110 



BULGARIA. 



ing the equilibrium between the Balkan states. 

 The people were eager for action, as usual, and 

 held demonstrations in favor of an advance 

 into Thessalyand Macedonia. The warring 

 parties united to hold up the arms of the Gov- 

 ernment in the advancement of Hellenic in- 

 terests. A recent order for the reduction of 

 the military establishment was recalled, and, 

 as soon as the King, who was returning from 

 abroad, could sign the decree, the reserves 

 were called out. On the 25th of September a 

 force of 17,000 regular troops began to con- 

 centrate on the Thessalian frontier, and a corps 

 of 5,000 reserve troops was formed. Reserve 

 forces, besides, were collected at Larissa and 

 Arta. A circular was dispatched urging the 

 powers to enforce the Berlin Treaty, and declar- 

 ing that otherwise Greece would take meas- 

 ures to protect her interests. By restoring the 

 forced circulation of paper, the Government 

 raised from the Greek National Bank a loan 

 of 24,000,000 drachmas (francs) and 6,000,000 

 drachmas from the Ionian and Thessalian banks. 

 Large orders for war material were given in 

 foreign countries. On Oct. 4 the Austrian, 

 English, and Russian ministers had an inter- 

 view with the King, and impressed upon him 

 the necessity of moderation. On Oct. 10, in 

 spite of remonstrances from the representatives 

 of all the powers, King George signed a decree 

 for the partial mobilization of the reserves. 

 A few days later orders were given for mobil- 

 izing all classes of the army and reserves. 



Action of the Sublime Porte. The Turkish Gov- 

 ernment, pending the answer by the powers to 

 its protest against the ruptnre of the treaty 

 and request for advice, looked after its neglect- 

 ed armaments and called out the redifs. In 

 the circular to the powers, dated Sept. 23, 

 the Porte expressed the intention of exercis- 

 ing its rights under the article of the treaty 

 that empowers Turkey to occupy Eastern Rou- 

 melia with Ottoman troops in the event of 

 external or internal dangers, after first notify- 

 ing the signatory powers. Troops were moved 

 on to Salonica and to other posts in Macedonia 

 and on the Roumelian frontier. The Roume- 

 lians attempted to blow up a bridge over the 

 Maritza river, but were prevented by the ar- 

 rival of a body of Turkish troops, with which 

 they had a skirmish. 



On the 29th of September a skirmish took 

 place at Mustapha Pasha, a town on the Rou- 

 melian frontier, twenty miles northwest of 

 Adrianople. The Turks fired upon the Rou- 

 melian outposts, which were immediately re- 

 enforced, and the attacking party retreated. 



When the two Bulgarian delegates, who were 

 sent to assure the Sultan that order reigned in 

 Eastern Roumelia and that his sovereignty was 

 secure, applied for an audience at the Yildiz 

 Kiosk, they were placed under arrest and sub- 

 jected to an official examination. They were 

 subsequently released, and their message was 

 received by the Turkish Government. 



The Turkish ministry was reconstituted by 



the Sultan on the 24th of September. Kiamil 

 Pasha, previously Minister of the Vakoufs, 

 became Grand Vizier in place of Said Pasha; 

 Munir Pasha was transferred from the Minis- 

 try of Finance to the Interior. Sureya Bey 

 was made First Secretary of the Palace ; and 

 Ghazi Osman Pasha was dismissed from the 

 War Office, which was placed under the direc- 

 tion of Ali Saib Pasha, of the artillery. The 

 Ministry for Foreign Affairs was given to Said 

 Pasha, previously ambassador at Berlin. 



About the 6th of October troops began to be 

 massed on the frontiers of Eastern Roumelia 

 and Servia and Montenegro. Explanations 

 were demanded of the warlike preparations of 

 the Servian Government and from the Greek 

 Government respecting the collection of troops 

 on the frontier, the Porte declaring that it 

 would also send troops to the frontier if the 

 movement of Greek troops did not cease. 



The Turkish military establishment was 

 found to be in a sorry state of unpreparedness 

 and confusion. Under the administration of 

 the late Minister of War, Ghazi Osman Pasha, 

 the distinguished defender of Plevna, large 

 sums of money appropriated for the army were 

 diverted to other purposes. The Adrianople 

 army, which should have numbered 15,000 

 men, was discovered to have only one half 

 that strength, and was unprovided with' uni- 

 forms and poorly shod. The cavalry was un- 

 able to march for lack of horses and equip- 

 ments. The available ironclads were ordered 

 to make ready for sea, but the coal-supply was 

 short. Four Austrian Lloyd steamers were 

 engaged as transports, and four war-vessels 

 were fitted up for the conveyance of troops 

 from Smyrna and the neighboring ports to 

 Salonica and Dedeagatch, the terminus of the 

 Adrianople - Philippopolis Railroad, whence 

 they could be forwarded by rail to the Rou- 

 melian and Servian frontiers. Troops were 

 drawn from Crete, but the excited state of the 

 island moved the governor to ask for their 

 return. By the 10th of September 180 bat- 

 talions of TOO men, in all 120,000 troops, were 

 mobilized. The second ban of redifs was then 

 called out and two other steamers of the Aus- 

 trian Lloyd were chartered. Two large armies 

 were formed : one at Adrianople, ready to ad- 

 vance into Roumelia if the powers failed to 

 secure a peaceful arrangement; and one at 

 Uskub, where it could check any movements 

 of the Servians or Montenegrins or could 

 march upon the Bulgarian capital, about ninety 

 miles distant. The Seraskierate was supplied 

 with means from the proceeds of the tithes. 

 The troops sent into the field were supplied 

 with new uniforms, and their maintenance and 

 comfort were carefully attended to. When 

 the mobilization of the first ban and a part of 

 the second ban of reserves was completed, 

 about Oct. 18, 200,000 men were under arms 

 and 500,000 livres had been expended, not 

 counting the contract sum for the transport 

 steamships, amounting to 1,500,000 livres more. 



