The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-02
az BIRMINGHAM AGE-HERALD, SUNDAY NOVEMBER q 1919

their allies Immediately after Rumanias
declaration of war on Austria Hungary
Bulgaria did not think fit to do so until
September /. AT that time the situation
or the Macedonian front was responsible
for a certain reserve on Bulgaria S
part.
The bulk of the Bulgarian army was
on the Greek frontier. They were stiff
fened by German STATS, about one Ger
man division, and other German troops
particularly artillery and machine gun,
telephone and flying units. Further
Bulgaria received from us, and in a con-
siderably less degree from Austria Fl un-
gary, money and plenty of war ma
terial The Bulgarian railways were far
from efficient. We had to take drastic
steps to improve their working con-
dition.
The entente had conveyed to Salonica
the reorganized Serbian army, as well
as forces of their own. but had remained
inactive. General Sarrail had been APP
pointed commander-in- chief, and marked
his entry into office by laying a strong
hand on Greece and forming units Oh
Venizelist troops. Greece was so firmly
in the grip of the entente, and so de-
pendent on them for her very, existence,
that no one could seriously think 1t pos
sIble to win over her to us.
The Bulgarian army, and bulgaria
herself we're willing to continue the war
Just so long as it furthered their national
ambition to become the chief power III
the Balkans For this the bulgarian
army, which had not, it is true, yet com
pletely recovered from the effects OF the
two Balkan wars, was fighting. NO
military action was to be expected from
Bulgaria in any other allied theatre OF
war.
MADE SOME STIFF BARGAINS
When Turkey joined Germany IN
1914 Bulgaria had, as the price OF
her neutrality. demanded Turkish ter
ritory on the right bank OF the MART
"a, and a belt 10 kilometres wide on
the left bank, from Adrianople TO tns
sea. In return for her entry into the
war against Serbia. she laid claim 10
Serbian territory. and, in the event OF
Rumania joining in, she demanded Tue
whole of the so-called Bulgarian DO
brudja which had been coded TO Ru-
mania by the peace of Bucharest IN
1913.
Agreements made in the autumn or
1915 regarding the cooperation or GER
man and Austro- Hungarian troop3
only applied to the Serbian campaign,
and no longer held good. The ter
ritory conquered in that campaign had
been placed under the jurisdiction OF
Austria Hungary and Bulgaria.
Even before the Rumanian storm
cloud broke. the Bulgarian general
staff had decided to tSER the often
sive in the direction of Salonica. This
was quite sound plan from mll-
itary point of view Holding the llhe
of the Struma. with one flank rest
ing on the sea. the bulgarian ieit
wing would be considerably safer
than in it's positions along the IRON
tier.
The district east of the Struma was
occunied ON August 81 without Sc
rious fighting as the Greek Fourth
army corps, stationed there, ocered no
resistance, and quietly looked on Whl'e
the Bulgarian troops marched past
mast (this surrender was due to the
treachery of King Constantine, the
Kaiser's brother JIM law. This corps
remained in the nelgnporhooo %
Drama and Kayala. Inc derlian ",
II. O. Immediately ordered our lials9n
officer to take charge of these troors.
They soon placed themselves at oof
disposal. and with their own con-
sent were taken to GorHtz 1or IN
ternment there. (These Greek troops
were held as prisoners for the re-
mainder of the war;
SERBS SMASH BULGARS
All danger to the rear or the hul-
Rarlan army Adu Nv w
Entente troops were on the llne OF tlee
Strnua. The Bulgarians did not ad-
vance any further, as their main thr'-St
via Florina (south of Monastr} hdu
meanwhile failed
The Bulgarians had crossed lae
Creek frontier at this point on Aus 'ise
10 with the massif of the Malka NidZ@
east of Florina, which was hela oy ne
Serbs as their first objective. ne
lower slopes were carried by surprise
MT the main attack was REFUSED by
a violent Serbian counter attack.
The Bulgarian losses were heavy'
THAR offensive and their spirit col
lapsed together. The Car OF hui-
garia and Radoslavoff. who we're IN
Pless at the beginning OF Septern per,
were full of laments. and demanded
German troaps our government
strongly supposted them in TINS,
against our wishes. ,.a,,rd
II would have been contrary TO SCUM
conduct of the war to yield 10 bui-
garia's demand for German reinforce
ments From the point OF we" OF
the war as a whole, more lmpor'ah'
matters were at stake in TransylVanla.
ceneral Headquarters refused any as
sistance. found that the communlca-
tons between the valley of the Nardar
and the plain of Monastir were IN no
way adequate to supply the needs OF
the troops which were already there.
To send more troops there would nave
been bad policy. Once more we mao
first of all. to put matters on souno
footing. even though the Bulgarlans
might have to surrender little ground
They must accept the inevitable we
could not do everything with German
troops But general headquarters gave
as much helm as the situation permit
ted.
The German army headquarters were
transferred from the Nardar to the
right wing, with view to securing
correct tactical handing and the adop-
ton of thorough measures for the es-
Establishment of rear communications
German railway troops and labor bat
talions had to take this work into their
own expert hands This mountainous
country was exceedingly difficult, and
it took them many months to do what
should have been done before the Flor
ina offensive was undertaken.
General Jekoff was the Bulgarian
commander i'm chief He was loyal
supporter of the alliance, but did not
possess those outstanding qualities
which are required of a leader in a
modern war. Besides, he lacked the
necessary training. His character was
irreproachable. but he had not suff-
cient resolution to remedy various
grave defects in the Bulgarian army.
He was entanGicd in narrow party
politics and 80 forgot the war. His
chief of staff mt that time was LukOff
"A man of unsOund Judgment and an
intriGuer who IL responsible for the
N ST nrf uun nj