed that
northern Albania should fall to the
Serbs. Austria now, at the conference
of London. called by the great powers
to settle the Balkan question with re-
gard to the interests of the great pow
ers, not the actual victors, vetoed the
proposed expansion of Serbia to the sea-
dow on the Adriatic. which is now rep
resented in Mr.. Wilson's demand for di-
rect access for Serbia to the sea.
To avoid general European war the
great powers accepted Austria's view.
and the free state of Albania was
created-one of the most preposterous
creations of history. Serbia was shut
on from the seacoast- But when this
had happened the Serbs demanded from
their Bulgar allies compensation else
where. particularly as the Bulgars
were demanding Serb aid to reduce
Adrianople. From Bulgaria Serbia de-
all Oh MaCeQOnla west OF the
Eardar and north of the line occupied
by the Greeks. and at the same time
made an agreement with the Greeks
by which, in return for Greek aid in
the Fardar valley. they agreed to sup
port the Greek claim to Saloniki
Bulgaria. under Austrian impulsion.
resisted all these proposals. She in
sisted upon having Monastir, which the
Serbs claimed and occupied. and she
demanded Saloniki. which the Greeks
had captured and held The result
was the second Balkan war in 1913 In
this war Bulgaria was promptly beaten
by the Serbs and the Greeks. Ruma lila
entered the war and seized the Siris-
trian strip between the Danube and the
Black sea. Turkey reoccupied Ad-
rianople. which had at last fallen to
Serbo-Bulgar armies. Serbia and Greece
drove Bulgar armies out of all Mace
donia.
BY the treaty of Bucharest, which
confirmed the Bulgar defeat, the Bull
garian conqueSts of 1912 were prac-
really all taken away. and. in edition
Bulgaria lost to Rumani the Silistrian
strip, which had been hers before the
first Balkan war. After two wars and
terrible sacrifices the RulgarianS found
themselves but little better off in terri
tory and still lacking direct access to
the free seas over their own territory
In this situation Bulgarian hatred OF
Serb. Greek and Rumanian knew no
bounds. and Bulgaria threw herself
a
Without hesitation. Henceforth the
Bulgars merely waited their chance to
strike back and abolish the wrongs of
the treaty of Bucharest
Allies Wanted Bulgaria in 1914.
In 1914, when the world war broke
out. bulgaria remained quiet at the
beginning, because there was no great
usefulness for her friends in any other
course. From the outset of the war
the allies sought to enlist Bulgaria
They saw that unless Bulgaria were
enlisted there would be a direct access
to Turkey for the central powers
across Rumania and Bulgaria, and. if
Serbia We're crushed. across Serbia and
bulgaria. All allied policy was summed
up in the desire and the effort to re-
store the Old Balkan confederation of
1872. which had conquered Turkey and
freed the Balkans OF Osnanii rule
To restore this confederation il was
necessary for the allies to persuade
Serbia, Rumania and Greece to restore
to Bulgaria some portions of the ter
ritory they had taken by the treaty
of bucharest. To such proposals Ru-
mania paid no attention. for she was
not yet in the war and was not there
fore, interested. Serbia, with great
reluctance. did agree to certain cor
cessions. wholly Inadequate from the
Buear point of view. But the Greeks
under the Inspiration of their King,
who was a secret friend of the central
powers. fatty refused to cede an incl;
of territory. Accordingly the allies
were at all times unable 20 do bushes,
with the Rumanians ALTHOUGH !-erdi-
nand very cleverly tricleSf ther,, oyer
long months before l. :. as -....:iy 20
enter the war on the German side.
While the allied p~iicy : - ;J-.cht
at restoring the oil F'..''.,lu ,enfe.t. "a
ton. the Austro- :...s.., .ciicv r. 1a,.
the more obvieis .:--,o &c :: IL,
could not offer =: " ~ nj what the
Bulgarians had s..-t -, lar "a t..,-
cause they oouad ,,et d.. l.: FABIAN
states to sure 81: >: 4 80 ;Ee--
mans, being at ~, II S.f-t..;lns
could offer az u Ser. { r:,ss- cos:
they could aiss -.,.-sr-+s,. 5~,.,ch Of ~
mania if tie l,un,.n;s;,s ,:,l,,, into the
war on the a;.;e4 size s'inalv. the
Greek king 1-as f1t t5cl of tha
kaiser. and thus eve, on the sid, of
Greece the ,,a;.,-- cr,t-t3 ,ral;a offers