The North Otago Times FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1916. THE BLUNDER OF BULGARIA

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13656, 25 August 1916, Page 2

The North Otago Times FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1916. THE BLUNDER OF BULGARIA

If we remember that the • Bulgarians have been studiously denied the truth regarding the progress of the war, we shall not fail to appreciate'the utter futility of Bulgar'aspirations: : and the offensive in, Macedonia. ; The dolts and puppets at Sofia have been blinded ; by the blandishments of their Teuton taskmasters.••., Only, a few, days ago the Berlin Lpkalanzieger : suddenly reminded the German people of Bulgaria, by publishing "an interview with,-a Bulgarian statesman"—presumably the notorious Bulgarian Minister in Berlin, M, Rizoff—with the following explana- ; tion: "One of the'lines upon which the new battles with the Entente are.expected to develop .is the MacedonianGreek front, where the Bulgarian: Army faces the Anglo-French,troops from Salonika, If a decision were to fall at this point, nobody would Jail', to! appreciate its importance. Thus the victorions Bulgarian Army again takes an important place in the foreground," The Lokalanzeiger's Bulgarian statesman began.with the usual assurance of deep • affection for Germany. He insisted upon the perfect calm with which Bulgaria contemplates all possibilities, and upon the perfect-condition of .the Bulgarian Army, and proceeded: "If in the next few weeks the strategic situation were ready to call for increased efforts, Germany may remember that .in ns she possesses a trustworthy and efficient ally. But we.also are strengthened by thinking of Germany.. According to reports which I have received from all the Balkan countries,:and also from . Switzerland, the fall of Verdun would play a decisive part in the whole fur-'' ther progress of events. ..In spite of all comforting phrases, people in all countries which have relations with France know that Verdun' is a symbol of the national power of defence.' With the fall of Verdun this power will be ' broken In Bulgaria nobody doubts for a moment that' the fall of Verdun would finally convince the neutral States of the inevitable defeat of

* the Entente Powers,, and that they would arrange their policy accordingly. ' We know further that the Bussian ofi fensive, for this year at any rate, can ■ be regarded, as practically disposed of, | because Bnssia'isnotable at present to ' produce still more troops, Perhaps she ! could succeed in doing so.next.year, but ', this time there" is'hardly any reason to ..' fear the further progress of the steam roller. '• Altogether, therefore, we Bulgarians can see no sort of serious danger- for the Quadruple Alliance in the . great offensive that has been proclaim- : ed, • and we are convinced that people in Germany will share our view." The Lokhnanzeiger prints all this without , criticism, just as'if Verdun had really ;falien'mid•'the Russian offensive had really been stopped, and with apparent indifference to the ''Bulgarian statesman's" rather brutal sense of humour. The message was not for outside conn-, tries, but strictly for home, consumption in Bulgaria. Before many, weeks have passed,' ; however, the' Cob.urger • who -be-' . trayed'the.Bulgars into' the Teuton net' andihisPi'iissiansVof-the.Balkans, .will learn; a i lesson- that ...should i convince, • them ;of the folly-df the policy ' ion' over weake'r'neighbours/ " ; ' '. ' •"' > THE, SPIRIT OF SPARTA. As .we'forecasted'-yesterday, the 'Bulgarian invasion of. Greeian;Macedonin has i aroused .-the ■. Greek people. ;This morning we are told that Colonel Christoddulos declares "that the defence of against, the Bulgarians.has' fired 4he. imagination ;of. the • Hellenes,; andJ the- glorious heroism of the' fightersof.'today's battles will s live 1 in history with the sacrifices at Thermopylae. The struggle will-prove to the;-world, the . commander, says, that; there are Greeks to.-day who.are heroic enough to join the soldiers,of Xepnidas, and die in defence .of■■ the'honour.of.their country, Leonidas was -King of-Sparta about five hundred, years before Christ, anil his' nanje is associated with;the;heroic'de-! fence of the pass of Thermopylae by the Greeks.against the Persian's; In 480 8.C.; Lephidas'.w'as sent, with about 700'0'men to.-h'old the pass of Thermopylae against thereat, army-of'Xerxes,- The-small-' ness of :.tK'e. force was, according to the eurrent ; stoiy,'due.'to the'fact 'that he was ; deliberately, going, to .his doom, an foretold that Sparta could be.sayed.only by .thedeath of one of its kings';'in reality 'it seems rather that the | ephors; supported the'scheme halfheartedly,;,their policy being to concentrate- the ( Grsekß at.the-Isthmus, Leonidas; repulsed, the-frontal attacks: of the Persians, but when Ma'lian Ephialtes led the i Persian General Hydarnes by a mountain,,track.;,to;the ! 'rear of. the Greeks,' Leonidas, divided 1 his army, him-' •self' remaining, in' the pass with,' 300 Spartiates, 700 Thespians, and-400 Thebians. Perhaps he hoped, to surround Hydarnes' force:- 1 if so, the movement bailed, and the little Greek army, attacked.from both sides, was, cut down to a' man save the ; Tliebians,;who, are. said to.have surrendered, Leonidas.fell in the thickest of the fight; his head was afterwards.cut,.off.by Xerxes'.order and his, body ...crucified. ..Historians, admit that their'knowledge of the circumstances is'too slight to enable them to judge-of 'Leohidas's strategy, but'his heroism; and deyotiqn,,and the gallantry and .patriotism of his soldiers,-secured for their leader an almost unique place in'the imagination not only of his own, but also of succeeding times, King. Constantine of Greece does not feel the blood of Sparta pulsing-in his veins—for, the.best.of alljeaapns.that he js not Li; ?F! e iL?. m , 0 .9£. tM-?^^— but his people still possess a spice of that heroism that made Greece mighty among the nations.of^thecearly'ages, Colonel .Christodoulos',;me'ssage4o-the world to"day i s * refresh tef tli ie double-deal-iiig of the morbid official circles, Events ■ will demonstrate that .the real ; Greeks will not be disobedient to the ealh of, their countrymen inMacedonia,;' noi; be' less patriotic. bec£iuse has played th'em false, and the administrators and military .chiefs hav?- consorted wjitlb the kultu'r criminals of Central Europe.