THE BULGARIAN ARTILLERY

Supplied Chiefly by Germany, Says Military Expert.

We are able to publishing the following very interesting and doubtlessly authentic statement, emanating from high Bulgarian official circles, and we believe that the frankness with which the Bulgarians marshal forth certain facts contradicting a widespread general opinion is apt to attract much attention.

The Bulgarian officer, whose name cannot be made public, states what follows:

Now that the war seems to tend to its end, we may look into the factors that caused its results, and I believe that among them the artillery of the belligerents is one of the most important. I want to deal only with the Bulgarian artillery, and should like to say that much to the surprise of Europe this arm has proved to be exceedingly efficient.

Military experts as well as the universal press took this matter up, trying to use the “lessons” from the Balkan war according to their own strongly blazed purpose. Especially in France the erroneous assertion was made that – irrespective of the man behind the gun – all our victories are absolutely due to the French material, organization, and methods employed in our army. What the French press had to say was published all over the world, and seems to have taken root in public opinion. However, this is not the truth, which we are very desirous to set forth and to make known.

Leaving soldiers and officers out of the discussion and speaking merely of the material, the truth is that practically Germany has furnished to Bulgaria 75 per cent., France only 25 per cent. of the guns; that 90 per cent. of the whole ammunition – even for French material – was German, and that all the fuses came from Krupp in Germany.

As far as methods are concerned, we imitated first Russia, then Italy, and lately have adopted the best to be found in the German and French regulations, being in this respect equally indebted to the four above-named countries.

I am, consequently, sorry to say that France was too quick in assuming laurels that by no means she is entitled to.

MILITARY EXPERT.

New York, Feb. 25, 1913.

Published by The New York Times on 26 February 1913.