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1913] A TREACHEROUS ATTACK 187
to be informed of the decision arrived at the evening
before at the council held at the Palace. The same
information was received by the Austrian and German
Ministers, who had their clients in the bosom of the
council. The whole of Saturday was spent in secret
meetings between the "Macedonians," the military of
Savov’s camp, and the agents of the two diplomats in
question. The next day, after a council held at Count
Tarnowski’s, the " Macedonians," Rizov, Gennadiev,
and Colonel Nerezov (Chief of the Headquarters
Staff), went to the Palace and approached the King
with humble prayers—which sounded sometimes like
threats—not to allow Danev’s departure for St.
Petersburg, and to force the Serbians and the Greeks to make
the desired concessions by immediately commanding
the Bulgarian troops to advance.
" But this is war!" exclaimed Ferdinand. " Not at all,
sir," was the answer, " we have a right to occupy
Macedonia conjointly with the Serbians and the Greeks ;
neither of them have the right to stop our army of
occupation advancing wherever it may be necessary.
Yet, nevertheless, if they wished to oppose it by force,
we should overthrow them, and should occupy such
strong positions that there would be nothing left to
them but to submit to our will. And then the
conferences at St. Petersburg might begin."
Strange as it may seem, it was this inconceivable
argument—that such a treacherous aggression did not
constitute an opening of hostilities—which had a
decisive effect on Ferdinand’s mind. This subterfuge
exactly suited his character. And added to this
there were the thinly-veiled threats of the speakers.
Ferdinand, who was never remarkable for much
courage, already saw revolvers levelled at his head
and bombs strewing his path, through the heads of
the Macedonian bands who were infesting his capital,
and who would murder him without pity if he were
inclined to give up certain parts of Madedonia to the
Serbians and Greeks.
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