BULGARIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1915, Page 5

BULGARIA.

NO ENTHUSIASM FOR WAR. SEMI-OFFICIAL STATEMENT, Bucharest, Oct. 3. Eight hundred Bulgarian soldiers have deserted and crossed the frontier into Roimmnia. They say that they refuse to fight against the Russians. Reports from Sofia show that there is no enthusiasm and many protests against mobilisation.

Sofia, Oct. 3. A semi-official statement, replying to the French and Russian press, says that Bulgaria mobilised in order to face the new situation and to assure her national existence and future. She had attacked nobody, hoping still for a pacific settlement taking her interests into account.

The semi-official journal Narodni Prava says: The Government is in no wise following a policy of adventure. The country can be assured it will not adopt any hasty action and if obliged to make armed intervention it -yvill be only after all peaceful methods have been exhausted. The Turco-Bulgarian agreement is the first fruits of the Government's policy and other successes will follow. ,

RECRUITS V, 'MILITARY. Paris, Oct. 3. Recruits at Tatar Bazarjik, Bulgaria, came to blows with the agents of the military authorities, and several were killed and injured. RUSSIANS TO' LEAVE. \ New York, Oct. 3. A Petrograd message states that Russians in Sofia were ordered to depart unless Bulgaria, within 24 hours, breaks with, the Teutons and dismisses the Austro-German officers now in Bulgaria. TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. RUSSIA'S ULTIMATUM. Received Oct. 4, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Oct. 3. The Russian Minister at Sofia has been instructed to hand M. Radoslavoff the following Note:— "The events now taking place in Bulgaria give evidence of King Ferdinand's and the Government's definite decision to place the fate of its countrv in Germany's hands. The presence of German and Austrian officers at the Ministry of War and on the staffs of the army, also the concentration of troops bordering on Serbia, and the financial support accepted from our enemies, leave no doubt that the object of Bulgaria's miltary preparations is to enter the war. IWe, on many occasions, have warned M. Radoslavoff that a hostile act against Serbia would be considered as directed against ourselves. The facts contradict the assurances which M. Radoslavoff gave in reply to these warnings. Russia, which is bound to Bulgaria t>y the imperishable memory of her liberation from the Turkish yoke, cannot sanction these preparations for fratricidal aggression against the Slavs and the Allied peoples. Therefore, the Russian Minister will leave unless Bulgaria openly breaks with the enemies of Slavdom within twenty-four hours, and dismisses officers belonging to the enemies of the Entente. ARRANGING AN UNDERSTANDING. THE NATION NOT UNANIMOUS. DESERTERS REFUGE IN ROUMANIA. Received Oct. 4, 8 p.m. Paris, Oct. 3. Le Temps' Sofia correspondent has reported that Bulgaria, with the Central Powers' assistance, is endeavoring to arrange an understanding with Roumania and Greece. The Opposition is convinced that pourparlers will fail, as both Roumania and Greece are openly and entirely in favor of the Allies,

According to Sofia newspapers, the Austro-Gerrnan Ministers at Bucharest informed the King at Bratiano that they will attack Roumania the moment she orders general mobilisation. Numbers of Bulgarian deserters have taken refuge in Roumania, including eight hundred from the Calafat region, who declare that they will not fight against Russia. Bulgarian women and children are hindering the men joining the colors, and the gulf between the people and the official classes is hicrea-smg.

THE PREMIER WARNED. OF GERMAN INTRIGUES. Received Oct, 4, 3 p.m. Rome, Oct, 3. 11 Corriere della Sera's Petroarad correspondent says that representatives of the Quadruple Entente pointed out to M. Radislavoh" that since Colonel Nassau, who is considered a s|ioeiuli.>t in intrigue, has been tb'e <;.nnaii military representative at Sofia, Gcnnaii ui(ieers had been distributed among various Bulgarian regiments and batteries. These instructions have created an incident likely to precipitate a conflict between Bulgarian and Serbian troops.

SIR E. GREY'S STATEMENT. SUPPRESSED IN GERMANY. Received Oct. 4, 8.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 3. Sir E. Grey's statement on the Balkan situation lias not. yet been published in Germany. AN ECHO OF 1913. SERBIA, BULGARIA'S FOE. Paris, Oct. 4. The French believe that the Bulgarian peasantry are willing to fight Serbia, against whom they nourish a grudge since 1013, but will refuse to raise a hand against their Russian liberators, who are likely to land forces on the shores of the Black Sea. Meanwhile Bulgaria is concentrating troops for the purpose or isolating Roumania and Serbia, and opening the way for war stores for Constantinople. The Hamburger Naehrichten advises that Serbia is of the same blood as Bulgaria, and by withdrawing troops and allowing goods to he sent to Turkey meanwhile, would be rectifying the wrong done to Bulgaria in 1913.