Walk, Do Not Run

Bulgaria is a peasant country, whose capital, Sofia, has been called an overgrown village. Bulgarians for the most part are pro-Russian by tradition, provincial by nature, pro-German by decree of persistently pro-German governments. They like Americans (but have had few dealings with them), consider Britain anti-Bulgar. They fear and hate the Turks, who ruled them for five centuries. They think that they have a right to keep lands snatched from Yugoslavia and Greece, but do not want to fight for these territories. In World War II they have found little profit, much distress, and by all indications they are getting ready to get out--if they can.

Pressure from the Sky. The Allies are doing what they can to hasten Bulgarian defection. Last week U.S. bombers by day, R.A.F. bombers by night all but wrecked Sofia with a one-two punch. More than 3,000 lives were Sofia's sacrifice to alliance with the Axis. Bombs wiped out the center of the city, disrupted the telephone and water systems. Fires swept the town. After seven raids in two months (all from Allied air bases in Italy), the city's air-raid alarms had been destroyed; church bells had to be used as alerts. Bulgaria's neighbors said that the authorities had ordered the evacuation of Sofia's 300,000 people, but that the government remained.

Pressure Within. Fright is not enough to break the German hold on Bulgaria. If anything, the Germans have recently tightened their grip. But, unable to throw out the Nazis immediately, Bulgarians can and do look around for a future exit from the war.

While the ruling classes walk toward the exit, plain Bulgarians are beginning to run. At the country's two political extremes stand: 1) pro-Nazi army commanders, intelligentsia, court figures around Prince Cyril, one of the three regents and brother of the late King Boris; 2) the Communist-led underground. Between stands a potential peacemaker: former Premier Nicholas Mushanoff, leader of the only legal opposition, the Democratic Party.

Mushanoff is a classic middle-of-the-roader. He admires German culture and efficiency, but hates Naziism. He is emotionally pro-Russian, but detests Communism. He advocates an entente with other Balkan peoples, but thinks Bulgaria should keep some of her neighbors' territories. From all except the most radical viewpoints, he is respectable.

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