Evening star., 1940-05-16
Nation Now Relies
On Soviet 10 Keep
Balkans Out Of War
Beers Allies Grudge, but
Might Join Them if
they Get There First

might JOIN lhem 1t
they Get There First
BY RICHARD MOWRER,
CHICAGO Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
. SOFIA, May 16.-The conclusion
OF the terrific events of the past
days is having profound effect IN
Bulgaria, hitherto regarded as un-
waveringly pro-German. The Bull
garians are shocked. They are
shocked by the viciousness OF the
German attack on three small neu-
trails. They are shocked by the
Germans use of enemy uniforms by
their parachute troops. To Bull
garians, Balkan fighting people
with a strict sense Of military honor,
this type of deceit is dishonorable.
The Bulgarians were willing to
believe that the German attack on
Norway was provoked by the allies
laying of mines in Norwegian
waters. The German invasions OF
Czecho-Slovakia and Poland both
Slav nations, left the Bulgarians
cold. But they cannot swallow the
German explanation of the attack
on Holland, Belgium and Luxem-
bourg.
Hitherto bound to the Reich by
revisionist sentiments, the Bull
garians are today uneasy about
Germany and in their uneasiness
they are turning more and more to
Russia. For the first time since the
war began the press here is neutral.
German Tourists Turned Back.
On Monday, Bulgarian frontier
guards turned back a carload of
German tourists at the Yugoslav
border. Significant, too, is the
rumor that the new Russian Min
lister to Sofia will be none other
than Jakob Suritz, erstwhile Soviet
Ambassador to Paris. increasingly
evident is the Russians desire to
make Sofia their diplomatic head
quarters for the Balkans. Their
only Minister in the Balkans at the
present time is in Ankara. Recently
the Soviet Minister in Sofia went to
Moscow with the military attache.
The military attache returned, but
the Minister did not. Sofia suspects
that the Russians are planning to
send some high-power man here,
and Bulgars believe it might be
Suritz.
Much impressed by the horrible
efficiency of mechanical warfare,
Bulgaria wants to stay out of it.
Until recently Bulgaria has been
amiable to Italy. 1t was thought
that Italy, as powerful neutral,
would guarantee the Balkans against
war. Italy's recent warlike mani
festations, however, have now COM
PEELED Bulgaria to steer away.
To the Bulgarians, Russia seems
the best bet for keeping war out of
the Balkans. They have always had
q vague sort of faith in Russia and
they are delighted by Russia's poll
tical expansion toward Yugoslavia.
The Bulgarians are able to justify
Russian aggressions: After all, in
Poland, Russia was getting back lost
territory, they argue, and Of Fin
land, Russia took only what it had
demanded and was permitting Fin
land to exist independently and
had evacuated Petsamo, as promised.
No Fondness for Allies.
For the allies, Bulgaria has no
fondness. Sne bears them a grudge
about peace treaties she will not for
get. Moreover, Russian propa-
ganda-which at first did not blend
well with the German-no longer
speaks of the Hitler menace but
emphasizes the necessity of Russian
protection against "war-mongering
plutocracy"
Just how Bulgaria is going to stay
out of war, if war comes to South
eastern Europe, is conjecture. Bull
garia is unlikely to attack anybody,
not even Rumania should Russia
move into Bessarabia. Observers
here believe Bulgaria would be COM
PEELED to take sides. Bulgaria might
side with whichever great power got
here first-Russia, Germany, the
allies. In case it is the allies, how
ever, the Bulgarians would certainly
resist the Greeks, whom they are
sure they can beat any day, or the
Turks whom they think they can
beat. II the allies moved in British
or French troops, instead Of Greeks
and Turks, the Bulgarians might be
passive. But such an eventuality is
speculative.
Meantime Bulgaria is sitting tight,
watching the western front with
fascination.
(Copyrisht, 1910, Chicago Daily News, Inc.)