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M. GUESHOV
27
whether Ferdinand would allow men to be completely
crushed who might be of use to him in the event of any
change of political system, and then I considered it to be
beneath the dignity of a representative of Russia to take
an interest in these internal quarrels and to mix up our
political interests with a case which only concerned the
penal laws and justice of the country, M. Danev then
spoke for some time about the necessity of strengthening
the present relations between Russia and Bulgaria by
the conclusion of a military convention, and he ended by
attacking King Ferdinand very violently. What he said
about him was quite true, but I refused to follow him on
to this dangerous ground.
I was far more satisfied with my first conversations
with M. Gueshov, who I often saw in his capacity as
Foreign Secretary. In compliance with my orders from
St. Petersburg, I entered into practical negotiations with
him which aimed at securing definitely the use of the
sum lent by us to the Bulgarians in 1909, and at
obtaining at last the payment—by regular annuities—of the
Bulgarian debt of thirteen million francs, unliquidated
since the Russian occupation of 1877-79.
I succeeded in carrying these matters through, thanks
to the good-will of M. Gueshov and M. Todorov, who
had set their hearts on maintaining the commercial
integrity of Bulgaria.
King Ferdinand was away at the moment, as he
generally was, either when there were no dangers or
disturbances ahead in the country, or when he did not
wish to come to a decision—but to await developments—
in a difficult political situation. Hence, he was away a
great deal; moreover he was bored to death in his
Palace in Sofia.
However, the King returned rather early in the
summer. The new Cabinet, in agreement with the
King and the Radical members of the Opposition, had
just put a constitutional question : whether the Royal
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