Treaty of Neuilly

Preamble

Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and Bulgaria

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE BRITISH EMPIRE, FRANCE, ITALY AND JAPAN, these Powers being described in the present Treaty as the Principal Allied and Associated Powers,

BELGIUM, CHINA, CUBA, GREECE, THE HEDJAZ, POLAND, PORTUGAL, ROUMANIA, THE SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE, SIAM, and CZECHOSLOVAKIA, these Powers constituting with the Principal Powers mentioned above the Allied and Associated Powers, of the one part;

And BULGARIA of the other part;

WHEREAS on the request of the Royal Government of Bulgaria an Armistice was granted to Bulgaria on 29 September 1918 by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in order that a Treaty of Peace might be concluded, and

WHEREAS the Allied and Associated Powers are equally desirous that the war in which certain among them were successively involved, directly or indirectly, against Bulgaria, and which originated in the declaration of war against Serbia on 28 July 1914 by Austria-Hungary, and in the hostilities opened by Bulgaria against Serbia on 11 October 1915, and conducted by Germany in alliance with Austria-Hungary, with Turkey and with Bulgaria, should be replaced by a firm, just and durable Peace,

FOR THIS PURPOSE the High Contracting Parties have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:

And for the Dominion of Canada, by:

for the Commonwealth of Australia, by:

for the Union of South Africa, by:

for the Dominion of New Zealand, by:

for India, by:

Mr Rolin-Jaequemyns, Member of the Institute of Private International Law, Secretary-General of the Belgian Delegation;

Who having communicated their full powers found in good and due form have agreed as follows:

From the coming into force of the present Treaty the state of war will terminate.

From that moment, and subject to the provisions of this Treaty, official relations will exist between the Allied and Associated Powers and Bulgaria.

Part II. Frontiers of Bulgaria

Part II—Frontiers of Bulgaria

Article 27

The frontiers of Bulgaria shall be fixed as follows:

1. With the Serb-Croat-Slovene State

From the confluence of the Timok and the Danube, which is the point common to the three frontiers of Bulgaria, Roumania and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, southwards to a point to be selected on the course of the Timok near point 38 west of Bregovo: the course of the Timok upstream;

thence south-westwards to the point east of Vk. Izvor, where the old frontier between Serbia and Bulgaria meets the river Bezdanica: a line to be fixed on the ground passing through points 274 and 367, following generally the watershed between the basins of the Timok on the north-west and the Delejna and Topolovitsa on the south-east, leaving to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State Kojilovo, Sipikovo and Halovo with the road connecting the two latter places, and to Bulgaria Bregovo, Rakitnica and Kosovo;

thence southwards to point 1720, about 12 kilometres west-south-west of Berkovitsa: the old frontier between Bulgaria and Serbia;

thence south-eastwards for about 1½ kilometres to point 1929 (Srebrena gl.): a line to be fixed on the crest of the Kom Balkan;

thence south-south-westwards to point 1109, on the Vidlic Gora south of Vlkovija: a line to be fixed on the ground passing through points 1602 and 1344, passing east of Grn. Krivodol and crossing the river Komstica about 1½ kilometres above Dl. Krivodol;

thence to a point on the Tsaribrod–Sofiya road immediately west of its junction with the road to Kalotina: a line to be fixed on the ground passing east of Mözgos, west of Staninci, east of Brebevnica and through point 738 north-east of Lipinci;

thence west-south-westwards to a point to be selected on the course of the river Lukavica about 1,100 metres north-east of Slivnica: a line to be fixed on the ground;

thence southwards to the confluence, west of Visan, of the Lukavica with the stream on which Dl. Nevlja is situated: the course of the Lukavica upstream;

thence south-westwards to the confluence of a stream with the Jablanica, west of Vrabca: a line to be fixed on the ground passing through point 879 and cutting the road from Trn to Tsaribrod immediately south of the junction of this road with the direct road from Trn to Pirot;

thence northwards to the confluence of the Jablanica and the Jerma (Trnska): the course of the Jablanica;

thence westwards to a point to be selected on the old frontier at the salient near Descani Kladenac: a line to be fixed on the ground following the crest of the Ruj Planina and passing through points 1199, 1466 and 1706;

thence south-westwards to point 1516 (Golema Rudina) about 17 kilometres west of Trn: the old Serb-Bulgarian frontier;

thence southwards to a point to be selected on the river Jerma (Trnska) east of Strezimirovci: a line to be fixed on the ground;

thence southwards to the river Dragovishtitsa immediately below the confluence of rivers near point 672: a line to be fixed on the ground passing west of Dzincovci, through points 1112 and 1329, following the watershed between the basins of the rivers Bozicka and Meljanska and passing through points 1731, 1671, 1730 and 1058;

thence south-westwards to the old Serb-Bulgarian frontier at point 1333, about 10 kilometres north-west of the point where the road from Kriva (Egri)-Palanka to Kyustendil cuts this frontier: a line to be fixed on the ground following the watershed between the Dragovishtitsa on the north-west and the Lomnica and Sovolstica on the south-east;

thence south-eastwards to point 1445 on the Males Planina south-west of Dobrilaka: the old Serb-Bulgarian frontier;

thence south-south-westwards to Tumba (point 1253) on the Belashitza Planina, the point of junction of the three frontiers of Greece, Bulgaria and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State: a line to be fixed on the ground passing through point 1600 on the Ograjden Planina, passing east of Stinek and Badilen, west of Bajkovo, cutting the Strumitsa about 3 kilometres east of point 177, and passing east of Gabrinovo.

2. With Greece

From the point defined above eastwards to the point where it leaves the watershed between the basins of the Mesta-Karasu on the south and the Maritsa (Marica) on the north near point 1587 (Dibikli): the frontier of 1913 between Bulgaria and Greece,

3. On the south, with territories which shall be subsequently attributed by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers

Thence eastwards to point 1295 situated about 18 kilometres west of Kuchuk-Derbend: a line to be fixed on the ground following the watershed between the basin of the Maritsa on the north, and the basins of the Mesta Karasu and the other rivers which flow directly into the Aegean Sea on the south;

thence eastwards to a point to be chosen on the frontier of 1913 between Bulgaria and Turkey about 4 kilometres north of Kuchuk-Derbend: a line to be fixed on the ground following as nearly as possible the crest line forming the southern limit of the basin of the Akcehisar (Dzuma) Suju;

thence northwards to the point where it meets the river Maritsa: the frontier of 1913;

thence to a point to be chosen about 3 kilometres below the railway station of Hadi-K. (Kadikoj): the principal course of the Maritsa downstream;

thence northwards to a point to be chosen on the apex of the salient formed by the frontier of the Treaty of Sofia, 1915, about 10 kilometres east-south-east of Jisr Mustafa Pasha: a line to be fixed on the ground;

thence eastwards to the Black Sea: the frontier of the Treaty of Sofia, 1915, then the frontier of 1913.

4. The Black Sea

5. With Romania

From the Black Sea to the Danube: the frontier existing on 1 August 1914;

thence to the confluence of the Timok and the Danube: the principal channel of navigation of the Danube upstream.

Article 28

The frontiers described by the present Treaty are traced, for such parts as are defined, on the one-in-a-million map attached to the present Treaty. In case of differences between the text and the map, the text will prevail.

Article 29

Boundary Commissions, whose composition is or will be fixed in the present Treaty or in any other Treaty between the Principal Allied and Associated Powers and the, or any, interested States, will have to trace these frontiers on the ground.

They shall have the power, not only of fixing those portions which are defined as "a line to be fixed on the ground," but also, where a request to that effect is made by one of the States concerned, and the Commission is satisfied that it is desirable to do so, of revising portions defined by administrative boundaries; this shall not, however, apply in the case of international frontiers existing in August, 1914, where the task of the Commission will confine itself to the re-establishment of signposts and boundary marks. They shall endeavour in both cases to follow as nearly as possible the descriptions given in the Treaties, taking into account as far as possible administrative boundaries and local economic interests.

The decisions of the Commissions will be taken by a majority, and shall be binding on the parties concerned.

The expenses of the Boundary Cornmissions will be borne in equal shares by the two States concerned.

Article 30

In so far as frontiers defined by a waterway are concerned, the phrases "course" or "channel" used in the descriptions of the present Treaty signify, as regards non-navigable rivers, the median line of the waterway or of its principal branch, and as regards navigable rivers, the median line of the principai channel of navigation. It will rest with the Boundary Commissions provided for by the present Treaty to specify whether the frontier line shall follow any changes of the course or channel which may take place, or whether it shall be definitely fixed by the position of the course or channel at the time when the present Treaty comes into force.

Article 31

The various States interested undertake to furnish to the Commissions all documents necessary for their tasks, especially authentic copies of agreements fixing existing or old frontiers, all large scale maps in existence, geodetic data, surveys completed but unpublished, and information concerning the changes of frontier watercourses.

They also undertake to instruct the local authorities to communicate to the Commissions all documents, especially plans, cadastral and land books, and to furnish on demand all details regarding property, existing economic conditions, and other necessary information.

Article 32

The various States interested undertake to give every assistance to the Boundary Commissions, whether directly or through local authorities, in everything that concerns transport, accommodation, labour, material (signposts, boundary pillars) necessary for the accomplishment of their mission.

Article 33

The various States interested undertake to safeguard the trigonometrical points, signals, posts or frontier marks erected by the Commission.

Article 34

The pillars will be placed so as to be intervisible; they will be numbered, and their position and their number will be noted on a cartographic document.

Article 35

The protocols defining the boundary and the maps and documents attached thereto will be made out in triplicate, of which two copies will be forwarded to the Governments of the limitrophe States and the third to the Government of the French Republic, which will deliver authentic copies to the Powers who sign the present Treaty.

Part III. Political Clauses

Part III—Political Clauses

Section I. Serb-Croat-Slovene State

Article 36

Bulgaria, in conformity with the action already taken by the Allied and Associated Powers, recognises the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.

Article 37

Bulgaria renounces in favour of the Serb-Croat-Slovene State all rights and title over the territories of the Bulgarian Monarchy situated outside the frontiers of Bulgaria as laid down in Article 27, Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), and recognised by the present Treaty, or by any Treaties concluded for the purpose of completing the present settlement, as forming part of the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.

Article 38

A Commission consisting of seven members, five nominated by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, one by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, and one by Bulgaria, shall be constituted within fifteen days from the coming into force of the present Treaty to trace on the spot the frontier line described in Article 27(1), Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria).

Article 39

Bulgarian nationals habitually resident in the territories assigned to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State will acquire Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality ipso facto and will lose their Bulgarian nationality.

Bulgarian nationals, however, who became resident in these territories after 1 January 1913, will not acquire Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality without a permit from the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.

Article 40

Within a period of two years from the coming into force of the present Treaty, Bulgarian nationals over 18 years of age and habitually resident in the territories which are assigned to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State in accordance with the present Treaty will be entitled to opt for their former nationality. Serb-Croat-Slovenes over 18 years of age who are Bulgarian nationals and habitually resident in Bulgaria will have a similar right to opt for Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality.

Option by a husband will cover his wife and option by parents will cover their children under 18 years of age.

Persons who have exercised the above right to opt must within the succeeding twelve months transfer their place of residence to the State for which they have opted.

They will be entitled to retain their immovable property in the territory of the other State where they had their place of residence before exercising their right to opt. They may carry with them their movable property of every description. No export or import duties may be imposed upon them in connection with the removal of such property.

Within the same period Serb-Croat-Slovenes who are Bulgarian nationals and are in a foreign country will be entitled, in the absence of any provisions to the contrary in the foreign law, and if they have not acquired the foreign nationality, to obtain Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality and lose their Bulgarian nationality by complying with the requirements laid down by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.

Article 41

The proportion and nature of the financial obligations of Bulgaria which the Serb-Croat-Slovene State will have to assume on account of the territory placed under its sovereignty will be determined in accordance with Article 141, Part VIII (Financial Clauses), of the present Treaty.

Subsequent agreements will decide all questions which are not decided by the present Treaty and which may arise in consequence of the cession of the said territory.

Section II. Greece

Article 42

Bulgaria renounces in favour of Greece all rights and title over the territories of the Bulgarian Monarchy situated outside the frontiers of Bulgaria as laid down in Article 27, Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), and recognised by the present Treaty, or by any Treaties concluded for the purpose of completing the present settlement, as forming part of Greece.

Article 43

A Commission consisting of seven members, five nominated by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, one by Greece and one by Bulgaria, will be appointed fifteen days after the coming into force of the present Treaty to trace on the spot the frontier line described in Article 27(2), Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), of the present Treaty.

Article 44

Bulgarian nationals habitually resident in the territories assigned to Greece will obtain Greek nationality ipso facto and will lose their Bulgarian nationality.

Bulgarian nationals, however, who became resident in these territories after 1 January 1913, will not acquire Greek nationality without a permit from Greece.

Article 45

Within a period of two years from the coming into force of the present Treaty, Bulgarian nationals over 18 years of age and habitually resident in the territories assigned to Greece in accordance with the present Treaty will be entitled to opt for Bulgarian nationality.

Option by a husband will cover his wife and option by parents will cover their children under 18 years of age.

Persons who have exercised the above right to opt must within the succeeding twelve months transfer their place of residence to the State for which they have opted.

They will be entitled to retain their immovable property in the territory of the other State where they had their place of residence before exercising their right to opt. They may carry with them their movable property of every description. No export or import duties may be imposed upon them in connection with the removal of such property.

Article 46

Greece accepts and agrees to embody in a Treaty with the Principal Allied and Associated Powers such provisions as may be deemed necessary by these Powers to protect the interests of inhabitants of that State who differ from the majority of the population in race, language or religion.

Greece further accepts and agrees to embody in a Treaty with the Principal Allied and Associated Powers such provisions as these Powers may deem necessary to protect freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of other nations.

Article 47

The proportion and nature of the financial obligations of Bulgaria which Greece will have to assume on account of the territory placed under her sovereignty will be determined in accordance with Article 141, Part VIII (Financial Clauses), of the present Treaty.

Subsequent agreements will decide all questions which are not decided by the present Treaty and which may arise in consequence of the cession of the said territory.

Section III. Thrace

Article 48

Bulgaria renounces in favour of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers all rights and title over the territories in Thrace which belonged to the Bulgarian Monarchy and which, being situated outside the new frontiers of Bulgaria as described in Article 27(3), Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), have not been at present assigned to any State.

Bulgaria undertakes to accept the settlement made by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in regard to these territories, particularly in so far as concerns the nationality of the inhabitants.

The Principal Allied and Associated Powers undertake to ensure the economic outlets of Bulgaria to the Aegean Sea.

The conditions of this guarantee will be fixed at a later date.

Section IV. Protection of Minorities

Article 49

Bulgaria undertakes that the stipulations contained in this Section shall be recognised as fundamental laws, and that no law, regulation or official action shall conflict or interfere with these stipulations, nor shall any law, regulation or official action prevail over them.

Article 50

Bulgaria undertakes to assure full and complete protection of life and liberty to all inhabitants of Bulgaria without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race or religion.

All inhabitants of Bulgaria shall be entitled to the free exercise, whether public or private of any creed, religion or belief, whose practices are not inconsistent with public order or public morals.

Article 51

Bulgaria admits and declares to be Bulgarian nationals ipso facto and without the requirement of any formality all persons who are habitually resident within Bulgarian territory at the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty and who are not nationals of any other State.

Article 52

All persons born in Bulgarian territory who are not born nationals of another State shall ipso facto become Bulgarian nationals.

Article 53

All Bulgarian nationals shall be equal before the law and shall enjoy the same civil and political rights without distinction as to race, language or religion.

Difference of religion, creed or profession shall not prejudice any Bulgarian national in matters relating to the enjoyment of civil or political rights, as for instance admission to public employments, functions and honours, or the exercise of professions and industries.

No restriction shall be imposed on the free use by any Bulgarian national of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings.

Notwithstanding any establishment by the Bulgarian Government of an official language, adequate facilities shall be given to Buluarian nationals of non-Bulgarian speech for the use of their language, either orally or in writing, before the Courts.

Article 54

Bulgarian nationals who belong to racial, religious or linguistic minorities shall enjoy the same treatment and security in law and in fact as the other Bulgarian nationals. In particular they shall have an equal right to establish, manage and control at their own expense charitable, religious and social institutions, schools and other educational establishments, with the right to use their own language and to exercise their religion freely therein.

Article 55

Bulgaria will provide in the public educational system in towns and districts in which a considerable proportion of Bulgarian nationals of other than Bulgarian speech are resident adequate facilities for ensuring that in the primary schools the instruction shall be given to the children of such Bulgarian nationals through the medium of their own language. This provision shall not prevent the Bulgarian Government from making the teaching of the Bulgarian language obligatory in the said schools.

In towns and districts where there is a considerable proportion of Bulgarian nationals belonging to racial, religious or linguistic minorities, these minorities shall be assured an equitable share in the enjoyment and application of sums which may be provided out of public funds under the State, municipal or other budgets, for educational, religious or charitable purposes.

Article 56

Bulgaria undertakes to place no obstacles in the way of the exercise of the right which persons may have under the present Treaty, or under the treaties concluded by the Allied and Associated Powers with Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia or Turkey, or with any of the Allied and Associated Powers themselves, to choose whether or not they will recover Bulgarian nationality.

Bulgaria undertakes to recognise such provisions as the Principal Allied and Associated Powers may consider opportune with respect to the reciprocal and voluntary emigration of persons belonging to racial minorities.

Article 57

Bulgaria agrees that the stipulations in the foregoing Articles of this Section, so, far as they affect persons belonging to racial, religious or linguistic minorities, constitute obligations of international concern and shall be placed under the guarantee of the League of Nations. They shall not be modified without the assent of a majority of the Council of the League of Nations. The Allied and Associated Powers represented on the Council severally agree not to withhold their assent from any modification in these Articles which is in due form assented to by a majority of the Council of the League of Nations.

Bulgaria agrees that any Member of the Council of the League of Nations shall have the right to bring to the attention of the Council any infraction, or any danger of infraction, of any of these obligations, and that the Council may thereupon take such action and give such direction as it may deem proper and effective in the circumstances.

Bulgaria further agrees that any difference of opinion as to questions of law or fact arising out of these Articles between the Bulgarian Government and any one of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, or any other Power, a Member of the Council of the League of Nations, shall be held to be a dispute of an international character under Article 14 of the Covenant of the League of Nations. The Bulgarian Government hereby consents that any such dispute shall, if the other party thereto demands, be referred to the Permanent Court of International Justice. The decision of the Permanent Court shall be final and shall have the same force and effect as an award under Article 13 of the Covenant.

Section V. General Provisions

Article 58

Bulgaria undertakes to recognize the full force of all treaties or agreements which may be entered into by the Allied and Associated Powers with States now existing or coming into existence in future in the whole or part of the former Empire of Russia as it existed on 1 August 1914 and to recognize the frontiers of any such States as determined therein.

Bulgaria acknowledges and agrees to respect as permanent and inalienable the independence of the said States.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 143, Part VIII (Financial Clauses), and Article 171, Part IX (Economic Clauses), of the present Treaty, Bulgaria accepts definitely the abrogation of the Brest-Litovsk Treaties and of all treaties, conventions and agreements entered into by her with the Maximalist Government in Russia.

The Allied and Associated Powers formally reserve the rights of Russia to obtain from Bulgaria restitution and reparation based on the principles of the present Treaty.

Article 59

Bulgaria hereby recognizes and accepts the frontiers of Austria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Roumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State and the Czecho-Slovak State as these frontiers may be determined by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

Article 60

Bulgaria undertakes to recognize the full force of the Treaties of Peace and additional conventions which have been or may be concluded by the Allied and Associated Powers with the Powers who fought on the side of Bulgaria, and to recognize whatever dispositions have been or may be made concerning the territories of the former German Empire, of Austria, of Hungary, and of the Ottoman Empire, and to recognize the new States within their frontiers as there laid down.

Article 61

No inhabitant of territory ceded by Bulgaria under the present Treaty shall be disturbed or molested on account of his political attitude after 28 July 1914, or of the determination of his nationality effected in accordance with the present Treaty.

Article 62

Bulgaria declares that she recognizes the French Protectorate in Morocco, and that she will make no claim on behalf of herself or her nationals to the benefits or immunities derived from the regime of the capitulations in Morocco. All treaties, agreements, arrangements and contracts concluded by Bulgaria with Morocco are regarded as abrogated as from 11 October 1915.

Moroccan goods entering Bulgaria shall enjoy the treatment accorded to French goods.

Article 63

Bulgaria declares that she recognizes the Protectorate proclaimed over Egypt by Great Britain on 18 December 1914, and that she will make no claim on behalf of herself or her nationals to the benefits or immunities derived from the regime of the capitulations in Egypt. All treaties, agreements, arrangements and contracts concluded by Bulgaria with Egypt are regarded as abrogated as from 11 October 1915.

Egyptian goods entering Bulgaria shall enjoy the treatment accorded to British goods.

Part IV. Military, Naval and Air Clauses

Part IV—Military, Naval and Air Clauses

In order to render possible the initiation of a general limitation of the armaments of all nations, Bulgaria undertakes strictly to observe the military, naval and air clauses which follow.

Section I. Military Clauses

Chapter I. General

Article 64

Within three months of the coming into force of the present Treaty, the military forces of Bulgaria shall be demobilised to the extent prescribed hereinafter.

Article 65

Universal compulsory military service shall be abolished in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Army shall in future only be constituted and recruited by means of voluntary enlistment.

Chapter II. Effectives and cadres of the Bulgarian Army

Article 66

The total number of military forces in the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed 20,000 men, including officers and depot troops.

The formations composing the Bulgarian Army shall be fixed in accordance with the wishes of Bulgaria, subject to the following reservations:

(1) The effectives of units shall be compulsorily fixed between the maximum and minimum figures shown in Table IV annexed to the present Section.

(2) The proportion of officers, including the personnel of staffs and special services, shall not exceed one-twentieth of the total effectives with the colours, and that of non-commissioned officers shall not exceed one-fifteenth of the total effectives with the colours.

(3) The number of machine guns, guns and howitzers shall not exceed those fixed in Table V annexed to the present Section per thousand men of the total effectives with the colours.

The Bulgarian Army shall be exclusively employed for the maintenance of order within the Bulgarian territory and for the control of the frontiers.

Article 67

In no case shall units be formed of greater size than a division, the latter being in accordance with Tables I, II and IV annexed to the present Section. The maximum size of the staffs and of all formations are given in the Tables annexed to the present Section; these figures need not be exactly followed, but they must not in any case be exceeded.

The maintenance or formation of any other group of forces, as well as any other organisation concerned with military command or war preparation, is forbidden.

Each of the following units may have a depot:

A regiment of Infantry;

A regiment of Cavalry;

A regiment of Field Artillery;

A battalion of Pioneers.

Article 68

All measures of mobilisation or appertaining to mobilisation are forbidden.

Formations, administrative services and staffs must not in any case include supplementary cadres.

It is forbidden to carry out any preparatory measures for the requisition of animals or any other means of military transport.

Article 69

The number of gendarmes shall be fixed by the Inter-Allied Military Commission of Control referred to in Article 98, and shall not exceed the number of men employed in a similar capacity in 1911 within the territorial limits of Bulgaria as fixed in accordance with the present Treaty. In no case shall the number of these officials who are armed with rifles exceed 10,000.

The number of these officials may only be increased in the future in proportion to the increase of population in the localities or municipalities which employ them.

These officials, as well as those employed in the railway service, must not be assembled for the purpose of taking part in any military exercises.

In addition, Bulgaria may establish a special corps of frontier guards, which must be recruited by means of voluntary enlistment and must not exceed 3,000 men, so that the total number of rifles in use in Bulgaria shall not exceed 33,000.

Article 70

Any military formation not dealt with in the above Articles is forbidden. Such other formations as may exist in excess of the effectives authorised shall be suppressed within the period laid down in Article 64.

Chapter III. Recruiting and military training

Article 71

All officers, including the gendarmerie, customs, forest and other services must be regulars (officers de carrière). Officers at present serving who are retained in the army, gendarmerie or the abovmentioned services must undertake to serve at least up to the age of 40. Officers at present serving who do not join the new army, gendarmerie or the abovementioned services shall be free from any military obligations. They must not take part in any military exercises, theoretical or practical.