THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1918. BULGARIA SURRENDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16970, 2 October 1918, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1918. BULGARIA SURRENDERS.

The surrender of Bulgaria is the beginning of the end. The chain of the Germanio alliance has snapped. The front which was made continuous aero Europe by the conquest of Servia and Roumania has been broken, and the two flanks {ire left exposed to attack. It is already reported unofficially that Turkey is asking for an armistice, and, although it is unwise to anticipate the event, there is everj reason to suppose that Turkey will ask for terms either now or in the near future. The position of the Turks is hopeless. Defeated in Asia arid isolated in Europe, they have neither the spirit nor the means to defend themselves against the victorious allied armies. The only communication remaining between the Central Powers and Turkey is that through Roumania and Russia and across the Black Sea, Uncertain at any time, it will soon be interrupted by submarines based oil the Bulgarian coast, and Turkey will be called upon to face an allied advance on Constantinople from the Bulgarian frontier. The total allied forces in the Balkans number over a million, and at least half will be available for an attack on European Turkey. To meet this invasion the Turks have practically no resources.. Their armies have wasted under the strain of constant fighting, and the remnants are practically all engaged in Asia, where they are unable to arrest the British advances. Even if the Turks had any heart left for fighting, their resistance could be but short-lived. Under the deplorable conditions which are known to exist it is probable they will accept tho inevitable and surrender unconditionally to the Allies, even though they know this will involve the forfeiture for all tune of their power over the subject races they have so sadly misgoverned. This event would free not only the allied army of the Balkans but the splendid British, armies in Mesopotamia and Palestine for direct action against Austria or Germany. Turkey is only one of the flanks ol! the Germanic bloc exposed by the surrender of Bulgaria. The other is Austria, and she may bfc attacked either from the south through Servia and Montenegro, or from the east through. Boumania, the redemption of which will be one of the first tasks of the Allies.' It will take time to prepare the way for an offensive against the south of Austria, but if it doe. not come this year it will come next year, and the immediate effect will be very great. Whether the Allies attack Transylvania or Bosnia and Herzegovina, they will be striking a blow for the freedom of an oppressed nationality, and any advance made will be through an essentially friendly country. In Transylvania there is a solid mass of over three million Roumanians, and in the region stretching north of Montenegro and Servia to the head of the Adriatic there are over six million Jugoslavs, who have expressed the strongest repugnance to Austrian rule, and a desire to be | united to Servia. Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, and Dalmatia are I inhabited by people who speak the same language as the Servians, who have the same traditional institutions throughout, and whose culture is based on the village community which is characteristic of the Slav. The legitimate aspirations of Servia in Southern Austria and of Boumania in Transylvania will make it possible for the Allies to conduct a campaign against Austria with armies drawn almost wholly from the Balkan States, leaving Italy free to concentrate on her own frontier, and the Western Powers to direct all their energies to the defeat of the German army in France and Belgium.

The capitulation of Bulgaria is not only a military victory of the first magnitude. It is a political triumph &8 well, and it makes possible for the Allies the accomplishment of a task that lies near to their hearts, the restoration of Servia. The redemption of Montenegro, Albania, and Servia will follow swiftly on the withdrawal of the Bulgarian armies, the small Austrian forces being incapable of single-handed resistance. The freeing of Roumania may take longer, as the Germans and Austrian will probably attempt to maintain themselves there as long as possible in order to prevent the reconstitution- of the Roumanian army. The liberation even of Roumania is only a matter of time, and when it is completed the Allies may consider their mission in the Balkans to have been crowned with success. All the old political divisions will have been swept away, and on tho peace conference will devolve th? task of re-establishing them wit.-; more sanity and justice. The, opportunity will be a priceless one. It is inevitable that Servia should emerge from the reconstruction with the greatest gains since bKs has an undoubted claim on millions now under Austrian rule. To this reward she is richly entitled. Her trial has been hard and long; her martyrdom severe. Her men have been killed in thousands, her women and children Slain by hunger and disease. The whole country has been devastated, the whole population driven

across the Albanian mountains into exile. There is no parallel outside Belgium, and every suffering of Belgium has its counterpart in Servia. The distress of Servia lay heavily on the conscience of the Allies, and they have discharged a bare duty in insisting on the unconditional surrender of the treacherous foe who was chiefly responsible for it The precedent is a good one, and it must in due timo be applied to the greater culprit who attacked Europe without excuse and trampled on the small nations without' remorse.