Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-02-27
THE CLAIMS Or THE
GRE OF THRAeE

+ gE&
The following editorial WAS publish
LEA III the leading Greek paper u this
Ieauntry, the Atlantis, pnbIiehed Iii
New York AT the request 81 mem
Slera Of the Greek colony Iii Annapolis
lit II being printed here's but should
prove of no little Interest 10 Balkan
lstudents generally The article fol-
lows
Iuat BE The time when the Tlarac-
ian Greeks Id New York were loudly
protesting the other day against any
|arrangefnent that would hand their
hard tried country over ID the Bulgar-
Iian menace, the news comes from
Paris Oh the impending decision BIZ
THE particular committee charged to
Investigate the Hellenic claims on
Thrace. to award that province 10 Bill
garia which Ii 10 keep the Aegean lit
Itoral given her at the close of the
second Balkan war
IL Is probably TOO early vet III fore
caee the finding of the partienla com
mission which has charge al the Hell
ienic claims as submitted U the Peace.
conference bY Mr. venizelos himself.
but even then II Is time to exalniue
under what right Bulgaria can claifn
u large part Of i territory which has
never been Bulgarian, and which pass
led under Bulgarian control under the
clauses Of the treaty of Bucharest
shortly after the close 81 the second
Balkan war.
As everybody remembers Bulgaria
took T'hrace By right of conquest Gil
the first Balkan war. When Greece iii
turn defeated Bulgaria IN 1913. THAT
TERRITORY was occupied By the Hellenic.
troops. and when the Bucharest peace
treaty WIS signed. THE necessity ut re-
storing the balance OF power III the
Balkans forced Greece ID eyacuate
THAT province, which was Iii turn re-
occupied by the defeated Bulgarians
When the Bnlgars In 1916 freacherous-
III attacked serhians. and sin 1916 en-
tered the territory of Greek Mace
Edonia. they were after tils Ilegsnony
of the Balkans, which Was ID be isteirs.
should Germany win the VA i.
With the war lost for Bulgaria. and
all her Macedonian territory brought
under allied control, II would appear
that the Bulgars would lose every
right To territories which they have
EFeen unable ID keep This at least
was the case with Germany and Aus
iria md Turkey, All of which were
isp Igar ria ! allies and all Of which suf-
TERED the fate they richly deserved.
Should therefore Bulgaria re en-.
titled 70 the return III il territory iEcli
she secured by right Of conquest, and
therefore lest by right OF defeat, d pre-
eedent would | 4 created which would
not promote Balkan peace
Ono might advance ut this point
Tie argument, TINT the Thracian ter
ritarg claimed III bulgaria ii hers. hy
right oil the principle ar nationality;
hut this assertion on its face would
Re false. SIS nowhere Ia all the Hall
ksAns Il the Bulgarian element III such
hopeless minority as III 'I's1race The
Balgaflans themselves BY their acts
III 1912, 1913. 1914. 1915. 1917 ana up
to the present day have the hest proof
1of tho non Bulgarian character Of
Tlraee ~ pillaging and destroying
the country burning the towns and
villages and rutIIessly Killing and
otherwise terrorISing the Inhabitants.
"a The point Of turning the whole Of
The country into i desoiate waste
Nov It does not stand to reason.
that the Rnfgargans sFo claim Thrace
as b Bulgarian country lnhatitated BY
Bulge rians should a. on and externai-
nate = population which would be-
made IN OF Btlga rians such course
would pc simply preposterons and IN
reasonable But We have the estab-
iished fact. that the Inhabitants or
Tshrace have suffered the worst treat-
fnent ii the hands of the Bulgaraans:
We have the facts that entire towns