HARD PRESSED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1801, 14 July 1913, Page 7

HARD PRESSED.

BULGARIA'S WAR. RUMANIANS OCCUPY SILISTRIA. ARM ROUTED IN THE SOUTH. * Py Teflegraph—Presa Association— Copyright (Reo. July 13, 5.5 p.m.) London, July 12. To-day's news from tho Balkans indicates that. Bulgaria is hard pressed on her northern and, southern frontiers, and has' lost heavily to the Servians. A dispatch received' by a Paris journal states that tho roversos to the national arms havo caused a mad panio in Sofia, and that an attempt hag been made to assassinate Dr. Daneff, tho President of the Sobranje. Rumania has invaded Bulgaria at both ends of the frontier simultaneously, find all navigation on the Danube from Orsova is suspended. The army penetrated fifteen kilometres into Bulgaria without firing a shot. Over 600,000 Rumanians responded to the mobilisation orders, half a million were accepted, and tho rest returned home. Rumania is now in military occupation of Silistria, the district which' sho 'had demanded that Bulgaria, should cede to her, Rumania's Warning. Rumania, in an outspoken Note to Bulgaria, declared that she had already warned her that if war broke out amongst the Allies, Rumania would take action, and that Bulgaria had replied. Moreover, tha Note states, Bulgaria had attacked Servia without giving Rumania the customary notification hence Rumania's army had. been ordered to enter Bulgaria. Simultaneously, Rumania intimated that she intended participating in the discußeion regarding the final partition of Turkish territory. It is scmi-officinlly stated in. Sofia that Rumania presented her Note at the precise moment when Russian mediation- was on tho point of ending the war. Bulgaria therefore did not offer military resistance. The Rumania Minister was to leave Sofia to-day. It is stated in' well-informed circlcs in Berlin that tho Rumanians do not intend to advanco on Sofia, but merely to ocoupy Silistria. Bulgaria's Intrigues, Dr. E. J. Dillon, tho "Daily Telegraph's" Bukaiest correspondent, states that Russia's aim was to end the war and detach Bulgaria from Austria. Consequently Russia approves of Rumania punishing Bulgaria's Anti-Slav conduct. Bulgaria's plan, Dr. Dillon declares, was to deal a stunning blow at Servia and Greece before Rumania was atls to intervene. This was frustrated by the capture by tho Servians of Ishtib and Doiran, The fruits of Bulgaria's Turkish, campaign aTe now jeopardised, and tho only way of cscape is for Bulgaria to throw, herself on Russia's mercy and renounco Austria. The existence of an Austro-Bul-gai'ian treaty would account for Bulgaria's recklessness. It is reported that Austria may attempt to recover prestige by ocoupying the Sanjak of Novl Bazar, which lies between Servia and ,Montenegro, and .was in 1908, In Austrian military occupation, Suing for Peace. 1 'An Athens correspondent states that Bulgaria has been suing for peaco at St. Petersburg since Tuesday. Servia and Greece replied that the war must proceed until a definite result has boon reached. Bulgaria again pleaded, and Russia issued identical Notes calling ; on Servia and Grecco to cease hostilities, and requesting tho Premiers of the two countries to proceed to St. Petersburg. A determination exists inAthens to sign tho peace treaty on the battle-field, and to give Bulgaria mi breathing time for protracted negotiations and. diplomatio intrigue.

BULCARIAN ROUT.

FIERCE FIGHTING NEAR SOFIA, AN ARMY ON THE RUN. (Rfec. July 13, 5.5 p.m.) London, July 13, The Bulgarian, rout by the Greeka on ■the river Struma, near Seres, wag complete. It Is reported l that General Ivanoff, with all his troops, ha 3 been forced to surrender to the Greeks. The Servians cut off Ms retreat. The Greeks have ocoupied Demirhissar, north-west of Seres. They captured fiftyoighfc guns in various districts. Messages from Belgrade give further details' of the Servian advance from Macedonia to the Bulgarian frontier. Tho Servians first entered Radovich, obliging tho panic-stricken Bulgarian columns to cross the mountains towards Pechlovo, about twenty-five miles north-east. ' Very few of tho Bulgarians escaped, for at Konagevatz they were ambushed on three sides by Servian troops advancing from Kochana, which attacked the broken right wing of tho Bulgarians at Tsarovosolo, which lies only seven miles south of the Bulgarian frontier. A great battle is raging round Kostendil, on the Macedonian railway, thirty mite) south of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, The Servian wounded state that tho battles of the past few days liavo been indescribably terrible. The Medical Corps' greatest difficulty was in ratrieating the wounded from tlib tangled heaps of dead mon and horses, covered with rocks and

debris. ■ When the Bulgarians were entrapped at Zagetchar, cannon' and quick-firers raked them, and they suffered fearfully, death leaving very littlo for tho nurses and doctors to do. A Salonika mossago reports that tho Bulgarians quitted Seres precipitately, but first slaughtered seventeen Greek noblee, including the director of tho gymnasium, the manager of tho Orient Bank, and a doctor. It is supposed that a similar fate befel the notables Tcmoved by the Bulgarians from Doiran. Tho "Daily Mail" correspondent reports that tho Bulgarians pillaged IConagevatz. Whon the Servians ojected them, so incensed were they at tho sceno of devastation, that they attacked the Bulgarians again', inflicting terrible loss. It is reported that eix thousand Bulgarians are dead. A TREACHEROUS ENEMY. BULGARIAN DUPLICITY, SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS BY SERVIA. (Rec. July 13, 5.5 p.m.) . Belgrade, July 12. Tho Servian Government has eent the Legations photographs of tho Bulgarian Army order of Jul? 7, which precipitated the conflict. The original was found in the archives of the Thirty-first Regiment, after it was routed. It shows that tho Bulgarians had prepared a surpriso attack by a hundred battalions, with 200 guns. An order, dated 8 p.m., Juno 20, contains details of the Servian positions, and

