thrace-note by the secretary

7/27/2019 Thrace-Note by the Secretary

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COPY OI? NOTE PROM TEE EARL OP BALFOUR TO THESECRETARY TO THE CnBIBBT,

British Delegation,Hotel MetropoleGeneva.

The Earl of Balfour presents his compliments to theSecretary to the Cabinet and, in continuation of his telegramHo. 34 of September 18th, forwards herewith a conv of amemorandum sent to him by Monsieur Stambouliicky on the subjectof the Hear Eastern settlement in so far as it will affectThrace,2. Lord Balfour had an opportunity today of talking withMonsieur Stambouliisky who said that the mixed population ofThrace would undoubtedly accept a proposal to pln.ee the countryunder the League of Nations in the same way as the Saar Valleyand Danzig are now. It -would be possible to raise locally aforce of gendarmerie sufficient to keep order and the country,which was thinly populated, could be utilised in order to settlemany of the refugees who were now being turned out of Asia Minor *3 , He sr-id he hoped that the points for discussion with theTurks which had been announced already in th press as the resultof Lord Curzon's visit to Paris, were only preliminary basesfor negotiations and that at the future peace." conference thedesirability of setting up an autonomous Thrace would be keptin view. He repeated the arguments already advanced by one ofthe Bulgarian delegates in favour of avoiding a common frontierbetween Turkey and Bulgaria by the interpolation of a district

eunder the League of Nations, (see Geneva telegram No:". 34 ofSeptember 18th) and. added that the great advantage to Bulgariaof such an arrangement would be that they would gb.i.u, without

]X Appendix I .p Appendix I Ie Appendix I .
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f u r t h e r t r o u b l e w i t h t h e G r e e k s , t h e a c c e s s t o t h e A e ge a nt h r o u g h t h e p o r t o f D e d c A g a t c h , w h i c h w as n e c e s s a r y f o rB u l g a r i a . T he p r e s e n t c o m m u n ic a t i on s w i t h t h e B u l g a r i a n p o r t si n t h e B l a c k S e a w e r e v . f t e n i n t e r r u p t e d "by s t o r m y w e a t h e r an da l t h o u g h i w o u l d c o s t a l a r g e sum o f m o n ey t o m ak e P e d e A g a t c ha s u i t a b l e c o m m e r c i a l p o r t , h e w as c o n f i d e n t t h a t a c c e s s t ot h e se e. w o u l d c o n t r i b u t e , i n t h e e n d , t o th e p r o s p e r i t y o fB u l g a r i a . H e l e f t w i t h L o r d B a l f o u r a m em orandu m o n t h i s p o i n t ,a c op y o f w h i c h i s a l s o e n c l o s e d h e r e w i t h .4 . H e l i k e w i s e s u g g e s t e d t h a t i t m i g h t b e p o s s i b l e t or e n d e r t h e r i v e r M a r i t z a n a v i g a b l e f r o m t h e s e a t o A d r i a n o p l ea nd p l a c e i t u nd e r som e s o r t o f I n t e r n a t i o n a l b o dy s i m i l a rt o t h a t w h i c h l o o k e d a f t e r t h e D a n ub e *5 . L o r d B a l f o u r p r o m i s e d t h a t h e w o u l d b r i n g M o n s i e u rS t a m b o u l i i s k y ! s r e m a r k s t o t h e k n o w l e d g e o f t h e G o v e r n m e n tin London . ,

S e p t e m b e r , 1 9 3 - 2 .


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A P P E il D I , X I .

Decode. Mr, London (Geneve-)September 18th, 1922,D. 7 p,m, September 18th, 1922.R. 10 p.m. September 18th, 1922.

Ho, 34 (R) .Bulgaria and Thrace.Following from Lord' Balfour in continuation of Hr .circu" /

,'d. Tuf ton's letter to Hr . Lamp eon of September 15th.Bulgarian prime Minister has arrived at Geneva and sent

one of hit; delegates to impress, on me desire of establishingin Thrace autonomies under League of Patiens.

Bulgaria he said did not -want common (grp * omtd.) frithTurkey and felt that autonomous Thrace would be barrieragainst Russian ambitions in regard, to Constantinople, Greekswould also be gainers as being relieved from strain which nearneighbourhood of Turks w o u l d impose on them.

Emissary of Bulgarian prime Minister said that Turkswould be certainly willing to respect authority of League;.

prime Minister is anxious to place these views beforeMr. Lloyd George either here or in London.


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I

APIBEDLX I Iill

bent by Mr 3 utambou l i i sky t o Lo rd Ba l f ou r ,23rd September, 1922 v

Hote l de Euss ie ,Geneva,e lat ion 22nd September, 1922.

