The King of Bulgaria.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 16, 16 October 1912, Page 4

The King of Bulgaria.

His Resolve to Govern as Well as Rule.

YT ING FERDINAND OF BLLI.V GARIA celebrated the eomplelion of the twenty-fifth year of 5 his reign last month, and at the present time is. involved with his subjects in the Balkan crisis. King Ferdinand’s achievements during the last quarter of a century are described as remarkable. A writer in "P.M.G.” points out that it is still the fashion in some diplomatic circles to regard him as an unstable mediocrity. King Ferdinand's best answer is to point to what he has done for Bulgaria — and for himself. This stout, neurasthenic man, who cannot mount a horse without visible tremors, has succeeded, and succeeded brilliantly, where handsome, gallant Prince Alexander of Battenberg came miserably to grief and to death. He has triumphed against almost overwhelming odds, and the zenith of his career in the Balkan Peninsular lias still to be attained. One wonders what are the thoughts of King Ferdinand as he looks back to the memorable night in 1887 when the three Bulgarian delegates found: him seated at a marble-topped table in a little variety theatre at Vienna. He was of Royal blood, but was still nn obscure officer, only twenty-six years old, in the service of the. Emperor of Austria. Yet he had been studiously trained for kingship. He was the grandson of Louis Philippe, and the son of Princess Clementine, accounted in her day the cleverest woman in Europe. Her dearest wish was to see her favourite son wearing a crown. The Bulgarians in the little theatre offered him the throne for whieh his mother yearned. The formal offer, sent by the Bulgarian Sobranje, came: later, ami in more ceremonious terms. Ferdinand declined to accept it without the consent of the Powers, which was not forthcoming. But when Stamhuloff’, the powerful ami autocratic Bulgarian statesman, sent him a message to say that he could only w in the Bulgarian throne by seating himself upon it in defiance of Russia ami the other Powers, he took his courage in both hands ami started down the Danube. He began his reign twenty-five years ago at Timova, the ancient capital of Bulgaria, and unquestionably the most picturesque inland city in Europe. Tile Bulgarians acclaimed him, but his situation was for a time almost desperate. Russia called hint a usurper; Turkey said his presence in Bulgaria was illegal; the Bishops of the Holy Synod refused to do him homage; the other Powers turned their backs upon him. His Bismarck. He survived ami overcame every rebuff. For years Stamhuloff was his Bismarck. crushing all opposition, building up a solid administration, fighting Russian intrigues, creating a new and prosperous Bulgaria. But Ferdinand, though wisely deciding to leave control during his novitiate in the bands of his masterful Prime Minister, had no intention of remaining for ever under the domination of a mayor of the palace. The birth of an heir, Prince Boris, gave him his opportunity. Stamhuloff fell, and Ferdinand said openly: “Henceforth I mean to govern as well as rule.” lie fulfilled his determination, and thereby gives the lie to the suggestion that he is weak and vacillating. Stambuloff's murder in 1895 prejudiced his position for years, because Bulgarians 1 bought he might have saved the exMinister had he permitted him to evade his enemies by leaving the country. To-day he is more popular in Bulgaria than he Ims ever been. No longer on his return from one of his foreign tours need he alight at a wayside station and journey across country to his putatee at the dead of night. The reason is plain. When, on October 5, 1998. Ferdinand entered the Church of the Forty Martyrs af Tirhova. threw off the yoke of Turkey for ever, proclaimed Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelin an indenemlent kingdom, amide clared himself King, he wu eousua.

mating a policy entirely of his own devising. Even his Ministers never knew his intentions until the last moment. The bold game served his purpose, and he soon received general recognition; but what, was of greater value to him was that he had gratified the strongest ambition of his people. Under him Bulgaria has become the most powerful State in the Balkans, with the finest army. Her destiny is only partially fulfilled. The emancipated Bulgarians have a greater future before them. Their King may be an adroit maaiipulator of policy, subtle rather than- strong, with a foot in both great camps of Europe, but he has deserved well of hie subjects, and, on the whole, has been a friend of peace. Big Difficulties. Another reviewer states that the task which in July, 1887. lay before the young

Sovereign was no easy one. It was exactly a year since his predecessor, the gallant Prinee Alexander, had been seized in his Palace by the troops whom be had led to victory, compelled to sign his abdication, and transported to Russian soil at Reni. Throughout his reign of seven years Prime Alexander had been confronted with the problem of reconciling the determination of the Bulgarians to assert their independence with the claim of Russia to keep the newlyliberated nation in leading-strings. He finally determined to adopt a national policy, and the part which he played in the Eastern Rumelian revolution sealed his fate. The natron, as a. whole, was with him, as was shown by the counterrevolution whieh brought him back to Sofia, but Russian iutiuenee was still strong in the country, and after his departure the task of opposing it fell to the dauntless Stambuloff. Russia had already denounced the union with Eastern Rumelia and had urged Turkey to reconquer the revolted province; she now forbade the convocation of the Grand Sobranje for the election of a new Prince and withdrew her representatives from Bulgaria. A number of military revutts organised by her adherents were crushed by Stambuloff with ruthless severity, and the country was still in a distracted condition when Prince Ferdinand ascended tire vacant Throne. There is reason to believe that from the outset he realised the neeenriity of a. reconciliation with Russia, but time and patience were needed for this purpose, ami at first he had little choice but to harmonise hi a policy with tfijht of the strongwilled dictator to whom in fact he owed his t'rown. Be was denounced by Russia as a usurper and disowned by Austria; the other Power* stood aloof in defer-

