The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-01
lstruction of Bulgaria and thus buoyed
up that nation for future fighting.
bulgarian Minister Talks

up that nation for future fighting.
Bulgarian Minister Talks.
The Bulgarian minister, stephen
panaretoff, called at the state depart
ment today and submitted to Score
Itary Lansing a communication from
his country asking the good offices
of the tinted states in concluding al
Immediate peace. At the legation this
afternoon Mr.. panaretoff made the
following statement, which is doubly
significant in view of the reports con-
corning Turkeys plea for peace:
The war will be over very much
sooner because of Bulgaria's action.
Bulgaria will be friendly TO any al"
lied moves against Turkey. and viii
be practically on the side of the al
lies for the remainder of the war.
Perhaps no news of the war. caused
such unanimous jubilation in Wash
ington as the confirmation OF the Bull
garian surrender. II the report of
Turkey seeking peace is true, mill
.tary observers say frankly that i'm
mediate future holds two major Of
fensives against the central powers
in fields other than the western front.
They believe that Italy. especially
IL her army is reinforced by Ameri-
can troops, will be able to launch a
smashing blow against Austria and
that the other allied armies in the
Balkans will he free to operate in a
general offensive, via Serbia, against
Hungary.
In the Balkans at this tinae-there
are more than 900 600 allied soldiers,
divided approximately as follows;
Italians in Albania, 100000; Ser
hians on the Macedonian front 49,
600; French, 1870 900, British, 10000,
land Greeks, 100000. In addition to
these are the British forces in Egypt,
the Holy Land and Mesopotamia.
Since General Allenby sent some of
his forces to the west front last
spring, when It appeared the Germans
would break through. no mention has
been made of the number of men al
his disposal
The Palestine forces alone, how
ever, were sufficient to mop up three
Turkish armies, and now since Bull
garias detection. they are believed to
be sufficient TO handle Turkey single
handed should she desire to continue
the fight.
One Link Broken.
A chain Ia only az strong as its
weakest link, was the comment of one
military man today, and he added
that the Teuton chain was now with
out Bulgaria, it's weakest link. More
over. in the general comment on the
Bulgarian situation, it was said that
one Of the strongest features OF the
allied victory lay in the fact that ad-
ditional men were not needed to car
~ out the apparent objectives.
An army of $50 900, which already
is on the spot, will be large enough,
II was pointed out. to proceed through
Serbia to Belgrade. From Belgrade
to Budapest by train is a four hours
journey, and the country vies in flat
ness with the most level prairie
stretches in Kansas. The Danube
might provide some interruption to
the movement of men. but once cross
ed. the way would be open to Buaa-
pest. and Budapest, it was recalled,
lis the heart of Hungary" Such an
offensive, though would prove twice
as efficacious were the Italians able
to go forward into Austria, it was
said, and italy needs more men on her
front Her strength is declared TO be
from eight TO ten divisions less than
the Austrians facing her. Although
every one derived tremendous salts
faction and pleasure at the news OF
the Bulgarian armistice. the last de-
gree of JOY was shared by the dipio-
mats and military men of Balkan
countries opposed 10 the central pow
ers Their oft-repeated statement
that "the war began in the Balkans
and would end through the Balkans
was heard in every legation many,
many times during the day.
In the opinion of military experts
here the dramatic suddenness OF Bull
garia's unconditional surrender is the
clearest possible indication OF the
pending collapse of Germany's mill
tary machine.
The main point on which they base
their opinion il their knowledge that
the first and most essential term die
tated by the allies was the immediate
possession and administration of the
trunk line through Sofia TO Turkey
Armies to Occupy Sofia.
Bulgaria, to- carry out the terms of
the armistiCe must permit the allied
armies to proceed to Sofia to occupy
the capital and administer the rail-
road. the only line OF communication
between Berlin and Constantinople.
The main military advantage is the
exposure OF Turkey on her western
front to immediate attack by the
Greek. French and English armies.
This situate combined with the
advance of General Allenby through
Asia Minor against Constantinople.
even without an offer of unconditional
surrender from Turkey, would seem to
promise the end of the war in that
part of the world within sixty days,
in the opinion of these experts
The next logical movement in the
unfolding OF the allied war program
involves the re-entry into the war of
Roumania on the side of the allies,
Tho chances now are that instead Of
rushing the German and Austrian
troops now in Roumania to the re-
lief of Bulgaria. where they would be
certain to meet an allied army of be
tween 700 900 and 500, 900 men, these
Teutonic soldiers will be hurried back
10 the Austrian frontier and to the
western front 1t is contended here
that German army cannot now be
maintained in Roumania because of
the intense and widespread hatred OF
all things German growing out of the
trickery, practiced on Roumania, in
the peace treaty
With Roumania again in the field
on the side of the allies. Austria viii
be attacked by way of her back door
and at the very point where the Jugo-
Slav nation will come into touch with
and assist the allied armies.
>~-As ~av- us~ 49,