As the p r i n c i p a l a l l i e d powers a i e now exchang ingvi ew s upon the be st means of r e s t o r i n g pea oe in a pa rt ofthe Hear Ea st , the Bu lg ar ia n Gove rnment , which has' somany reas ons f o r be i ng i n t e r e s t e d in the s o l ut io n o f thepro bl em , c o n s i d e r s i t a duty to make i t s vi ew s known, as i tdid when the ID re a t j - o f Se v re s and the co nv e nt i o n of San He mowere be i ng pre pare cL Without d i sc us s i ng bho e x i s t i n g p o i n t so f v i ew ( th es e en p r e s e nc e ) , the Bul gar ian Government , ta k i ngno te of what the l o c a l s i t u a t i o n demands, and anim ated bythe i n t e r e s t s o f peao e , and a sc rupu lous i m p a r t i a l i t y t oward sa l l the i n t e r e s t s which eve n ts have in vo l v ed , i s conv incedt h a t t h e bo at means o f g e t t i n g r i d o f e x i s t i n g d i f f i c u l t i e s ,o f se cu r i ng an agreem ent amongst a l l pe rs ons and th i n gs( f a c t e u r s ) d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y i n t e r e s t e d i n a s e t t l e m e n to f t h e c o n f l i c t , and , l a s t but n o t l e a s t , o f s a t i s f y i n g t h el e g i t i m a t e w ishe s o f the po pu la t i on s whose fu ture ex i s t e nc eis to be s e t t l e d , c o ns i s t s in s e t t i n g up an autonomous s ta teunder the c o n t r o l o f the League o f Na t i on s , comp r is ing a l lThrace f rom the h i nt e r l a n d which would be l e f t toCo ns ta nt in op le , up to the Le e ta .

An autonomous Thra ce under th e c o n t r o l of th e Lea gue o fNat ions would ensure the, f r eedom o f the s t r a i t s ; and wouluge t r i d o f the ob j e c t i o ns t o r ep la c i ng the pr ov in ce underTurk ish r u l e , as w e l l as the o t he r , equ a l l y s t r o ng , ob j e c t i on s , ,g ro unded on p r i n c i p l e s o f f a i r n e s s and po in t s o f f a c t ,

a g a i n s t


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a g a i n s t e s t a b l i s h i n g O reejc s o v e r e i g n t y i n T h r a c e , f i n a l l y ,an a u t o n o m o u s s y s t e m o f g o v e r n m e n t , u n d e r t h e c o n t r o l o f t h eL e a g u e o f N a t i o n s , v .o u i a m e e t t h e w i s h e s o f a n i m m en sem a j o r i t y o f t h e B u l g a r i a n , T u r k , ah d e v e n G r ee k p o p u l a t i o n :T h e i r w i s h e s h a v e b e en a s s e r t e d m o re t h a n o n c e a l r e a d y , a n dw o u l d , a t t h i s m om en t, b e e x p r e s s e d w i t h e v e n g r e a t e r f o r c e ,i f t h e n a t i v e b o r a T h r a c i a n s w o re a s k e d t o p r o n o u n c e on t h e i rown f u t u r e u n d e r t h e f r e e d o m w h i c h w o u l d b e a s s u r e d t o t h e mby t h e C o u n c i l o f t h e L e a g u e o f N a t i o n s .

The e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a n a u t on o m o u s s y s t e m o f g o v e r n m e n tt h r o u g h o u t T h r ac e w o u l d , m o r e o v e r , d i s s i p a t e t h e s u s p i c i o n s( u n fo u n d e d i t i s t r u e ) e x c i t e d by a p r o j e c t e d s e t t l e m e n t w h i c hw o u l d h a v e g i v e n Bulgar ia a n d , T u r k e y a common f r o n t i e r ,

Such a r e t h e g e n e r a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s w h i c h o f f e r t h eb e s t g u a r a n t e e s f o r a d u r a b l e p e a c e , w i t h o u t c o n f l i c t i n gw i t h t h e a c c e p t e d p r i n c i p l e s o f.. i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a w . w i t hr e g a r d t o t h e p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t s o f w h i c h i t i s t h e g u a r d i a nt h e B u l g a r i a n G o ve r nm e n t t h i n g s t h a t an a u t on o m o u s g o v e rn m e n ti n U h r a o e , u n d e r t h e c o n t r o l o f t h e L e a g u e o f fiatione, w o u l ds e c u re t h e p r o s p e r i t y an d n a t i o n a l l i f e o f t h e B u l g a r i a np o p u l a t i o n ; w o u ld m ake i t p o s s i b l e f o r t h o s e r e f u g e e s t or e t u r n , who h a d b e e n d r i v e n o u t o f th e p r o v i n c e , by i n s u r r e c -t i o n s , by w a r a nd a l l t h e i r c o n s e q u e n c e s ; a n d w o u l d g i v eB u l g a r i a t h a t a c c e s s t o t h e s e a , w h ic h t h e p r i n o i p a l A l l i e dl o w e r s a d m i t t e d t o b e n e c e s s a r y , a n d d u l y p r o m i s e d t o h e r .


