Joy-Bombs

On a holiday last week in the woodland suburbs of Sofia, thousands of Bulgarians were appalled to see a bombing fleet of 50 planes appear over the distant capital and proceed to heave things overboard. There were no explosions. When startled trippers rushed home they found the bombers had showered only packages of leaflets. These brought such good news that all of Sofia promptly went on a spree of jubilation with dancing in the streets.

Only by remembering that Bulgaria was "the worst beaten nation in the World War," has since been shackled by the disarmament clauses of the Treaty of Neuilly, could neutrals realize the pride and joy with which every Bulgarian read the showered leaflets:

"Bulgarians! The war clauses no longer exist. This great success is due to the wise leadership of Tsar Boris III who has accomplished it in the proper way, at the proper time. Long live the Tsar! Long live Bulgaria!"

Smart, thrifty little Tsar Boris made his first effective move toward undermining the Treaty of Neuilly in 1930 when he married a daughter of the King of Italy, gaining Bulgaria a friend among the powers which won the War. In later years, the Balkan Entente formed by Turkey, Rumania, Greece and Yugoslavia --the last two on markedly friendly terms with Italy--gradually warmed up to friendship with Bulgaria. In part, this was because Tsar Boris, with the aid of

II Duce has rapidly rearmed Bulgaria, ignoring the Treaty of Neuilly--and she is now strong enough for the Balkan Entente to value her as a friend.

The final move came with lightning suddenness last week. Greek Premier John Metaxas, having just crushed a revolt (see col. 1), sped to Salonika for a secret rendezvous with Bulgarian Premier George Kiosseivanov. General Metaxas, as this year's president of the Balkan Entente, signed on behalf of all its members a treaty canceling the arms limitations imposed upon Bulgaria at Neuilly. In signing the new pact, the premiers also made a mutual non-aggression agreement among the five States concerned. It was considered certain that this foreshadowed the early entrance of Bulgaria into the Balkan Entente.

Now that Bulgaria has openly rearmed, the realm of Tsar Boris too may expect to benefit from the "loans" which Britain and France are so lavishly making to assure that the Balkan States will stand with Democracy (TIME, July 25). Paris dispatches this week announced that a consortium of French banks are "studying" the question of lending Bulgaria three hundred million francs ($82,800,000).

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