Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-14
ROYALTY COMING
Boris Of Bulgaria, Son OF Ferdinand
and a Cxar OF the Balkans, to
Visit Us-HIs Family and
His People
BY GEORGE NOX Mccain
PHILADELPHIA will very likely hav

Gar Boris of Bulgaria has announced DIS
| intention of visiting the United states.
Boris is Bulgarian by nativity but not oy
| blood. He is German His father was FER
| dinand, Prince, and later self styled Gar
| of the Bulgarians.
He was also known until the. day of his
forced retirement as The FOX OF 'ne
| Balkans"
He deserved the title. He had the beak
of q vulture and the craftiness OF weasel.
IIc was a penniess princeling OF the
House Of Sake Coburg- -Gotba when Bui-
The story Of Bulgaria. and of Ferdinand;
| is one Of the most romantic tales ever told
in the history of the Balkan Peninsula.
T A. McGAHAN. of Ohio, newspaper
-. correspondent, is the man to whom prt-
marily Bulgaria owes her freedom from the
oppression. cruelty and flaming fanaticlSm
of 300 years of Turkish rule.
1t was back in 1877.
Y McGahan had gone to the Balkans as the
correspondent for one Of the London pews-
papers. He had travelled down into Bull
garla, which was then feeling the heel OF
Turkey upon her neck more heavily than
ever.
In May of that year the Turks invaded
the Bulgarian town of Batak. They slaugh.
tered 5000 out of the 1000 inhabitants OF
the place without regard TO age or sex.
1t was one of the most terrible crimes
that had ever been pcrpetratcd in land
McGahan's investigations disclosed the
further fact thnt not less than 1000 Bull
garian Christians had been murdered by the
Turks in that month alone.
Achmet Aga. the Turkish commander IN
charge Of that district. was decorated by the
Sultan Abdul Hamd n for his share In the
butchery.
II was this same Abdul. The Butcher Of
Europe who was dethroned and impris-
oned and who died not long since In exile.
NTcGAHAN'S letters describing the Bull
lNl garian massacres were smuggled out Of
the country. Their publication shook Eu-
rope like an earthquake.
It was the first authentic information the
world had Of the awful conditions existing
in the heart of that peninsula
Gladstone thundered against the Turk
in Parliament.
Russia declared war on behalf of her CO.
religionists, and the Russo Turkish con-
fict of 1877 was on.
As A result of her victories. Russia not
"A only liberated Bulgaria from Moslem
oppression, but give her niche in the Au-
,dience Hall of Nations.
AS the Vilayet Tuna. otherwise known ms
the Province Of the Danube. under the Turk,
Bulgaria had been administered by Turkish
Governors.
With her emancipation there was none
of her old royal line in existence. She there
fore cast about for a scion of one of the
ruling houses of Europe to whom she could
offer her vacant throne.
Prince Alexander of Battenberg became
Prince by selection. but resigned in 1856.
He feared assassination.
The intrigues of the court. the bitter
political anlmosities Of the various cliques,
put him IN fear Of his life.
TN 1887 three delegates were chosen to
1 visit Western Europe and select a new
They had proceeded as far as Vienna In
their quest when one Of the delegates
dropped into Ronnecker's cafe for glass
of wine.
That glass of wine altered the history of
the Balkan peoples.
In the cafe the delegate met an old friend
who, when acquainted with the Bugarians'
mission. declared he knew Just the man for
the vacant throne.
Ferdinand Of SAKE .Coburg :Gotha. His
fortune was in an impoverished condition.
fe was practically ION his uppers.'
He was tall, thin, angular, with n huge
hooked nose and eyes set close together. The
offer was n godsend.
He jumped at the proposal. He was
twenty years. of nge when he assembled
the throne as Prince OF Bulgaria
He had reigned more than thirty years
when the results of the World War hurled
him from his throne.
His entire career from start to finish was
one of intrigue, remorselcss ambition and
ingratitudc.
The assassination Of his once friend and
adviser, Stambouloff, known in the courts
of Europe as "Thc Bismarck of the Bal
kans.' has been directly charged to Ferdi-
nand.
It is said that he was jealous of STAN
bouloff's power.
0ZAR BORIS was but boy when I saw
~ him In Sofia a dozen years ago.
His father was then huge bulk Of
man, hair heavily Strcaked with gray,
struggling. whiskers and habit of gazing
straight ahead in n dull. lcthargic way.
II was this man who ruled Bulgaria with
an iron hand. 1t was he who forced the
nation to an act that is one of the blackest
in Balkan history.
The bulk of the bulgarian people were
Pre-. Ally. Their hereditary hatred of the
Turk, the memory Of centuries Of oppres-
sion, compelled them 10 this position.
Car Ferdinand was German He was
an imported ruler, n royal cnrpetbaggcr
He ran true to race and type.
When the crisis came and Europe was
plunged into the vortex of the World War
Ferdinand rallied his armies to the aid Of
the Turk.
His right hand grasped the right hand Of
a people that had been stained with the
blood of Bulgaria.
| CtZAR BORIS is the son Of Ferdinand
" He comes to tho United States. II Is
| said, on visit Of congratulations and
| thanks.
Congratulations, presumably, for the fail
ure OF the United States TO declare war
| against Bulgaria. as II should have done
while it was in the business.
Thanks for the hundreds of thousands of
dollars of American money that have been
spent in relieving the suffering and hunger
| in his domain?
am not so sure that this country carcs
hang about the thanks or congratulations
Of the royal family Of Bulgaria. or that nor
tion Of their subjects who turned their bncks
| upon Russia that had saved them and made
| them what they were.
1t s with the Bulgarians who saw tho
light: who would have rushed to the aid Of
| the Allies had not the "Fox Of the RaIkans''
| hindcrcd them
Car Boris unquestionably has nerve. II
nothing else, in proposing to visit tho
United States soon after the close of tba
great and terrible event
The thousands spent by him and his
| upln