Three Armies Will Advance On Sofia.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 17, 1913:
Bulgar Army in Danger of Starving — Russian Protest to Rumania Expected.
SOMEONE FINANCING TURKEY
Her Army Advances Beyond Frontier Fixed by Powers — Massacre of Turks by Bulgars Reported.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Thursday, July 17.— A telegram to The Daily Chronicle from Vienna says:
    That a day of decisions of far-reaching importance is very near at hand is the view held in well-informed quarters here.
    "I hear that great nervousness prevails at St. Petersburg regarding the advance of Rumania into Bulgaria. The Foreign Office in Vienna is no less apprehensive about the peace terms which Servia will seek to impose on Bulgaria.
    "The Rumanian army has now occupied the whole quadrangle bounded by Rustchuk, Turtukai, Dobrieh, and Varna, which is considerably more than Rumania is claiming for the strategical security of her Doboudja frontier. Rumania up to the present has made no official declaration to the powers regarding how far she is going to march into Bulgaria, but the powers have taken it for granted that she will content herself with the Turtukai-Baltobieh line.
    "Russia, it is expected, therefore, will make representations to Rumania very soon. "Great importance is attached to the audience which Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, had to-day (Wednesday) with Emperor Francis Joseph at Ischl. The audience was of two hours' duration. Count Berchtold was to return to Vienna to-day, but his stay at Ischl has been prolonged in order that he may have another conference to-morrow.
    "Another serious development in the situation has occurred. Contrary to the promises made by leading Turkish statesmen, it has been ascertained that the Turkish Army has crossed the Midia-Enos frontier line, which was fixed by the powers in the preliminary peace settlement. The Turkish Army is marching in three columns on Adrianople. One force is reported at Bunar-Hissar, about twenty miles beyond the Midia-Enos line. Up to this morning it was not believed in diplomatic circles that Turkey was in a position to make a fresh military effort and to avail herself of Bulgaria's desperate position. Turkey was known to be without funds, but it seems that she got money from somewhere.
    "From whom?" That is the disquieting question.
    "It is confidently expected that the powers will not allow such a gross violation of the treaty. A naval demonstration is spoken of should Turkey persist in disregarding the frontier that was fixed and make a serious effort to recapture Adrianople.
    "I learn that Austria, and with her Germany and Italy, will not object to any military action which Rumania may decide to make against Bulgaria. The idea now propagated by the Triple Alliance powers is that close relationship between them and Rumania and Greece should be brought about, so as to form a Greco-Rumanian alliance as a counterbalance against a revival of the Slav Nations' League in the Balkans."

    LONDON, Thursday, July 17.— A Sofia dispatch to The Times says that M. Malinoff, the Democratic leader, who was Premier in 1908, has been appointed Premier to succeed Dr. Daneff, at the head of a Cabinet representing all political parties.
    The Rumanians, the dispatch continues, are advancing at Vratza, forty miles from Sofia. They are reported to have already occupied Plevna and Varna.
    A St. Petersburg dispatch to The Times says that Russia has notified Servia and Greece that if their claims are excessive Russian mediation will become useless. It is added that the other powers are not more likely than Russia to allow Bulgaria to be crushed.

    SOFIA, July 16.— Turkish troops yesterday crossed the new frontier line between Bulgaria and Turkey, running from Enos to Midia. They have already Penetrated a distance of nearly twenty miles into the Bunar-Hissar region, the Bulgarian troops offering no opposition.
    The Christians in the district are reported to be fleeing before the Turkish troops owing to their excesses.
    It was officially stated to-day that the Cabinet under Premier Daneff had resigned.
    The Rumanians have cut railway communication between Sofia and Varna, which is the only route over which provisions can be brought to Sofia from abroad. The Bulgarian Army, therefore, runs the risk of starving.

    SALONIKA, July 16.— In connection with the arrival of a high Rumanian officer at the Greek headquarters to-day it is reported that the Greek, Servian. and Rumanian armies will all march to Sofia, where peace will be signed.
    A terrible story of massacre reached here to-day from Doiran. a town forty miles to the northwest of Salonika.
    Mussulmans there have made a written declaration, countersigned by three local Bulgarian priests, stating that the Bulgarians slaughtered 30,000 Mussulmans who had sought refuge in Doiran from the surrounding districts.
    Full confirmation of the reported sacking and burning of the Macedonian town of Seres by the fleeing Bulgarian troops and of the crucifixion, hacking to death, or burning alive by them of many of the inhabitants has been sent to the Austro-Hungarian Government by Consul General August Kral of Salonika.
    Three-fourths of the formerly flourishing town of about 30,000 inhabitants is a mass of smoking ruins, says Herr Kral, who has just returned here from Seres, where he thoroughly investigated the situation. He had been ordered to inquire into the plundering and burning of the Austrian Vice Consulate there and the carrying off of the Vice Consul Georg C. Zlatko by the marauding Bulgarians.

    BUCHAREST, July 16.— The Bulgarians have sunk three steamers and two torpedo boats in the Danube to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Rumanians.

    ATHENS, July 10.— The Greek army has occupied Nevrokop after an engagement with the Bulgarians which lasted all day yesterday.
    The Bulgarians were completely routed.
    Official dispatches report that only 120 out of 3,000 inhabitants of the town of Doxato escaped the Bulgarian massacre.

    CONSTANTINOPLE, July 16.— The Turkish Government is determined to push forward the march of the Ottoman troops as far as Adrianople, which was captured by the Bulgarians after a prolonged siege in the recent war.
    Although official circles in Constantinople are reticent on the subject, it is understood that such a forward step is the deliberate plan of the Turkish Government, which intends to take this bold action not only because of the material advantages to be gained from such a move at the present time, but also because of the moral effect it will have on the internal situation in Turkey. It is expected that by this means the position of the Government will be strengthened and consolidated, and it is also felt that, even if the powers insist on bringing pressure to bear to compel the maintenance of the frontier line between Turkey and Bulgaria from Enos to Midia, Turkey will be in a position to enforce the autonomy of the Province of Thrace.
    Thus far the powers have not addressed any communication to the Turkish Government on the subject of the advance of the Ottoman troops.