BULGARIA AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17728, 3 April 1923, Page 6

BULGARIA AND THE WAR.

HER CHOICE OF SIDES. J EX-MINISTERS HEAVILY "3 PUNISHED. Jj (BT *CABLS—FBKSS ASSOCIATION—COFYMOBJjrJ (AUSTRALIAN AUP K.f.. CABJ.E ABSOCIITIOK) $| SOFIA, April 1. 'M The Supreme Court has given jv^glj ment in tjie cases against the Miniates! and the Generals who were in offioe sM the time of Bulgaria's entry into thai The Premier, M. Radoslavoff, saM five other members of the Cabinet hxtm been sentenced to life-long imprisottf|| ment. *gg| The sentences on other Ministers torn Generals range from ten to five yeMira imprisonment. AH lose their and civil rights for life, and also h*im beca ordered to pay collectively wagl damages totalling thirty-two miUiartbf| of levas. M. Radosjavoff was demned in contumacinm. V&J Radoslavoff and his colleagues • wta|| have been imprisoned since 1919 wm*l| charged with treason by involving BuW|| garia in the war without Parliamenfag] consent, and with stealing millions oMj public money. ||

General Naidenpff, ex-Minister fori War, was sentenced to fifteA yeare'jl and General Zecoff, ex-Commander-in-| Chief, to ten years' imprisonment. | The chief feature of the long drawn out trial was the speech for the defence ] by M. Tontcheff, ex-Minister of Fin- | anoe, one of those convicted, whici* j lasted for a month. M. Tontcheff de-| clared that Bulgaria did not enter th«js war on the Allies' side because Serbia»J Greece, and Roumania refused to mafaepl the slightest territorial, concessional! and the Allies only offered insignificant compensation from Serbian and Grfte|| territory. Although Britain officiallsl invited Bulgaria's assistance, the Mittjf istry learned elsewhere that Britajal did not really desire Bulgaria to paxti|| cipate in the wser for fear that Rflaif eia would obtain possession of Opn«l stantinoplo. The Ministry also ed that Italy and Russia did not v>isjjm Bulgaria to help. ; Lif|