BALKAN TURMOIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1925, Page 3

BALKAN TURMOIL.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

AUBTHALIAN AND N.Z. OiBLB ASSOCIATION, BRITISH. LABOURITES’ ACTION'. SOFIA, April 2G. A painful impression has heon caused l»v the statement, alleged to have been made to the foreign press representatives by the British 'Labourite Commoners, Colonel Wedge wood and Messrs Mackinder, Lestrungo and .Malone, who spent a few days here after the explosion at the Cathedral. Semiofficial statements are exaggerated and erroneous. The number of people arrested in the whole country is two thousand and those arrested were directly implicated in Communist activities, or suspected of participation. The ■ number killed was not hundreds, but only a. lew who refused to surrender. V It s alleged that the Commoners were displeased because they were not allowed to interview the imprisoned leaders of the conspiracy. The Agrarian leaders have been released as if has been established that they are not implicated lit the Communist conspiracy. About one hundred ** others were also rclcnsen. ■ Counsel for the Crown stated us a result of confessions oi accomplices it is established that beside the C atheilral outrage, Agrarian Communists planned several other attempts in Sofia and f the provin res, including attacks on tlic ./ Sobrnnje, the Central Post and Telegraph Offices, hut the plans did not materialise, owing to the stern measure:; of the military authorities. Tt is estimated 200,00!),000 leva will ho needed to repair the Cathedral, and to relieve the injured and families of the dead.

LONDON, April 2G.

A Bucharest correspondent says Rouma.uia is care!ally watching events in Bulgaria. Frontier guards have been reinforced and other precautions taken. Several Communists attempting to enter Itouuinnia were handed over to the Bulgarian authorities.

A Riga correspondent says the newspaper “Pravda.” thus <ynically comments on the Sofia explosion : ''ibis machine of Hell showed itself stronger than the holine s of the Church which .sanctified the Bulgarian (lovci'innent. It fulfilled its purpose and killed some frenzied foes of the workmen and peasants.” It adds that the Communists will not reproach the fighters for merelv using tho wrong methods.