Paris Peace Conf. 871.0144/2
[Enclosure—Translation]
Article From “L’Echo de Bulgarie,” December 13,
1918
In reply to an interpellation of M. D. Kiortcheff, a Liberal Deputy, M.
Th. Theodoroff, President of the Council and Minister for Foreign
Affairs, made important declarations concerning the Dobrudja in the
session of the Sobranie on Wednesday (Dec. 11, 1918.)
After stating that the Government will publish the full text of the
armistice concluded at Salonika, the President of the Council spoke of
the evacuation of the Dobrudja. By a note dated November 19th, he said,
we were required to withdraw Bulgarian troops from that part of Dobrudja
which belonged to Roumania in 1913, in virtue of the treaty of Bucharest
of 1913.10 After the retreat of
our troops, or rather at the moment this demand was made, there was no
question of our administration which then existed in that country. It
continued to remain there provisionally, until the allied governments
should pronounce on the subject. When the question was settled by a note
dated December 5th, the withdrawal of our administration was also
demanded. This note refers to the recall of officials who had been sent
from Sofia. Here is the text of the passage:
“The civil administration, under the authority of the allied
troops of occupation, shall be entrusted as to details to the
native authorities of the Dobrudja. The officials sent from
Sofia may not remain. The evacuation of Bulgarian officials is
arranged to take place after the occupation of the country by
allied troops. This evacuation [Page 252] will take place progressively under the
following conditions. It must be finished in the Department of
Constansa by December 8th; Department of Toultcha, December
13th; Department of Silistrea, December 18th; Department of
Dobritch, December 23rd”.
In demanding the departure of the officials sent from Sofia, and of the
administration authorities, the matter was not definitely settled of
replacing them, and whether this substitution would be composed of
Roumanian officials appointed from Bucharest, or by officials appointed
by the military forces of occupation, that is by the High Command of the
allied armies in the Dobrudja, entrusted as it is known to General
Berthelot, Commander of the Danube Army.
On account of lack of clearness on this point, steps were taken by the
Government, and on December 8th we received an explanation signed by
General Chrétien, Commander of the allied troops in Bulgaria, of which
the following is the conclusion:
“It is decided from the preceding that the administration of the
Dobrudja will be placed under the direct order of General
Berthelot. This will be a military administration having full
powers, which will continue until the conclusion of peace. It is
an allied and not a Roumanian administration. It goes without
saying that the local administration will be native so far as
possible, in conformity with the orders of the Allied
Governments.”
Such is the actual situation, and the Bulgarian Government considers that
after the withdrawal of the Bulgarian troops and the officials sent from
Sofia, the Dobrudja is occupied by the allied armies—English and French.
The French will occupy the north—including the Cernavoda–Constantsa
railway and the English the south. The troops which occupy the country
will administer it, appoint and dismiss officials, take all measures for
maintaining order and feeding the population and in general doing
everything pertaining to a good administration. There will be no
Bulgarian troops, but neither will there be Roumanian troops or
officials.
The Dobrudja is placed in the hands of the allied armies which will take
charge of its administration. It is clear that in this respect the
Dobrudja has not the same fate as the territory which we were obliged to
evacuate in virtue of the convention of September 29th, by which we were
obliged to purely and simply turn the territory over to the states to
which it had belonged before—part to the Servians and part to the
Greeks. Here we cede nothing to Roumania.
We are evacuating this province under certain conditions which I have
described, leaving it under the occupation of the allied troops and
under an administration which they will set up under their own
responsibility. We have received a formal written declaration that
Roumanian troops will not be admitted in any case or in any way.
[Page 253]
The tranquility of the population of the Dobrudja will be assured in an
efficacious manner by the military authorities which occupy the
country.
Consequently all the complaints which may be made until the conclusion of
peace, should be addressed to the military authorities charged with the
maintenance of order and tranquility in the country. The most formal
assurances have been given us that the properties, lives, and
tranquility will be guaranteed to Roumanians, Bulgarians, Tartars,
Russians, and all elements living there. At the same time we have been
assured that the occupation does not prejudice in any way the question
as to whom the country will belong. This question—it is stated in the
communications, will be definitely settled at the peace conference.
This, Gentlemen, is the reply I must make concerning the Dobrudja. I do
not think this moment propitious for an appreciation or a discussion of
the existing situation. It is even less opportune to inquire whether
these acts are regular or not, and to look for the responsibility of the
government, if there is such responsibility. I believe that parliament
should be satisfied at present by knowing the facts, especially as very
soon, it will have the text of the convention. I consider it however my
duty to add that this new situation does not inspire us with uneasiness,
and that our national work is not exposed to danger. The question of
knowing to whom the Dobrudja shall belong remains open; as before the
occupation. It will be settled, not on the basis of the effective
occupation, for the Dobrudja is occupied by the allied troops, but on
entirely other considerations, on the subject of which we have already
had occasion to express ourselves. These considerations will be set
forth at the conference, in which we may say entire humanity will
participate. Confiding in this conference which will pronounce upon all
our national claims, convinced of the justice, I might say of the
sacredness of our cause and of our right to realize the unity of our
people, we do not lessen in any way our chance of receiving satisfaction
in the Dobrudja, as well as eventually in Macedonia and Thrace, within
the limits where our aspirations extend. We must be calm and have full
confidence in the conscience of humanity and in the spirit of justice of
the great people and the great powers which will pronounce on all the
questions which concern our future in such an intense manner. We must
not allow ourselves to be impressed by isolated incidents nor draw hasty
conclusions. I am convinced that parliament will act calmly and in full
confidence toward the great powers, who are obeying in this case
considerations which do not concern us. It is from them that we await
the determination of our fate, and it is upon them that we must base our
hopes. I am convinced that in [Page 254]
so acting we shall obtain what is due us and that we shall not have to
regret our attitude.
We must avoid everything of a nature to raise obstacles to our task. Our
defense will not be based on hatreds, recriminations or bitterness. It
will be reasonable, and I believe that it will be worthy of the
attention of the great men who govern the great nations. It will be an
appeal to the conscience of humanity. (Applause).