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an. Co m m u n i c a t e d by J&s b t a re bo u I i i g i ry, b e p t . E 5 V 19P.S,,

PR O-M EM OR IA: TEE. flEJsD tfOK BU LG AR IA OE A FBiuE OUTLET TO THEi:..ybiliiiii SEA tt - . - -September. .19-22L-

A s a r e s u l t o f th e B a l k a n W ar B u l g a r i a a c q u i r e d an a c c e s st o t h e o pe n s e a a t U e d e a g a t c h w h i c h s t a r t e d a n ew e r a i n h e rc o m m e r c ia l r e l a t i o n s w i t h t h e o t h e r m a r i t i m e c o u n t r i e s . -

T h r ou gh D e d e a g a t c h B u l g a r i a c o u l d f r e e l y e r p o r t h e rp r o d u c e s a nd t h e f o r e i g n c o u n t r i e s w e r e i n a v e r y f a v o u r a b l ep o s i t i o n w i t h r e g a r d t o i m p o r t s . - .

W i t h i n a v e r y s h o r t t im e U e d e a g a t c h a t t r a c t e d a c o n s i d e r a b l e p a r t o f B u l g a r i a n t r a d e an d v e r y s oo n a c q u i r e d g r e a ti m p o r t a n c e i n t h e . e o o n o m i o l i f e o f B u l g a r i a , -

The f o l l o w i n g f i g u r e s i l l u s t r a t e ' i n a v i v i d m ann er t h ei m p o r t a n c e o f t h e t r a d e a c t i v i t y w h ic h t o o k p l a c e a tB e d e a g a t o h d u r i n g t h e y e a r s 1 9 1 3 , 1 91 4 a nd 1 9 1 5 .

I m p o r t ,Y e a r s f g . l o g y e . m s - ' V a l u e i n . F r e n c h f r e - a s s1 9 1 31 9 1 41915

9 1 1 , 3 7 27 9 8 ^ f S 7 65 , 5 6 6 , 3 1 16 6 8 , 6 0 34 , 7 4 7 , 4 6 13 , 5 2 7 , 1 4 8

E x o g y t ,1 9 1 319141915

. 1,523,334. .7 . 6 7 2 , 4 9 9 ' - '1 4 5 5 7 2 , 5 8 02 , 4 1 4 . 1 8 01 3 . 4 7 1 , 6 4 88 , 3 0 5 , 5 2 3 ,

T h e se f i g u r e s sh ow t h e r e m a r k a b l e i n c r e a s e o f b o t h e x p o r t sa nd i m p o r t i n 1 9 1 4 , an d b u t f o r t h e b l o c k a d e e s t a b l i s h e d i nt h e s e c o n d p a r t o f 1 9 1 5 , t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t r a d e t h r o u g hU e d e ag a t c h s o u l d h a v e b ee n s t i l l g r e a t e r . -

U n f o r t u n a t e l y , i n ' s p i t e o f t h e v e r y c l e a r d e c l a r a t i o nw i t h r e g a r d t o e c o n o m i c o u t l e t s c o n t a i n e d i n A r t i c l e 48 o f t h eT r e a t y o f K e u i l l y , up t o t h e p r e s e n t ^ n o a c c e s s t o t h e A e g e a nh a s b e en a s s i g n e d t o B u l g a r i a , - I t i s o b v i o u s t h a t t h e o f f e r
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o f f a c i l i t i e s a t a po r t the on l y acce ss t o wh ich i s througha f o r e i g n count ry i s unworkab l e , *.t the present momentso many d i f f i c u l t i e s e x i s t bo th as r eg ard s despat ch ofBulga r ian commodi t i es and pas sen ger t r a f f i c to Thrace ,th at Sulff i s v i r t u a l l y de pr iv ed o f moat of he r bes tand nea r e s t f o r e i g n ma rke t s . -

On th e o th e r hand th e Danube ro u te whic h i s i c e bound i n wi nt er i s un su i t ab le f o r s teady commerc ia l r e l a t i o n sowing t o the la ck o f shi ps and to r e s t r i c t e d comme rcialn a v i g a t i o n .

I t i s unnecessar y t o in s i s t upon adva nta ges to Bu lg ar iaof f r e e ac ce ss t o th e Aeg ea n. I t i s enough t o po in t outt h a t , whereas she i s nov/ f o r c e d under th e pr e se n t ci rc um st an cet o t rade ma inl y w i t h Ce nt ra l Europe, th e po ss es s i on o f an.Aegean po r t would sh or te n he r communi cat ions wi th the E nt en tePowers by about a thousand m i l e e a

In o rd er to enab l e Bu lga r ia to re co ve r her fo rm er-ma rke ts, t o ass ure he r economic deve lopm ent and thus g i v e he rthe means o f ,m ee t i ng he r f i n a n c i a l o b l i g a t i on s under thoTreaty , one . shou ld a t l e as t c r ea t e f a vo urab l e c o n d i t i o n s f o rthe f r e e expan s ion o f her t r a d e a

I t i s th e r e f o r e nece ssar y tha t Bu l gar i a shou ld ob t a inf r ee ac ces s to the Med i t er ra nean cou nt r i es th at are her

"n ea re st and most n a tu r a l , ma rk et s, th e way to which i s 'thr oug h the Aegean Sea .

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