THE BALKANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16506, 5 October 1915, Page 5

THE BALKANS

NO ENTHUSIASM IN BULGARIA. EIGHT HUNDRED MEN DESERT. WON'T FIGHT THE RUSSIANS. BUCHAREST, October .3. Eight hundred Bulgarian soldiers have deserted and crossed the frontier into Rumania. Tney refuse to fight against-the Russians. < Reports from Sofia show that there is no enthusiasm for, but there aro many protests against, mobilisation. MORE TROUBLE, PARIS, October 3. Some recruits at Tatar Bazardjik (Eastern Rumelia) came to blows, with agents of the military authorities, and several were killed or injured. NOT A POLICY OF ADVENTURE. ' STILL HOPING FOR PACIFIC' SETTLEMENT. SOFIA, October 3. A semi-official statement has been made in reply to the French and Russian press. •It avers that Bulgaria mobilised in-order to faco a new situation and to assure her national existence and her future. She had threatened nobody, and was hoping still for a pacific settlement which will take her interests into account. The semi-official journal Narodni Prava says: "The Government is in nowise following a policy of adventure. The country can rest assured that the Government will not adopt any hasty action, and if it is obliged to make armed intervention it will be only after, all peaceful methods have been exhausted. The Turco-Bul-garian Agreement is the firstfruits of the Government's policy, and other successes will follow/'

GREECE DECLARES HERSELF. AMSTERDAM, October 3. The Berlin Lokal Anzeiger's Athens correspondent states that tho Greek Government has allowed it to be clearly understood that it will consider any Bulgarian attack on Serbia as an attack on Greece.

(Times and Sydney •Sim Services.) LONDON,'October 3. The Gerrnanophile newspapers in Greece are urging Germany to recommend Bulgaria to demobilise, in order to prepare the way for the demobilisation of Greece ' Tho Greek Government has ordered all Greek steamers to complete their charters and proceed direct to the Piraeus within six days.