AMENDS MADE TO A BALKANS DREYFUS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1934, Page 25

AMENDS MADE TO A BALKANS DREYFUS

Mu«h interest was aroused recently by the Bulgarian Government's decision to rehabilitate Colonel Marinopolsky, who was found hanged in tho barracks where he was- confined on August 30, 1930, after he had been torturod and accused of espionage'by the Mihailoffist Macedonians. The official ceremony of rehabilitation took place on August 30 (says an English paper).

The Prime Minister, Colonel Gheorghieff, in. a speech some weeks previously, referred to "those days when tho uumc of Sarai mill went round the country as ;i stain upon the honour of tho Bulgarian officers and army." It w:is ;i), S;irni mill, near ICustendil, that Colonel Marinopolsky and Lieutenant AlexitfT were tortured.

i The Mihailoffist Macedonians laid I hands upon n Bulgarian in the service of the Yugoslav intelligence. They took him lo the mill and tortured him until, in his despair and agony, he mentioned as his accomplice Lieutenant Alexioff, whom he happened to know. Aloxicff, with the connivance of his commanding ofiiccr and with the collaboration of a Macedonian colonel in the Bulgarian army, was kidnapped in Sofia and carried to the mill. Alexiefl was stripped of his uniform and barbarously tortured by Macedonian gunmen until he was reduced to such a elemented state that he signed a confession of guilt in which Colonel Marinopolslcy was named as his accomplice. Marinopolsky was a man of im- , peccable character, but was opposed to Mihailoilist Macedonian interference in Bulgarian military affairs. Marinopolsky was kidnapped in his (]iiavle.rs in Sofia nnd carried to S;irai

mill. Oa the next night he was brought back to Sofia, and upon the following day was "found hanged." It has always been supposed that- he was muri dered.

Alexiefi's life was saved, and a few days later it was conclusively proved that he was entirely blameless, but he was never rehabilitated.' Since' thenhe has lived in retirement, but it is understood that the authorities now wish to put him, on tho active list.

Immediately after the affair Alexicfl attempted to obtain redress by legal proceedings, and the Officers' Leaguo —now numbering 1600 out of 2400 serving officers —demanded an inquiry. But the power of tho Macedonian gunmen and of their military friends in high places was so great that no inquiry was over held. Alcxicff appealed to King Boris in vain.

There was great indignation against King Boris for his refusal to uphold his officers' interests, and this accounts for tho somewhat hostile attitude towards him both by the Officers' League and by members of the political'association, Zveno, who carried put the coup d'etat on May 19. ' '

On the eve of the coup King Boris, realising tho danger to his prestige and even to his throne, appointed General Vateff, president of the Officers' League, to succeed General Kissioff as War Minister, hoping, thereby to conciliate the league and to enable himself to direct the changes which had becomo inevitable.

General Vateff was conciliated, but tlic remainder of the league was resolved to make an end of Macedonian influence. They carried out the coup in spite of General Vateff, and ho was subsequently dismissed from the service,