onia or in Dobrudja and Rumania, where
the Russians also faced Bulgarians, may perhaps be ascribed to the
revulsion of feeling against the Russians which many Bulgarians had
begun experiencing of recent years, on account of the many black
intrigues which the Russian Government had hatched against the
independence of Bulgaria.

In the matter of Bulgaria, it is but fair to state that Russia,
Rumania, and Serbia had little right to complain; Bulgaria had just
scores to wipe off against all of them. Each was but paying the price
for some selfish policy in the past for which Bulgaria had had to
suffer.

CHAPTER XXXIV

UNREST IN GREECE

There was the intense racial hatred between Greeks and Bulgars, more
fully explained in previous volumes. Hatreds of this nature affect the
public more than governing bodies. On the public sentiment of Greece
this hatred seems to have been a more powerful influence than more
subtle political considerations. The detested Bulgar, the barbarian,
the "kondri-cephalous" (blockhead) was advancing into eastern
Macedonia, which the Greeks had gained at so much cost, and they were
taking possession of that section of the country where the population
really is preponderatingly Greek. In the north, in western Macedonia,
he was also invading Greek territory, taking Florina, approaching the
very boundaries of Greece proper; indeed, cavalry patrols of the
Bulgarians had descended as far as the plains of Thessaly.

Public indignation flamed to a white heat. On September 1, 1916, came
a press dispatch from Athens stating that the population was rising
against the Government and that the king had abdicated in fear. This
latter statement proved untrue, but in the Macedonia occupied by the
Allies a modified revolution was indeed taking place, no doubt
encouraged by the Allies. A provisional committee, or government, had
been organized, and to this authority the Greek garrisons at Vodena,
Port Karaburun, and Saloniki had surrendered. "Cretan gendarmes and
Macedonian volunteers," continued the report, "have surrounded the
barracks of the Greek infantry in Saloniki and exchanged shots with
the garrison after cutting the water main and electric-light wires and
shutting off food supplies. A detachment of sixty regulars attempted
to break its way out. Its surrender was demanded, and when the
regulars refused the volunteers fired shots in the air. The regulars
replied with a volley, whereupon the volunte