directs two Bulgarian columns noiselessly to approach Zletovorives at three tho next morning, and to annihilate the Servian outposts, and thereupon energetically to advanco upon points specified. The order adds that the enemy must bo taken by surpriso. Tho order was issued the very day Dr. Daneff had announced his intention to go to St. Petersburg to obtain the Tsar's arbitrament. Tho original of tho ordor has beon sent to St. Petersburg. Tho Servian Goneral Staff states that when the Bulgare were. retreating across the Zletovska River on July 1, onvoys requested the Servians to cease hostilities. One, bearing a cross, bade tho Servian colonel kiss the cross, as tho fighting between brothers had ended. The colonel complied, believing an armistice had boon concluded. Meanwhile the Bulgarians got fivo field batteries, two batteries of howitzers, and one heavy battery across tho river, and, without warning, opened fire on the whole Servian line, decimating one Tegiment. ATTEMPT TO INVADE SERVIA. BULGARIAN MOVE FAILS. Belgrade, July 11. Fifteen them sand Bulgarians attacked Zaioher, and 10,000 attempted to invade Servia, via Gadibagoz and tho St. Nicholas Pas 9, near luiiazhovatz, north of Nish. The Bulgarians wore beaten at several jioints, and retired yesterday, preeipitatoly. The Bulgarian General Kunchiacli failed to maintain touch between tho columns, and thta Bulgarians were thrown into inextricable con-fusion, resulting in a debacle. Fivo thousand Bulgarians were killed or wounded. THE CASE FOR RUMANIA. PAGES FROM THE PAST. Rumania's recent demand' for a slice of Bulgarian territory as compensation for her neutrality during tho war with Turkey was generally regarded as sheer blackmail. A good doal Can, however, bo said on the other 6ide, as a correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian." recently pointed out. Tho action of Rumania in the present crisis is by most peoplo interpreted as a piece of sheer blackmail; let us sao what may bo eaid on the other side. . ■Rumania's case goes back to the Congress of Berlin, which settled Ihe position after the 15-usso-Turkish war. The part played by Rumania in that war is universally known. Being hard pressed by Osman Pasha,- tho defender of Plevna, the Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaiovitch, the Russian Commander-in-Chief, appealed to Prince (now King) Charles of Rumania to hasten to his assistance "for the sake of tho common causo of Christianity." King Charles came, Plevna was .taken/and Rmssia was saved.- In, gratitude for tliijs service. Russia annexed the threo southern provinces of Bessarabia, historically and ethnographically belonging to tho Rumanian principality, and offered her, by way of compensation, the mainly Turkish tint partly Bulgarian Dobrudja, a barren, marshy, and thinlypopulated country, whoso sole advantage consisted in its situation on the Black Sea. . Rumania protested in vain. An international commission was appointed to effect tho delimitation of tho Bulpaio-Rumanian frontier in the Dobrudja. ' But hero again, at tho instance of Russia, who viewed Bulgaria as a future Russian protectorate, another wrong was committed against Rumania. Tho frontier was drawn through a perfectly open country, and Silistria, the solo fortress on tho Danube Which dominated the Dobrudja, was left in ,tho hands of Bulgaria. Again Rumania protested but to no effect. Bulgaria, it was said, was a weak Power, which would nover dream of attacking her neighbour to whom slio owed her existence, and, ■ moreover, tho Treaty of Berlin provided for tho demolition of all fortresses in Bulgaria. There tho matter ended for the timo being. Since then Rumania has done on enormous amount of work in developing Dobrudja, and Constantsa, on tho Black Sea. has become an important .port. But just on that account sho has never ceased protesting against the arrangement which had left nor with an open frontier against Bulgaria—this the moro as in tho meanr whilo Bulgaria has -become,- by the annexation of Eastorn Rumelia In 1885, by tho overthrow of' the Russian tutelage, and by a series of military reforms (which inclutled tho ro-erection of tho Silistria and other fortresses), a strong Power, and her Chauvinist parties began seriously speaking of the "unredeemed" brethren not only in Macedonia but also in the Dobrudja. What wonder that on several occasions (as, for Instance, during tho Macedonian crisis in 1903) Rumania openly declared both to Bulgaria and tho Great Powers that on tho day when Bulgaria by territorial acquisition should) become as strong herself she would demand at least encli a'rectification of the frontier, inoluding tho cession of Silistria, the strategical key to her Dobrudja, as would ensure her safety against her neighbour? When the present war broke out, ho-w----ever, R.umniwa did not put forward her claims immediately, for tho simple reason that both Bulgaria and the Great Powers had declared that no territorial changes would bo permitted to follow tho war. It was only when the original intention was abandoned, and the object of the war was openly proclaimed to be the acquisition of new territory, that Rumania came forward with her demands. Her contention is—Bulgaria will now be as strong as herself, and in theso circumstances sho is obliged- to take the necessary measures for h&r safety in accordance with the very arguments which were used against her at tho time of tho Congress of Berlin.