FURTHER BLOODSHED

Grey River Argus, 21 April 1925, Page 5

FURTHER BLOODSHED

BULGARIAN CRISIS Communist Activity SOFIA. April I'd. Communists are importing arms via the Black Sea, and are atdaiT.ng SI? lazagora .. They w"ir twice repulsed. Bandits are plundering and murdering all over Ihe count ry . LON IH )N. April I:-. There aie ofiieial ..purE in*’ tl:er blooii?-hei| on Saturday night i. Sofia, throiiM' clashes between pel ct and (’• ir muiii>l> . . FOREIGN INFLUENCE ALLEGED LON HON. April 19. . The “Times’s” Sofia correspondent savs:- I'reiiiicr Tsankoff. in a stat' incut, declared that Bulgaria was traversing a most difficult period. Recent discoveries of Communist activities were confirm'd by the events of the last few days. proving Bulgaria was lhe object <»f a campaign aiming at the destruction of peace and order. The Government possessed irrefutable proof, apart from the activities of sub. versive Bulgarian elements, with von. siderable foreign collaboration . Th- 1 Government was conscious of its duty, viewed the situation calmly, and had taken the necessary measures to prevent trouble and disorders.. FLIGHT OF KING POSSIBLE. LONDON. April 1!'. The “Daily News’s’’ Belgrade correspondent says: It is reported that King Boris is preparing to leave Bulgaria if circumstances necessitate it. The “News of the World’’ says that King Boris’s bravery during the attack on April 16. which was a Communist outrage will probably result in his engagement to the Roumanian Princess Ileani. whom he has long passionately loved. INCREASE IN ARMY ADVISABLE. [.ON DON. Aj.ril 1!'. The intci Allied Commission has 'authorised Bulgaria io increase the Army b v four thousand men owing to the Bolshevik menace. The Bulgarian War Minister, in an interview, declared th e increase in the army was imlispcnsible to maintain or. der. Steps would be taken to conscript an additional ten thousand men. THE CATHEDRAL CATASTROPHE LONDON. April HL Advices received by the Bulgarian legation place the death roll in the Cathedral explosion at 160, including six generals ami live members of Parliament. Troops arc guarding all lhe streets. SOFIA. April 19. 'flic final list of the Cathedral vic. I inis includes 13 generals, three dent ies, the Mayor of Sofia, eight colonels, eight high Government officials, two lawyers, nineteen women, ami seven children. All the victims were buried in the same grave, after a funeral ceremony at the cemetery. The Government, is introducing a Bill to provide grants f< r families bereaved by th" explosion. COMMUNISTS ARRESTED. SOFIA, April I!'. The police have discovered the authors of the Cathedral outrage. They are alleged to be Zankoff and Minkoff. president and vice president of the central Communist committee. Almost all the Communist leaders have been arrested. One of the Bellringers at th? Cathedral is among those arrested on suspicion. A Cathedral servant has been arrested. It is alleged that the servant was bribed to permit a man to [daec an infernal machine in position. Captain Krtoneff, who, it. is alleged, procured the explosives used in the Cathedral, committed suicide. His wife is said ta have been killed by Com. munists in order to prexent her re. vcaling the plot. DISCLOSURES ALLEGED. SOFIA, April l!k Th.- Minister for the Interior, interviewed, said: The Agrarian Communist party sold itself to foreign Interests. The arrested criminal mem tiers of the party made disclosures, which permitted the discovery of the authors of the outrage. The Premier declared the Government’s determination ttf repress Com munist and anarchists attempts. Several Agrarian leaders, who sup port the principle of coalition with Communists and also certain mem. bers of the illegal executive commit, tee of Communists were discovered found hidden in houses in Sofia. Some resisted, and. were killed by persons maddened by the loss nf relatives i.n the Cathedral explosion. BRITISH M-'sP. AT SOFIA. SOFIA, April 11). The British Commoners, Messrs Wedgwood, Malone and Mackinder, arrived in Sofia to study the situation. KING BORIS’S PLIGHT. LONDON, April 17. The “Times’s”’ Sofia correspondent giving additional derails t' l ’’ attack

on King Boris says: ’’The first shot struck the windscreen, hitting the driver. The King sentea alongside, seized Hie wbepl, but the steering gear was damaged. The car collided with a telegraph post. Realising flight was the only chance, the King and the other occupants leapt out and took refuge in a copse from which they engaged the bandits. The King was urged to escape but refused. A r-evond later, a seic-nt was shot dead. The King was nt last induced to escape and make Lis way to the e.ity, while his companies carried on the fight. The King returned with a platoon of soldiotr. but discoverno that the bandits had escaped. Ho re mained directing the operations. 200 DEAD IN OATHEDRAL. LARGER ARMY SOUGHT. (Received April 20 at 8.10 p.m.) BELGRADE, April 20. The Jugo Slav Foreign Office has received, information that Bulgaria is seeking permission from the Great Powers to enlarge her army temporarily to ten thousand men, and thus maintain order, and. combat the activities of the Communists. Telegraphic communication with Sofia is cut off. Messengers from Sofia state that the search for bodies in the Cathedral continues. Two hundred dead have now been recovered, and thirteen hundred were injured. The upper structure of the cathedral has fallen in. The police have made at least, five hundred arrests, of which 280 are. in Sofia, including a woman who was found to have forty-four pounds of explosives in her baggage. The general belief is that the murder of King Boris was the basis of the plot. The murderers hoped that the Royal funoral would result in the assembling of all the prominent Bulgarians in the Cathedral. Instead rhe death., of. the General gave a .lesser opportunity for a bomb rmtrage.