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easonable leadership, and, with that, it will do wonders.
But I do not wish to be misunderstood as representing that today
the official classes and the leaders of the Bulgarian nation are
generally unworthy or incompetent. That would be very far from the
truth. But it is the truth that as yet Bulgaria has not a class sufficient
in numbers and strong enough in tradition to supply her needs in
leadership. How could it be otherwise, seeing that the nation is not
much more than a generation old, and has had to begin working up
its organisation from bed-rock?
A Young Man of the Choumla District
The events of 1913-1914 have left Bulgaria weak in her greatest
element of national strength—in the numbers of her citizens. The
wars with the Turks and the subsequent war with the other Balkan
states, the ravages of cholera and, one may unhappily conclude too,
the ravages of hunger after the dreadful ordeals of the successive
campaigns, have taken heavy toll of Bulgarian manhood. But the
country will “stock up” quickly. Its birth-rate is the highest in the
world; and its “effective” birth-rate, i.e. the proportion of survivals
of those born, is also the highest. If only a period of peace can be
secured, all will be well in time.
Poor as were her acquisitions of territory compared with her hopes
from the war, Bulgaria at least won a free outlet to the open sea. Her
ports on the Black Sea were always felt to be of limited use, because
traffic to and from them had to pass through the Dardanelles and was
therefore at the mercy of Turkey in case of war. But now Bulgaria has
free access to the Aegean Sea, and though without a good port has a
possible port there.
Considerations of strategic position and of territorial acquisition
are, however, of minor importance in considering Bulgaria’s future.
It is in the character of the Bulgarian race and the conditions of life
encouraging the growth of that sturdy character in which the hopes
of that future are bound up. The young Bulgarian is born usually
in the country, and usually also as one of a large family. Here is an
interesting table—compiled before the war—showing at once the
proportion of urban and rural population and the prevalence of large
families in Bulgaria:
Number of
Members
of
Families.
Numbers of such
Families.
In Towns. In the
Country.
Number of
Members
of
Families.
Numbers of such
Families.
In Towns. In the
Country.
1 19,299 11,807 11 737 11,506
2 22,311 25,035 12 340 7,570
3 28,182 45,747 13 180 4,853
4 29,732 66,554 14 79 3,446
5 27,884 82,771 15 44 2,187
6 21,746 83,635 16 39 1,499
7 13,636 69,216 17 16 1,069
8 7,619 48,218 18 14 786
9 3,646 30,756 19 8 528
10 1,757 19,005 20 1 368