Evening star., 1921-10-16
BULGARIA PREMIER
! STOCKY AND SOLID
Cooperating at Geneva to
Promote International Har-
mony Program.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and Chicago
Daily News.
GENEVA, Switzerland, September
aS.-Stambollisky, Bulgaria's re-
2carkable peasant premier''--stocky,
solid. broad In the shoulders, rugged
countenance under a shock Of curly
black hair-has come to Geneva to
cooperate. in the name of his con-
stituents, in the great work OF inter-
national harmony. America does not
know much about Bulgaria, but Bull
Sarla knows a great deal about us.
Indeed, there iS no other country IN
Europe where American influence is
so predominantH Stambouiisky does
not speak our language-ne speaks
no foreign language-but he has his
Ideas about the United States, jus,
the same; and good, cIear ideas they
are.
We were three about the table in
the big hotel parlor, overlooking the
calm blue waters of Genevas lake
Stambouiisky, myself and the pre-
lnier's charming secretary-interpre-
ter. Miss Nadiedja Stancioff, daughter
of the Bulgarian minister to London.
StambouiIsky needed no prompting.
He wanted to tell me about his coun-
try; his points were clearly in min,
and he told them succinctly, withou
interruption.
Now "Absolute Democracy"
Bulgaria, YOU must understand" il,
began with emphasis. lis now an alb.
solute democracy. Our cZar has n.
power whatever. 1t Is the grea, :
agrarian party, which includes a
large majority of the inhabitants,
that rules the country. This party
holds convention every year. Jus,
before the convention the entire gov
ernment resigns. Only after it has
been reconnrmed by the peasants
he a
year. We have been accused by i'll
informed foreigners of communist
tendencies. You nave been to Bull
Earia. you have seen for yourself
You know that EhiS is not commun-
ISM, but true democracy-tne free
rule of the majority.
Miss Stancio6 having duly translated
all this into hes Smoo,h. pure EnSilSh,
Stambourisky continued:
.Econimically, what we are aiming at
is compete co-operation-that is to say.
the elimina ton OF SPECTATORS and use
less middiemen and the establishment OF
direct relations between producer and
consumer. The government facilitates
this cooperation in many practical
ways In particular, it deals with the
various problems of distribution as they
arise and seeks solutions that will favor
both producer and consumer. Commerce
is free. bu, IL at any time an effort to
monopoliz~ any market or commodity is
perceived, the government has the right
10 take oter this market or commodity
temporarily. pending a readjusunent to i
normal conditions.
Nation Practically Disarmed.
Bulgaria has now practically dis |
armed. Instead of the old compulsory i
military service. We have instituted COM |
pulSory labor service. All our young !
men are obliged to give some months of |
their time to labor in public works. and /.
gangs of them may be seen thus ein- /!
pioyed throughout tho country. In ad- /,
,ition, everybody in Bulgaria-nan, !
woman and chiid-is obliged to give ten /
Gays OF manual labor to the country. |
We made this experiment for the first |
time last year. 1t resulted excellcntly,
and passed off in great good humor, and /!
with such efficiency that in ten days We
estimate We saved the state more than
100000 levas, or francs (normaily
about 100000. 1t was interesting to
see the sedentary peopie-doctors.
lawyers, teachers, clerks-going out
cheerfully into the fields to work with
their hands. For these people that ten
days period was a sort of holiday, and
they returned to their regular employ
ruent strengthened and refreshed. Field
labor" added Stamboulisky, with a
smile, has become our national sport. !
In particular we are taking the oc-
caSion, By the free labor of our young
men, to build up our railway system.
Unfortunately, We have not the money |
to buy the necessary materials. We are
hoping that, ultimately. after we have
gwen clear proof of our change of heart
since the war, and of our economic |
solidity, credit for this purpose will De
given US by the United States.
Our present foreign policy is the
reverse of that instituted by our for
per car, Ferdinand. We are through
with wars. We seek only to live in
with all nai0hhnrS n,,r .
whole aim is to carry out loyalty the
terms of the treaty of Neuilly, which
we have signed and ratified, but nat .
urally, We expect that our neighbors
as regards the minority rights
clauses. and as regards our promised
outlet to the Aegean sea-
Would Unite All Peoples Of Race.
Bulgaria has not abandoned its
dream of some day uniting all the
peoples of our race under a single
government: but it no longer thinks
of fulfilling this dream by force of
arms. A new era is dawning in the
world. and new and peaceful means
are necessary in the new day. We in
Bulgaria believe in the league of ma
tions. 1t is young and weak as yet.
Ask our peasants about the league.
Ask our peasant sabout the league
They will tell you. 1t is place where
the big powers throw away their old
rubbish, and where, in the soil thus
fertiliZed, the little powers can plant
the good wheat seeds Above ali, the
league needs the United States. Un-
til America comes in the league can
never be really effective. For my part,
1 feel sure that America will come
in. The United States is very great
country, and moves slowly. 1t was
slow to enter the war; it is slow to
enter the peace. But that it will enter
in its own good hour, is as inevitable
in the one case as 1t was in the
other.
Europe can possibly get along
without Americas material help, but
until it has Americas moral help it
will continue to struggle in chaos. 1t
is Americas interest to give this
moral help, and ultimately it will. for
it's own prosperity is Intimately
bound up with the restoration of Eu-
rope. / think that if the Washington
conference succeeds, as we all de-
voutly hope it will, we shall see a
change for the better in Americas
attitude toward the troubles Of Eu-
rope. In Bulgaria We are all conf