Mr. Stevenson to Mr. Austen Chamberlain.— (Received November 2.)

(No. 231. Confidential.)

Sir, Sofia, October 26, 1925.

I HAVE the honour to refer to my telegram No. 75 of the 21st October, and subsequent correspondence, regarding the Graeco-Bulgarian frontier incident at Demir Kapu on the 19th October, and the consequent Greek advance into Bulgarian territory.

Although the crisis resulting from the original insignificant occurrence is by no means at an end, it may be useful for purposes of record if I recapitulate the events of the last week, describing them more fully than it is possible to do by telegraph, and adding such comments as I consider might assist in clarifying the situation.

The cause and the actual sequence of events of the original frontier incident are still shrouded in mystery. Demir Kapu in the Balasitza Mountains, the scene of the occurrence, is the highest point of a narrow crest perhaps 40 yards wide along which runs the Graeco-Bulgarian frontier. On the south side the ground falls very steeply into Greek territory, while on the north the descent towards Petritch is much less abrupt. On each side of the frontier line runs a chain of posts, those at Demir Kapu being numbered 1 and 2 on the Bulgarian side, and 68 and 69 on the Greek side, the latter lying about 20 feet lower than the former.

The Bulgarian official account of the affair, amplified by a certain amount of information given to me by the Secretary-General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and by the “Times” correspondent for Bulgaria, is roughly as follows: At about 3 p.m. on the 19th October, a Greek sentry from post No. 69 crossed the frontier and shot at a Bulgarian sentry on duty at post No. 1; the latter replied by shooting the Greek, who fell dead in Bulgarian territory. Thereupon, his comrades advanced to recover the body, but met with the opposition of the garrison of post No. 1, who refused to give it up before its position had been examined by a responsible Bulgarian officer. A fusillade at once broke out which continued until the following night, when it died down.