New-York tribune., 1919-08-30
The Thrucinn BIunder
By Frank H. Simonds

Of territory permitting direct access TO the
Egean will preclude another Balkan war.
When she had Dedeagatch and Kavala into
the bargain she attacked her neighbors; when
she was still permitted to hold Dedeagatoh
she made second attack. What Bulgaria
seeks is all of Macedonia and Salonica. 1t
was to acquire these that she has fought
three wars-with Turkey in 1912, with
Greece and Serbia in 1918, and finally, as
a German ally in the recent world war.
1t is now proposed to give Greece much
of the contested territory, but to cut Greek
territory in half by neutral strip descend
ing the west bank Of the Martha to Dedea-
catch. This is to be placed under the con-
troll of the league of nations. But this
simply means that if the league of nations
does not garrison the strip, if American,
British and French troops are not sent
there OF if after time the several great
powers weary of the thankless task, then
the strip will be the immediate cause of
new war between Greece and Bulgaria.
This compromise is justified by the argu-
ment that Bulgaria must have an outlet
upon the sea. But she has two admirable
ports upon the Black Sea. With Constan-
CiucPl6 AHCcIud dll tHc oiu OiHi-
culties due to Turkish policy disappear.
Moreover, Dedeagatch is only an open road
stead, incapable, given Bulgarian finances,
of improvement.
The trouble with American policy here,
as elsewhere, is that it is based upon the
assumption that to deal generously with
enemy will make him friend, no matter
who that enemy may be or what his purposes
are. But in the case Of Bulgaria we have
had three perfect illustrations within five
six years of the folly of such assump-
ton. Three times she has been allowed to
hold country much larger in area than is
now offered as a sop, and three times she
has attacked her neighbors, her allies in the
first case, with absolute treachery.
AS a result of our championship of the
Bulgarans we have forced the Greeks. to
submit to Italian blackmail and agree to
recognize Italian claims to regions in Asia
Minor in which there is not an Italian and
to which the Greek claim is incontestible,
if the Turk is to be deprived of his SOW
ereignty. At this price the Italians have
changed front and agreed to support Greek
claims in Thrace, but still American opposi-
tion continues and seems to be about to
lead to a compromise, which have
other consequence than to foment Balkan
rivalries and precipitate new Balkan wars
Why American policy at Paris is resolved
to sacrifice the Greeks to the Bulgarians
and the Rumanians to the Hungarians
passes all comprehension, since both races
have been guilty of more offences against
the principles American representatives are
championing than the very Germans them
selves and have been the enemies of our
allies in a recent war. The proposed COM
promise is, then, an evil thing in itself.
doubly evil because it Injuries a friendly
nation to placate a people which will never
be satisfied, every one who knows the
Near East will agree, until it has recon-
quered Salonica and Monastir as well as
Adrianople and Kavaa. Giving a wolf a
crust of bread to make a lamb of him is
enlightened policy by comparison with
feeding few Greeks in Thrace to the Bull
garian in the hope Of making him con-
senting subscriber to the principles of the
league of nations
Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.