Bulgaria Seeking Peace
Bulgaria is wishing a vain thing if she imagines that after all the harm she has done to the Allies she can wipe out the heavy reckon- ing against her by simply reverting to neutrality. Her Government announced last Saturday that she had withdrawn from the war and that German troops crossing into her territory would be disarmed ; and it is reported that, having asked the German troops already in the country to withdraw, it is disarming those who remain. Bulgaria declared war against Britain and the United States in September, 1941, but has carefully refrained from a similar declaration against Russia. She has come into this war as into the last as much with the intention of plundering her Balkan neighbours as from fear of Germany. She has not merely provided garrisons to relieve Germans in the Balkans, but has annexed large slices of Greece and Yugoslavia and has equalled the Nazis in her brutal treatment of the inhabitants. To the Allies it is welcome news that Moscow has denieil the truth of reports that Russia recognises or approves the neutrality declared by the Bulgarian Government, and asserts that such neutrality is entirely insufficient. We may be sure that the British and American Governments with whom Bulgaria is seeking to negotiate an armistice will require much more than that she should simply withdraw from the Allied territory she has seized and violated. During the war with Germany she will certainly be required to put herself completely at the disposal of the Allies, affording transport facilities across her territory and other services
that we may need ; and in any final terms that may be made with her the interests of Greece and Yugoslavia will have to be considered at every point. For more than thirty years an intransigent Bulgaria has been a danger to the Balkans and to Europe. Though vengeance is not the policy of the Allies, she cannot expect to avoid all the penalties of treachery.
