Evening star., 1943-08-31
Trouble in Bulgaria
Muy Involve Turkey
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

tIley can retain 1t.
The death Of King Boris has removed
| the central pivot of loyalty on which the
Bulgarian Army and people were more
or less fixed. The child-king Simeon can
be no mere than symbol; all will de-
pend on how the regency is administered
| in his name-and by whom.
The very fact that the opposition
leader. Nicholas Mushonov, is reported
as entering into the consultations that
were held as to Bulgarian policy even
before the late Kings visit to Hitler,
| suggests that the democratic and pro-
| Russian elements among the people are
becoming SO strong that even the pro-
German officers corps of the army must
| take their wishes into account.
The chances are that, as in Italy and
| In Denmark, the Germans must now as
sumo the full burden of holding the
| Bulgarians down by force, or see the
country pass into Allied hands.
\ There are German troops and Gestapo
| off1cials IN Bulgaria. Last spring the num-
| Der Of troops was reported increasing,
| because OF the equivocal attitude of
| Turkey; but the dissolution of many of
the Italian garrisons in Yugoslavia and
Greece may have called some of the
| Germans from Bulgaria to replace them.
| Probably the greatest service which
| Bulgaria could now be to Hitler would
be to take over the policing of Yugo-
slavia and Greece, leaving to the Ger
mans only the task of defending such
key points as Salonika. The Bulgarian
| Army, which has some German equip
ment can mobilize 18 divisions at full
strength; it is intact and Is composed
OF good fighting material Some Bull
garian troops already have been used
| for such duties, and have made them
selves thoroughly hated in the districts
which they occupied
But for Bulgaria to extend these COM
m1tments, or even to continue her
present commitments, is now a PROPOSE
tlon OF which the Sofia government will
do well to examine the consequences.
The Bulgars came into this war when
| 1t seemed to then1-as it seemed to
good many others-that Germany victory
was inevitable. Now that situation is
exactly reversed-German defeat is in
eVltable. 1t is not the moment for the
Bulgars to draw on themselves the ulti-
mate and certain vengeance of their
neighbors.
1t is rather the moment for the Bull
gars to stave off, if they can, the venee-
ance they already have earned for their
actions OF the immediate past. They
might be able to do that If thev now
Withdraw their troops from Yugoslavia
and Greece and refused further to par
ticipate in the war.
The Germans could, of course. send
reln1orcements into the country and trv
TO treat the Bulgars as they are in the
course OF treating the Danes. They might
be able to hold the major centers, and to
lnfiict considerable losses and hardships
on the people of Bulgaria. But it must
be remembered that the Bulgarian Army
Is strong, is in full possession of its
weapons, organization and depots of sup
plies, and might well be able to defend
the country against any force which the
Germans, in their present straits, could
seno TO so distant corner of Europe
The Turks must, of course, regard the
present chaos in Bulgaria as serious
threat to their external security. They
are In position to march in If they think
Mt. 1t is only ITS miles from the Turkish
military center Of Adrianople to the Bull
garian capital, Sofia.
But the Bulgars probably would resist
Turkish invasion, by their hereditary
foes, as they would no other. The Turks
or oil
the British 9th and 10th Armies, from
Syria and Iran, to come through their
territory If it should come about that
Turkish and Allied viewpoints came into
agreement as to the desirability of such
a move
There is another factor in the situation
to be considered. The increasing hints
that the King was shot by an inspector
OF police on his return from seeing Hitler.
suggest very strongly that the death of
Boris may have been brought about by
agents of the famous IMRO, the Inde-
pendent Macedonian Revolutionary Or
ganization, which has borne such
bloody part in Bulgarian and Balkan
politics for many years.
They are we'll known to have their
members in key positions, especially in
the ranks of the police and civil service;
and Boris is we'll hated by them for his
attempts to destroy their organization.
OF late years the IMRO has been more
or less driven underground, but it may
turn out that as German power weakens.
its leaders have decided that the moment
has come to strike by the traditional
method of assassination. In that case,
the King will be only the first of many
victims.
The immediate future of Bulgaria is
obscure, but it does seem plain that the
Germans, if they are to hold their ground
there, must do so by taking on new mill
tary responsibilities at moment when
1t Is extremely difficult for them to find
the troops First Italy, then Denmark,
now Bulgaria-this is process which
cannot continue indefinitely, with the
Russians smashing onward toward Pol
tava and the Dnieper and the shadow of
Anglo-American power rising higher and
blacker in the south and west
Copyright, 1943 New York Tribune Inc)