THREE WEEKS IN BULGARIA

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 185, 23 June 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

THREE WEEKS IN BULGARIA

UNDER THE GERMAN YOKE. POLICE TERRORISM. Tlic New York " World" has received the following first-hand description of conditions in Bulgaria from its special correspondent, who has arrived in Bucliare t after three weeks in Bulgaria : BUCHAREST, March 22. King Ferdinand is almost absolute. He is suppported by prerogatives lavishly bestowed upon him by a terrorised Parliament; above all, he is maintained by the Germans, in whose hands lies th.> military and administrative authority. As for the people, the real Bulgarian people are experiencing a novel kind of foreign subjection : not so atrocious as Turkish rule, yet more oppressive so far as individual liberty is concerned. In Sofia, as well as in other priu-s pale-hie* and m the mint remote villages, from R o'clock in the evening until S o'clock in the morning all traffic is stopped and lights are extinguished. With the exception of Solia and a few large cities, candles are the only means of illumination, as petroleum and electricity are so rare and expensive. Woe to him who darns to he out during prohibited hours without a special permit from the police. He would he immediately arrested and lined, and if he should come under suspicion in any way. would he immediately sent to Army Headquarter* at Kust'endil to he tried by court-martial. Every Bulgarian or foreigner must always have in his possession a "permit do seiour" given to him by the police, with the hearer's photograph. In restaurants, cafes, shops and in the street-, anyone may lie stepped at any moment and requested to show the permit. Worst of all. during the night streets may ho blockaded and a house-to-house search instituted. When 1 was in Solia almost every hotel was entered after midn : ght, generally between two and three o'clock, and every loom vi-.ited, time not even being given to ladies to dress themselves before the door was op-nod. At the hotel where 1 stopped the search was made at three o'clock, and 1 was the only person whose room was not entered. Perhaps the police did not wish to have a foreign journalist witness the way the gendarmerie with fixed bayonets were entering rooms where ladies were n<leep.- The ladies of the American Red Cross will have stories to tell, when they come home. OMNIPOTENT SECRET SERVICE. The police are the most important organisation ill Bulgaria. They depend neither on the Ministry nor even on the Minister of War. In theory it is supposed that the police take their orders from the General Staff, but i' l lnrv t thev are an instrument in the hands of the Germans, to keep a strong hold upon everybody and en everv movement, lost internal disturbance's hamper the Teutonic plans in the Balkans. - T When T speak of the police. I mean that secret service organisation that hears the name of '''National Security," which could he more accurately tinned 'National Terrorism." When the Germans came thev found a lamentable want of organisation, and they organised everything to a tremendous extent in their owe. fashion. From the chief of police down to the most insignificant secret service agent, ad are in German pay. Almost every hotel in every town and village, and suae of them newly established by the Austrian* and Germans are branch's of the German Intelligence Service. On my first arrival in Bulgaria, at Xanthi 'tle> authorities were very polite and considerate. They made no difficulties asked very few questions, and talked in a very friendly manner. But when I stopped at the hotel at Xanthi the proprietor, a German, gave me a blank form and asked me to answer the series of questions it contained. 1 was aware that it was for the benefit of the Germans. At first ' refused. Thereupon the Austrian Consul at Kfivala. who had accompanvd me from Greece, intervened and asked that only a few answers should be written down. Barelv ten minutes had elapsed alter T had filled up the blank, when my door was opened, and a German officer catered. He spoke French and English with peifeci fluency. He said lie had heard that I had come; be was very dad to make my acquaintance. and ho had come "to give me some news, and get some news from me. That'was very nice, indeed! But I soon found out that I was passing a severe examination by a German officer on Bulgarian territory The man who is to-day at the head of the Bulgarian police, a certain Georfieff is not a real Bulgarian official; he is' however, supported by M. Radoslavoff, trusted by the King, paid i>y the Bulgarians, the Turks, and, most of all. by the Germans, in whose lianas he isVmere instrument of terrorism. Only a year a-o he was an insignificant adventurer, a small shipping agent at Varna; to-day he is a rich man and the mar. who is most feared and hated throughout Bulgiria. LACK OF ENTHUSIASM. Throughout ths country there i- no si.Mi of enthusiasm amongst the popuhiTion. Thev know that Servia has heen crushed, that Macedonia is occ.i----1 ied that new territories have been won"- but from the highest statesman down to the poorest peasant no one has any assurance that what they have gamed thev will be able to retain. \ou can read a genuine uncertainty in every lace, and most of them with whom I talked made no secret of their .ears for the future, and declared. "ion, we have heen \ ictorious; we have conquered lands; but can we keep these new possesions':" Vn official >n Sofia said to me : ••Our position is still very dangerous. There are French and English soldiers at Salonika, awaiting the very lirst opportunity to attack us; then we are not certain what the l.rcek> •md Boumanians «ill decide to do mine mar future. We an; well aware hat they are no' our friends, and tli-x are' oii'v looking lor a chance to (all ',..„,„ ~, and rob ih of our territories, -,, thev did in the second Balkan war. \notlmr thing thai makes our people wonder i- the question of the duration of the war. It appears that this war will hi-t at least two years more, and wo a small people, cannot stand the rigours of a long war. A great nation lv.av support it, but «o cannot, „, the example of all the other small nations in this war shows At the start of the war German gold poured into the country, and the Government, haviii" plenty ot ready money, bought everything for cadi. The tanner was well'paid and he was satisfied; he had sold his products and had kept for himself enough to last until the next harvest But alter the fall of Sen in. when communications were opened up w itl, Germany, things went another * The Germans boutrht everything and anything thev could find in the coun-try-cereals, butter, eggs and every other sort of necessary and raw materhl—and sent them to their own coun-

try. To-day wo are in need of many things, and even the bread which used to lie t-o plentiful in our country. For two days there was no bread, even for our hospitals. I'iices are five time* higher than in normal times. This the Bulgarian people cannot stand for a long period. It cannot he denied that a lew people are getting rich, Mich as our Minister of Finance, M. Tonteheff, who a year ago was » poor man. hut now owns some C">00,(X)0; or M. Radoslavoff, who owns about <;4(M),(M!ll: or Georgieff. who owns several million francs, and a few others. Hut the people in general are condemned to lose their property.