The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-15
OPERA BoUFFE IN BULGARIA

OPERA BOUFFE IN BULGARIA
The Balkan nations are always in
what the chemists call state of "un-
stable equilibrium" There is no fore
telling when a sudden shifting of the
molecules will cause an explosion.
Still, it was thought that the world
war had given them enough of fight
ing for a while, and that their need
of making bare living would occupy
them BEAUTIFULLY during the next
decade. Now, however, Bulgaria is in
famed with partisan hostility that
may at this moment be breaking out
into civil war. The other Balkan
states and Greece on the south are
massing defensive troops on their re-
spective Bulgarian frontiers, in order
that the disorder may not spread
among adjoining peoples. Perhaps the
trouble is only tempest in teapot;
or, perhaps it will grow to threatening
proportions. Nobody seems to be able
as yet to foretell, for the news from
Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, is so
censored as to be unreliable.
The history of the trouble seems to
be that the property classes
have wearied of the arbitrary rule of
the peasant government headed by
Premier Stamboulisky, and have raj
lied to their support the regular troops
and considerable body of volunteers,
with which they have taken over the
government and made Stamboulisky a
fugitive. 1t appears that King Boris,
who was made a figurehead by the
peasant ruler, sides with the revolu-
tionists. The new government is
headed by Premier Zanhoff, formerly
Socialist university professor, and
is rapidly replacing the peasant ap-
pointees and representatives at home
and abroad. Conflicting reports make
it difficult to follow the course of
events, but it is evident that there is
pursuit of Stamboulisky with the in
tent to arrest him and bring him back
alive to Sofia, perhaps to stand trial
for what the new regime regards as
his excuses and transgression of Bull
garian law. 1t is said that the peas
antry has begun to rally to their
leaders support, and that his retreat
is protected by volunteer army re-
cruited from the fields and factories,
but trained to fight in the world war.
On the other hand, some CORE
spondents express the belief that
Stamboulisky cannot expect much
help from the farmers, because the
harvest now is ripe, the granaries are
empty and the winter must be pro-
vided against. The farmers in no
country are warlike set, for close
communion with nature breeds peace
and not war. Undoubtedly also the
farmers believe that the fight is none
of their affair and that their own
business will prosper only as they take
care of it, and not in accordance with
the political pigment of the party in
power. Besides, three million fighting
men need something more than the
farmers are said to be equipped.
They need an organized. base of sup
plies and a sure and efficient means
of transportation, none of which they
now possess.
1t is interesting to note that the
new regime indicates it's readiness to
carry out the stipulations of the
treaty Of Versailles as they affect
Bulgaria, and that it emphatically de-
MES reports of its intention to main
tain an army beyond the ten thousand
men allowed by the treaty. I'm
doubtedly, in Bulgaria as in Italy, the
powers will permit the revolution to
progress undisturbed as long as it
does not overflow to upset the peace
of Europe. There is hope that the
crisis is already past, and that the
farmers will be permitted to gather
their first good harvest in eight years.
They deserve this opportunity.