THE ATTITUDE OF SERVIA

I have already indicated the situation of Servia.  Compelled by the Great Powers to withdraw her troops from Albania, after they had triumphantly made their way to the Adriatic, she was now requested by Bulgaria to evacuate Central Macedonia up to the Ochrida-Golema Vreh line in accordance with the terms of the treaty between the two countries which was ratified in March, 1912.  The Servian government believed that for the loss of Albania, which the treaty assumed would be annexed to Servia, they were entitled to compensation in Macedonia.  And if now, instead of compensation for the loss of an outlet on the Adriatic, they were to withdraw their forces from Central Macedonia and allow Bulgaria to establish herself between New Servia and New Greece, they would block their own way to Saloniki, which was the only prospect now left of a Servian outlet to the sea.  Nor was this the whole story by any means.  The army, which comprised all able-bodied Servians, was in possession of Central Macedonia; and the military leaders, with the usual professional bias in favor of imperialism, dictated their expansionist views to the government at Belgrade.  If Bulgaria would not voluntarily grant compensation for the loss of Albania, the Servian people were ready to take it by force.  They had also a direct claim against Bulgaria.  They had sent 60,000 soldiers to the siege of Adrianople, which the Bulgarians had hitherto failed to capture.  And the Servians were now asking, in bitter irony, whether they had gone to war solely for the benefit of Bulgaria; whether besides helping her to win all Thrace and Eastern Macedonia they were now to present her with Central Macedonia, and that at a time when the European Concert had stripped them of the expected prize of Albania with its much desired Adriatic littoral!  This argument was graphically presented on a map of which I secured a copy in Belgrade.  The legend on this map reads as follows: 

“Territories occupied by Servia 55,000 square miles.  Servia cedes to her allies in the east and south 3,800 square miles.  Servia cedes to Albania 15,200 square miles.  Servia retains 36,000 square miles.  Territories occupied by Bulgaria to Enos-Midia, 51,200 square miles.  The Bulgarians demand from the Servians still 10,240 square miles.  According to Bulgarian pretensions Bulgaria should get 61,520 square miles and Servia only 25,760!”

PROPOSED REVISION OF TREATY AND ARBITRATION

When the treaty between Servia and Bulgaria was negotiated, it seems to have been assumed that the theatre of a war with Turkey would be Macedonia and that Thrace—­the country from the Mesta to the Black Sea—­would remain intact to Turkey.  And if the rest of Turkey in Europe up to the Adriatic were conquered by the two Allies, the Ochrida-Golema Vreh line would make a fairly equitable division between them of the spoils