Evening star., 1934-06-10

chimes. Its efforts In this direction
and many others are seconded by the
Bank, the hundreds of
popular banks. cooperative societies,
stations, model farms
created or sponsored by the govern
ment. Hundreds of millions of dollars
have been spent upon these various
but what deserves spe-
cial notice is not the magnitude of
the outlay, but the tremendous amount
of energy displayed, Systematically and
with a never tagging zeal, for the sake
of democracy-that is, the welfare of
the people.
The question now is whether these
results, highly satisfactory as they
are. have been obtained by men rep
resenting the wishes o the people; in
other words, whether Bulgaria has
been ruled by the people, as democ-
racy demands. In reply, it may be
said that all governments which have
succeeded each other in these IS
years. have issued from parliamentary
ma ajorities, as expressed by the popu-
lar vote, to which every Bulgarian
citizen. irrespective OF race or creed,
is entitled Moreover. all ministers,
high officials, army officers, profess
sors-in fact, all those who have had
a hand in the government of the
country-have come out of the peo-
pie. a great number of them direct
from the villages.
True Dem0cratism.
Beginning from King Boris. whose
simpleness of manners and deep in
terest in the humble folk are we'll
known everywhere, the rulers of Bull
garia have always given, by their way
OF living. true picture Of democ-
ratiSm. An idea of democratism of
Bulgarian statesmen may be gained
when you consider that the salary of
a Bulgarian cabinet minister amounts
to some 145 gold dollars. those of
high officials to $50. and that those
of minor officials range from SIS to
$50 a month. The civil list of the
King. which amounted originally to
$4,000 a month, has been reduced
on his own wish. with regard to the
strained conditions, to s2,970 a month.
1t appears from the preceding re-
marks that, contrary to the asser-
tions of some writer's, Bulgaria, since
her emancipation has been continual
ly ruled in accordance with the tenets
of democracy. In the long run, how
ever, the weak side of that political
system, which in greater or less
degree are apparent in most parlia-
mentary countries, took such propor-
tions that they overshadowed its bene-
fetal sides. More than in any other
country, the government in Bulgaria
became the prisoner of the party from
which it issued. During the half
century of existence as an independent
state, Bulgaria has devoted much of
its energy and a large part of its
yearly budgets to supporting a good
school system, and has succeeded in
putting a primary school in almost
every village, high school in most
of the cities and two universities in
the capital. Hundreds and thousands
of Bulgaria S youth have tried to climb
out Of the loneliness and crudeness
Of the village by means Of the school
ladder.
No Economic Outlets.
But the economic structure of the
country offers no outlets for them
Industry Is still undeveloped. owing to
lack of capital, the liberal professions
are overcrowded; as result the edu-
Gated youth of Bulgaria sees no pros
poets for itself outside of government
and communal employment or poll
tics. This comes to explain why nc
government can retain its hold on the
party which supports 1t, unless it pro-
vides jobs for its political followers
and their relatives. The position grew
still worse when, owing to the split
ting up of the parties, governments
had to be made through a coalition OF
ings of job-hungry partisans. This
was precisely the position Of the late
cabinet of Mr. Mushanov, who found
himself beset by ever-renewed de-
mands on the part of the parties en-
tering into the composition of his gov
eminent for more seats in the cabinet
Behind these demands lay no desire
to modify or influence the policy OF
the government, but merely an un-
edifying scramble among the parties
for the spoils of office-a system which
not only undermined administrative
efficiency. but also mulcted the coun-
try of large sums for the payment OF
superfuous officials Growing dissatis-
faction with the handling of public
affairs by politicians found expression
in variety of ways, and as nothing
seemed to help. it led to the recent
coup d'etat. The extraordinary ease
with which the latter was carried
through explains itself by the COM
plete disaffection felt in the popular
masses with regard to all political
parties which have until now occu-
pied the political stage. In the light
of these facts, the good faith and in
telligence of the new order can quick
ly be shown by the measures which
it proposes to take for the balancing
of the budget, for insuring expeditive
justice. raising the standard of life in
the villages, for the tablishment
of the authority of the state, in pro-
viding cheap credit to farmers. fol
stimulating industry. for the curtail-
ment of unemployment, the overhaul
ing of the swollen ranks of oficialdom
and increasing its efficiency. As there
are already strong indications to that
effect. the new government will be
able to rally to its support every one
of good will, by showing that it has nc
other object in view than to serve
the interests Of the country as a whole
and not those of individuals or parties
1t it succeeds in this task democracy
as "a government for the people" will
win a new victory. And when the
process has evolved a more satisfac-
tory state of things. nothing will pre-
vent a return to a reformed parlia-
mentarian regime giving to a re-edu.
Gated nation direct control of public
affairs.
n-oo Doo-%.f,1 C:&