ence to Russian susceptibilities, while the Grand Vizier sent him a telegram declaring his presence in Bulgaria, to be illegal. The difficulties of the external situation at this time found a counterpart in domestic troubles, and for some years the position of the young Prinee was precarious in the extreme. The Bishops of the Holy Synod, led by the Russophil Archbishop Clement, refused to do him homage and were expelled from Sofia by Stambuloff. Brigandage, encouraged by Russian agents, was rife; a raid on Burgas was attempted by the Russian Captain Nabokoff; M. Beleheff, one of Stambuloff’s colleagues, was shot in the streets of Sofia, and Dr Volkovich, the Bulgarian representative at Constantinople, was assassinated. A military conspiracy was discovered in tine by Stambuloff, and its leader, Major Pairitza, was executed. The arbitrary mea.surts of repression adopted by S&tmhuloff, though perhaps imposed by eircunistanees, raised up a host of enemies against the new regime and were watched with many misgivings; by the Prinee, who was compelled to endorse the high-handed policy of his autocratic Prime Minister. The breach between them gradually widened, and in 1894 Stambuloff resigned office. A year later he was murdered in the streets of Sofia by a party of Macedonian conspirators in revenge for the death of Panitza.

Reconciliation With Russia. With the fall of Stambuloff the moment arrived for a reconciliation with Russia. The reconciliation was practically effected by the conversion of the Heir-Apparemt, Prinee Boris, to the Orthodox faith I February 14, 189fij. This event was speedily followed by the recognition of the Prince by the Sultan and the Powers. With the legalisation of the Prince’s position the long period of tension eame to an end, and Bulgaria eeased to he regarded as the storm-centre of Europe. The time of probation was over; Prinee Ferdinand’s -statesmanlike qualities now met with general recognition, and his presence in Bulgaria came to be regarded as a guarantee of peace. The influence of Russia now became predominant in the country, but Russia, taught by experience, wisely retrained from interfering in its internal affairs. One serious cause of anxiety, however, remained—and remains to the present day. The reconciliation with Russia rendered the Macedonian question more acute owing to the belief prevailing among the Bulgarians on either side of the Turkish frontier that Russia would now insist on the fulfilment of tile Treaty of San Stefano and the. union of their race. The Macedonian agitation increased after the visit of the Grand Duke Nicholas, General Iguavtieff, and a number of Russian oftkera to Bulgaria in 1902. The movement, though ditwouraged by official Russia, gained ground, ami in the following year a revolt broke out in Maeedouia. The. inwurrevtimr was suppressed with great barbarity, and the consequent excitement in Bulgaria put the Prince's statesmanship to a severe test. The agitation was maintained in subsequent years owing tu the efforts of

the Greeks to counteract Bulgarian fluence in Macedonia, and in 1908 the outbreak of the Young Turk revolution brought affairs onee more to a crisis. It was widely felt in Bulgaria that the trouble in Turkey afforded a golden opportunity for the achievement of national unity, while the Prince, who noted the sympathy whieh the Young Turk movement had aroused in Europe, resolved on maintaining a policy of caution. But a slight put upon his representative at Constantinople by the new Turkish Government, and the action of the Powers, who insisted that the Bulgarian portion of the Oriental Railway Company’s line which had been seized by his Government should be restored to Turkey, produced a state of feeling in Bulgaria whieh could not be ignored, and on October 5, 1908, the Prinee proclaimed at Tirnovo, the independence of Bulgaria, and assumed the title of Czar of the Bulgarians. The progress of the youngest State in Kurope has been extraordinary. The Condition of the people has greatly iniproved; education has made wonderful strides, and the coinmercial and industrial development of the country has been equally rapid. Bulgarian credit now .stands so high that the ©inversion of a large portion of the public debt can be carried out on advantageous terms. The country has been covered with a network of railways, and new

ports have been constructed at a heavy outlay. The army has been brought to a high stage of efficiency. The dynasty has survived a tong period of storm and stress: it is now firmly established, and its position has been further assured by the King’s marriage with Princess Elconore of Reuss-Kostritz, the present Queen, whose beneficent activity in many directions has endeared her to the Bulgarian people. -