New Britain herald., 1922-12-22
DEDEAGATCH MAY BE
 BULGARIA'S OUTLET
Reported.to Be Ready to Take
 This Place by Force

Washington, D., C.. Dec. 22--Dedea- gatch, which Bulgaria Is seeking as an outlet on the Aegean sea. and which she Is even reported to be ready to take by force, Is the sub ject, Of the following bulletin from the Washington. D. C., headquarters of the National Geographic society.
 ''In asking for Dedeagatch to pro vide an Aegean port, Bulgaria Is not voicing a new desire" says the bull letin, but is following policy which expresses almost as cherished a na- tional aspiration ss was Russias longing for constantinople and a warm water outlet Twice Bulgaria has had It's Aegean doorway in its grasp. and twice 1t has been snatch ed away. by diplomacy or war. Those occasions. paradoxically, followed vic- tories by Bulgaria. Now that she has come out of war defeated, the situ- ation seems ripe to the Bulgarians for the reversal of the paradox and the gaining of permanent southern sea. entrance to their country.
 Grew Like American Boom Town. "The BuIgarians look to Dedeagatch as very valuable acquisition. but It's value Is almost entirely potential. The port has no harbor, but only road stead. Probably great deal Of money will have to be spent before 1t can be chased among the safe and convenient world ports.
 The town itself, situated about 20 miles west of the mouth of the Ma ritza river, and 40 miles south of the present Bulgarian border, is small. It's population has waxed and waned in recent years with the passage of wars and changes of sovereignty. In 1913 1t had close to 10,cNO residents.
 "Its rise had been not unlike that of American boom towns of the rail- way expansion era. It came into ex- istence shortly after the Turks en- tered Europe; but remained n tiny fishing village until about 1875. It then grew at the cost of Enos, situ- ated at the Maritza's mouth When the Constantinople-S -Saloniki railway touched Dedeagatch in 1S96 it gal vanized the town into rapid growth, and 1t became the outlet for Turkeys grain, almonds, timber and tobacco from the Maritza valley.
 <. Owned Aegean Ports Twice.
 "Bulgaria's first Aegean port was Kavala, half way between Dedeagatch and Saloniki. This was given to her by the treaty of San Stefano, follow ing the Russo Bulgarian defeat of Turkey in 1878. But the powers fear ed Russia's control of Bulgaria, and 1,x In e<>,,, most immediately after San Stefano, they took away the territory by which Bulgaria reached the Aegean, and re- turned it to Turkey
 After the Balkan wars ,Dedeagatch and sea frontage extending almost to Kavala were ceded to Bulgaria, But the railroad connecting the port tc Bulgaria proper ran for 40 miles through .sT Turkish territory. Turkey gave this road and the territory it crossed to Bulgaria in July, 1915. Shortly afterward the Bulgarians en- tered the World War beside the Turks andT the Germans. Dedeagatch was held throughout the World War though the port was repeatedly bom- barded by allied warships.
 "Bulgaria saw her dream of an Aegean port fade away for the second time on. October 2s. s,l91s, just two weeks before the; Germans signed the arniistice, when the |, allies landed troops at Dedeagatch and marched toward Adrianople
 y.'By the treaty of Nouilly Bulgaria gave Dedeasatch to the allies; and by the treaty of Sevres 1t was turned over to Greece. Now that the treaty of Seyres has been torn up, Bulgaria again advances; her claim"