BULGARIAN DEFECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1918, Page 6

BULGARIAN DEFECTION.

SOME OF THE CAUSES.

SECRET MEETING OF SOLDIERS.

Very interesting and significant are the circumstantial statements made by a Bulgarian soldier who lias deserted to the Servian lines, says the Times.

He declares that 31. Malinoff, aa ti condition of his acceptance of the office of Premier, demanded the withdrawal of nil the German units from old Bulgaria, where, since 1916, they had established their own post-offices, commis : sariats, and soldiers' hostels, while every Bulgarian'military bureau was under the supervision of a German officer He further ' states that every German soldier in Bulgaria and Macedonia was entitled to despatch to Germany by post parcels weighing up to five kilograines (1111)), and so "largely was this privilege used for the exportation of foodstuffs, that the dearth already caused bv the military requisitions was inten jificd to such a degree that even at Sofia manv poor people died of hunger. According to the same deponent, in June a secret meeting of the soldiers o. the 448 th, 31st and 7th Regiments was held at night in a gorge of the river Doubitai. Fifty men of each of these rrVimenta participated- Although the officers were aware of (he meeting, none of them.dared to interfere, knowing thai 'thev would be attacked and murdered. Various resolutions were put to the meeting. Some proposed to arrest all the officers, raise "Hvhite flag in the trenches, and surrender' bodily. Others refected the proposal. U» surrender, but suggested qmttng the front and bodily returning to Bulgaria. Others demanded that peace should be forthwith concluded by the soldiers alone Other*, a«ain. would have been content with better food for themselves and the adoption of mea-ures for alleviating the famine among the civilian population\n agreement having been found possible,' the meeting dispersed practically without resultThe following day the colonel commanding the deponent's resiment.visited each coinpauv separately, and addressed (he men with soothing words, savin - "Since you wish to eoncinrle peace yourselves, petition for it, but if peacedoes not follow, what will happen thens I also desire peace, but have patience awhile. Peace'will come soon, be assured of it.' Finally, the deponent states that spies placed in each company denounced those who took'part in the meeting, and who were arrested. But the leader of the malcontents remains undiscovered.