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Show WHY BULGARIA IS SEPAHGDOM Minister of Foreign Affairs Issues Is-sues Statement Explaining Explain-ing Action Taken. BULGARIAN DIPLOMATS IGNORED BY TURKEY Sultan Then Attempted to Take Oriental Railway Which Bulgaria Claimed. AT. PoprikofT, iho Bulgarian minister of foreign affairs, has sent a cablo dispatch dis-patch to tho Associated Press giving an authoritative explanation of tho Bulgarian Bul-garian situation which is now absorbing tho attention of Europo and the world at large. The dispatch is in reply to a cablegram requesting that Poprikoff send an official statement of the facts. His answer, dated today at the ancient capital of Bulgaria, follows: "Tiruovo, Bulgaria, October G. I "Pursuant to tho trcatj' of Berlin, Bulgaria has been a principality tributary trib-utary to Turkey. Manj' years ago Bui-, garia acquired tho right to havo diplomatic diplo-matic representatives accredited lo all tho groat powers. Sho maintained such a representative at Constantinople. Until Un-til recently the diplomatic representative representa-tive of Bulgaria to Turkoy was invited, with the other members of tho diplomatic diplo-matic corps in Constantinople, to all official of-ficial ceremonies, receptions and dinners. din-ners. Bulaarla Timored. "On tho 12th of last. September, tho occasion being the anniversary of tho sul la it 'h birthday, tho Turkish minister of foreign affairs, gave a dinner to tho diplomatic corps to which tho diplomatic diplomat-ic representative of Bulgaria was not invited. Stops were at oneo taken to secure an explanation of this neglect. The Ottoman government replied that tho Bulgarian represcntali vo had no right to expect an invitation to this diplomatic dinner, as Bulgaria was a vassal state of Turkey. "There then followed a diplomatic conflict between Bulgaria and Turkey. Bulgaria considered that Turkoy was not respecting tho rights acquired by hor. and alio desired to defend these rights. This was tho first incident. Oriental Eaihvay Question. "The Oriental Railway company operates op-erates three hundred kilometers (JSC miles), of line in Bulgarian territory. The samo companv operates also aboiit 1.000 kilometers (021 milos) of lino iu Turkish territory, A recent striko on tho properly of tho Oriental Railroad company in Turkey spread at the samo time to Bulgarian territory. This slriko was decided upon and directed from outside of Bulgaria. Following an understanding un-derstanding with the representative of the Oriental Knilroad company, the Bulgarian Bul-garian government look over temporarily temporar-ily the running of tho road, Tho strike, however, spread until tho national na-tional security of Bulgaria was threatened, threat-ened, and the people became discontented discon-tented with tho state of affairs. "It then became tho duty of the Bulgarian government to continue running run-ning tho road, and wo askod tho com- Continued on Pago Two. WHY BULGARIA IS SEPARATE KINGDOM Continued from Pago One. pauy .to seal us its righls in Bulgaria, in accordance with an understanding reached between tho govornmont and the company ten years ago. Turkey thon pretended that tho line was her property, and in a noto the Turkish government demanded that the line be returned to the company. The 'Hulgnr-ian 'Hulgnr-ian govcrninenlr replied that it would treat 011I3- with the company. This was the second conflict. Whcro Suspicion Lies. "This situation imposed upon the Bulgarian government the necessity of fixing definitely tho relations between the principality and Turkey. The new regime in Turkey made it imperative for Bulgaria to maintain tho best of relations with her neighbors, especially as this Actitious condition of vassalage created feelings of suspicion and distrust dis-trust which might at any moment result re-sult iu disturbing the peace oT the Balkans. "Bulgaria understood cleirly that Austria-Iluugary soon would annex tho occupied provinces of Bosnia and Iler-zegovnia Iler-zegovnia and tho goneral situation was such that Bulgaria was obliged without delay to declare her complete independence. "Consequently, yesterday, October o, Bulgaria was proclaimed an independent independ-ent kingdom, and Prince Ferdinand accepted ac-cepted tho title of king of Bulgaria. This act was communicated to all the great powers, declaring that Bulgaria was indepondont. "Bulgaria has taken no aggressive action. Sho has given regular form to a situation that already existed do facto. fac-to. Wo believe that tho powers will approve tho proclamation of Bulgaria to bo an independent kingdom. This net teed in no way trouble tho peace of Europe, and especially those who desire de-sire tho maintenance of the new regimo in Turkey will bo the more convinced of the truth of what I say as soon as thc3r aro satisfied that it is Bulgaria's purpose by this act to again strengthen this regime.' ' (Signed.') " POPJiTKOFF, "Minister of Foreign. Affairs." |
