A COUP D’ETAT

Evening Star, Issue 21725, 21 May 1934, Page 9

A COUP D’ETAT

POLITICAL SENSATION IN BULGARIA KING BORIS FORMS NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED BY THE ARMY Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright ( LONDON, May 19. Following the resignation of the disunited Bulgarian Cabinet, King Boris formed a National Government supported by the army. Reports have reached Belgrade stating that a revolt against King Boris has broken out. There have been serious disturbances, and the army has isolated Sofia from the rest of the country. All telegraphic and telephonic communication is censored. A VIRTUAL DICTATORSHIP NEW MINISTRY ANNOUNCED. SOFIA, May 20. Swift action at 2 o’clock this morning established a National Government, with a virtual dictatorship, in Bulgaria. Troops suddenly occupied the streets, surrounded public buildings,

placed the city entirely under military control, completely isolated Sofia, and established a censor-ship of telephones. The King nominated the National Government, the Prime Minister being M. Kimon Georgieff. Others included in the Government are General Midileff (Minister of the Interior), General Zlateff (Minister of War), M. Todoroff (Minister of Finance), and Professor Moloff (Minister of Education). There are conflicting reports with regard to the reasons for tire coup d'etat, but it is believed that it was due to the action of MM. Georgieff, Todoroff, Moloff, and other leaders of the Zveno group, a nationalist non-party organisation which “was associated with the coup d’etat in 1923, Agrarian Government was overthrown. It is known that the Zvenos were friendly with Professor Alexander Tsaukoff, leader of the Extreme Right, who, with the army and the Macedonian Nationalists, seized power in the 1923 coup. Tsankoffi is reported to have planned to assemble 50,000 troops, including Macedonians, on May 20 to seize power. The King learned of the plot and decided after hesitation and on the advice of army officers to forestall him, but he was forced to accept'a National Government. King Boris was reported to be unaware of the army’s preparations until troops surrounded the palace. Even then he demurred about signing the proclamation dissolving Parliament and appointing a Government.

GOVERNMENT MANIFESTO SOFIA, May 19. It is reported that eighty generals, members of the Reserve Officers’ Association, met secretly and sent a deputation to King Boris urging a nonparty Government owing to the deplorable condition of the country, due to party strife and neglect of the necessities of the peasants, who form 80 per cent, of the population. The Government has issued a manifesto declaring that it has been given power owing to the party deadlock hindering the working of the administration and delaying a settling of economic problems, necessitating a national non-party Government, which was established with the assistance of the army, which realises the, need of ending a dangerous situation. The manifesto sets out fourteen essential points at which the Government aims, including balancing the Budget, the creation of new sources of revenue, the improvement of< credit, especially for agriculturists, the creation of new hiarkets, removal of unemployment, and reestablishment of relations with the Soviet. It adds that the Government assumes control in the name of internal peace. EVERYTHING ftUIET SOFIA, May 19. Sofia awoke and found the coup d’etat complete, the streets being patrolled by troops, with fixed bayonets ana armed with bombs and machine-guns, artillery occupying' strategic points. Early workers were turned back, being told that shops and offices would not be. opened. There have been hundreds of preventive arrests, including Communists and members of the Lett Wing. An order confining people to their houses is being strictly applied to es-Ministers. General Vataff, Minister of War in the last Cabinet, hearing military movements, telephoned to the Mar Ministry, asked for an explanation, and

was brusquely told that he was no longer Minister, Reports state that everything is quiet throughout the country, and the military blockade was withdrawn at noon. JUGOSLAVIA PLEASED BELGRADE, May 20. Jugoslav circles welcome the Zveno group’s accession to power as a plank in their platform is rapprochement with Jugoslavia, Rumours of disturbances in Bulgaria, including the assassination of King Boris and the Royal family, have been denied. NOT A SHOT FIRED LONDON, May 20. The correspondent of tho ‘ Sunday Times ’ in Sofia says: “ The coup d’etat was effected without the firing of a single shot. Tho first the Prime Minister (M. Mushanoff) heard of the coup was when he was awakened by a frightened servant and told that the house was surrounded by troops. He tried to telephone to the War Minister, but the answer came, “ You are Prime Minister no longer.” ALLIANCE WITH YUGOSLAVIA PROBABLE NOMINEE CHAMBER SUPERSEDES THE ASSEMBLY. The new regime, which is apparently Fascist, will probably seek a Pan-Slav alliance with Yugoslavia, which is simplified by tho reported arrest of the Macedonian leader (Ivan Mihailoff) and numerous of his followers. A nominee chamber of 100 members replaces the Sobranje (National Assembly).