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i io THE BALKAN WAR, 1912 [chap. ix.
Venizelos began by telling me quite openly that he
had not yet concluded any separate alliance, nor any
convention with the Serbians. Such a convention
would only be necessary in the event of the Bulgarians
becoming unreasonable in their demands. Then on a
large map hanging on the wall of the room we began to
examine the possible line of the future frontier. In
discussing this frontier M. Venizelos laid stress only on
the absolute necessity for Greece to possess, north of
Salonika and of Chalcidice, a large enough hinterland
adapted to the efficacious defence of these new
territorial acquisitions; west of Salonika he thought it
would be fair to extend the Greek frontiers as far as
Fiorina, inclusive. Such a frontier was strategically
sufficient and had the advantage of forming a fairly
straight line. It is true that it left to Greece part
of the Slav population of Macedonia, south of
Mona-stir; but in return the Bulgarians, at Seres, Drama,
Kavala, etc., were taking over populations which
were entirely Greek, and their celebrated tobacco
plantations, which represented the great riches of those
parts.
I promised Venizelos to endorse as far as possible his
opinion among the Bulgarians, and more especially his
outline of the frontier; but I made a few reservations on
the subject of some localities which it would be difficult
to persuade the Bulgarians to give up. " Oh! but that
can always be settled during negotiations," remarked
Venizelos judiciously. " What is bad, and what makes
me anxious, is the fact that nothing on earth will induce
the Bulgarians to enter into negotiations with us, as
we have repeatedly suggested they should do. They
always elude the subject, as if they were on the
watch for fresh occurrences or some new situation ;
and yet amongst us public opinion is very much excited
over the tone of the Bulgarian Press, which even
disputes our possession of Salonika!"
All this was absolutely true. But on this we had to
close our interview, M. Venizelos being expected at
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