April 2, 1915
Queen Eleonore of Bulgaria tells a reporter from the Chicago Daily Tribune that "With us we know that we must fight now or never. There is not likely to be a war for a long time when this one is over. But the question whether we have to decide is whether the territory we can hope to gain will be worth the cost in men and money."
The interview with Queen Eleonore, consort of King Ferdinand, took place at Samakov.
She said: "Then, again, the diplomatic questions are complicated. It is against Greece, Roumania, and Serbia we hold enmity for unjustly taking our territory after the war against Turkey which our armies had won for the alliance. How can we attack those three countries and stand on the side of allies?
"I have many friends in Petrograd and the whole country has a deep sense of its obligation to Russia, for what it has done for us in the past. How can we make it plain to Russia that if we join Austria against Serbia we do not joint it against Russia?
"On the other hand, Bulgarians have a deep sympathy for the methods and development of Germany, and therefore it would go much against our spirit to join Germany's enemies.
"True, our sense of obligation to Russia probably would overcome our sympathies for Teutonic methods, but against, both of these factors we must balance the probability of our own loss or gain."
The Queen was asked about the Austrian prisoners of war at Nish. "I wish we could help them," she said, "but the Red Cross supplies are almost impossible to get into Bulgaria. In the even of war we would be in short of supplies and it is necessary for me to do all I can do now to increase the stock.
"I used every influence I could to obtain supplies from Austria, the usual source, but except, for a few small packages bought as if for my own personal use I have been able to get nothing."
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