FRISCO MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 996, 15 September 1903, Page 2

FRISCO MAIL NEWS.

TURKEY AND BULGARIA. By Telegraph. (Per R.M.S. Sierra at Auckland.) Cons'HDtinople, Aug. 26. Tho war between Turkey and Bulgaria is regarued as inevitable, unless some way is speedily found to arrest the reciprocal slaughter and destruction in Macedonia. The Turks are stirred to a high pitch of excitement by the stories told of Greek and Moslem refugees who had reached the shores of Bosphorus from annihilated villages in the districts where the insurgents are operatiug. These persons allego chat Bulgarian forces in Eastern Macedonian are killing men, women, and children iudeseriminateiy, and setting fire to everything combustible. They say that armed bands descend upon tho villages in broad daylight aud carry out their dreadful work with remorseless vigor. Several foreign diplomatists who visited refugees in their camps have returned with a gloomier view than ever of the prospects of war between Turkey aud Bulgaria. They cannot see how the general outbreak of Moslem fury can bo averted much longer. Austria and Russia are still supported by all the Powers, and persist in th3ir endeavor to localiso the struggle. Pending the issue of new negotiations with Turkey, which it is understood here are about to bo inaugurated, the Government has decided to recall to their colors all remaining European reserves belonging to the second aud third army corps, and a number of their reserves, which will bring the total of Turkish soldiers in Macedonia up to 350 battalions, or almost double tho force utilised in the Turko-Grecian wav. The enrolment of such large bodies of troops indicate the seriousness with which Turkoy viows the situation, and her determination to use all means at her disposal to repress the rebellion. Ibrabam Pasha, the new commander of the troops, is a young and capable officer. Seven battalions have been depatched to Fiorina from Monastic. The Yulis of Monastic and Salonica have telegraphed that they are now able to guarau.ee the maintenance of order in thoir respective towns. London, Aug. 26.

An official of the Turkish Embassy here said to-day that the calling out of additional troops by Turkey is due solely to the decision to suppress tho insurrection at once. It is not in the anticipation of a war with Bulgaria. Turkey has no intention of declaring war, in spite of rumors to the contrary, and Bulgaria, warned by the Powers, does not seem at this moment to contemplate hostilities. We know what public opinion is in Bulgaria, and hope tho situation may change co-morrow, but in the meantime Turkoy proposes to loso no timo in restoring peace. Accrding to a despatch from Belgrade, Servia, many of the soldiers belonging to the reserves called out by Turkey are refusing to join the colors, as tho troops in tho field have not received any pay for months. St. Petersburg, