TORTURED SERBIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 199, 17 May 1919, Page 8

TORTURED SERBIA

BULGAR ATTEMPT AT EXTERMINATION

A TERRIBLE INDICTMENT

Tho report of the Inter-Allied Commission on (ho violations of The Hague Convention ;ind international rights in general committed ill 1915-1918 by (lie Bulgarians in occupied Sorbin lias been concluded. It is unanimously signed by L. Stovanovitcli, ex-Premier; M. A. Bonas : sieux, French Delegate i M. R. Gavrilovitch, Plenipotentiary Minister; 'lJonten-ant-Colonel H. B. Mayne, Britis?i Delegate, and M. Slobodanv Voyanovitch, Professor of the University of Belgrade; and abundantly confirms' tho terrible storjes that have been issued as to tli'e Bulgarian treatment of invaded Serbia. It has been possible to establish nbsolute proofs of _ tho statements made as. to (he destruction of towns and villages, as to the pillaging of churches, and as to the barbarous tortures inflicted on (he inhabitants of the country.

From a genial standpoint tho most significant conclusion of the Commission is that there can bo no question about Hio fact of the Bulgarian Government deliberately attempting to root out Serbinn civilisation, removing monuments that showed the domination of Serbia in Macedonia, in the Middle Ages, destroying all Serbian books that they could'find, making it an offence to use the Serbian language, forcing the Serbs to change the ending of their name from the Serb "itch" to the Bulgarian "off." and removing all material tr.aces of the Serbian passages through Macedonia, 1912-19 U. As the Commission points out. this was a definite poiicy of denationalising Serbia. Naturally the sovereignty, of the Serbian State was violated, the Bulgarians even attempting by force to rccruit soldiers among the Serbians. Abominable Savagery, So much for what may be described as as illicit policy, and if that -were tho gravamen of the charge against the BillKarituis they would be guilty of acts of injustice which would demand punishment. What is much more grave, however, is that at) as nn outcome of this policy tho Bulgarians behaved in such a way as to justify the evidence laid before the Commission. Their report fays-.

"The anti-Serbian policy of the Bulgarian Government was carried out by its subordinates with a bestiality and. a refined savagery which approaches sadism. All the horrors of the mo-t terrible period of human history which we believed had for ever disappeared have made their appearance again in that part of Serbia which the Bulgarians crossed. In that part not only .were men killed and women violated, but everv kind of torture was exercised and every form of sadism practised, not to mention erapalcment invented by the Turks, roasting alive invented by the cannibals, the rapine of _ mothers in the presence of their daughters, and nf daughters in the presence of their mothers. (Hero follow statements regarding other, abominations too revolting to be published.)

It is essential to notice that these are. not isolated crimes. The atrocities were not only committed by Bulgarian commitajis, but also by Bulgarian officers and the Bulgarian police. These facts have proved that the Bulgarians havp an inveterate inextinguishable hatred, which is without' parallel ill the world, fnv the Serbs. The civilised world cannot remain indifferent before such a situation. A. people capable of bating to this extent, and so blind and ferocious'in the expression of its bale, represents a danger for its neighbours and a disgrace' for the epoch in which we livp. It deserves a 6evero exemplary punishment because that alone will bring it to reason and make it understand that in our days crimes and atrocities deserve no pity and are no longer profitable enterprises. Prisoners Massacred. The Commission ■ publishes evidence showing how in numerous cases prisoners "of war were massacred. It shows, also that priests, teacher, mayors, influential notables were murdered. More (than 150 priests tvero killed. The majority of the murders were political in character, the desire being to leave the Serbian people without leaders to guide them. In certain cases there were murders from motives of pillage and caprice. In some parts of Eastern Serbia groups of 150 persons were ordered to bo shot! it is estimated that the "total number of victims in Toplitza alone was 20,000. Those who wish to realise the extent of the tortures inflicted on the .Serbs must study the report of the Commission itself, as it is only possible to print some of the least abominations.. IVsons were cut to pieces, mutilated, cudgelled to death, burnt alive, hanged, or buried alive. In some cases eyes were torn out, and oars and noses out off. -Women and children were tortured similarly to tho men. Rape was a thing of common occurrence, even the Bulgarian bishop preaching in such a .way as to make the Bulgarian chivroli responsible for the excess. Tho 'internment camps for civilians inflicted the utmost hardships on persons interned. There was little or no'shelter, utterly insufficient food, and no attempt at clothing. The appalling figures are given by the Commission that out of 100,000 persons interned only, about 50,0000 came back, and they had much impaired health, The Commission also gives evidence of illicit forms of taxation imposed, of wholesale looting and pillaging, of forced labour exacted under appalling conditions, and of material damage of all sorts which is stated at a general ■figure of several '(Milliard francs.