NEWS OF THE WEEK • T HE crisis in the Near
East still gives ground for anxiety. Though we cannot believe that Austria- Hungary will persist in preventing the assembly of a Con- ference by demanding the exclusion from discussion of the breaches that have been made by her in the public law of Europe, it is clear that there is a considerable amount of friction, and that for the moment, at any rate, the negotia- tions hang fire. But Austria-Hungary is not the only obstacle. It is plain that the Bulgarians are proving anything but reasonable. For example, a telegram from the Sofia corre- spondent of the Times in Friday's issue, recounting an inter- view with M. Malinoff, the Bulgarian Premier, shows that the present mood of the rulers of Bulgaria is governed by an astonishing cynicism. The real crux, we are told, is the problem of the Eastern Rumelian tribute. The proclamation of Bulgarian independence, declared the Premier, implied a cessation of the tribute. The tribute would be paid till the day of the proclamation, and not for a single day after. The Premier went on to point out that, though Bulgaria objected to pay the tribute as a matter of principle, "the monetary aspect of the case was not a matter of indifference."
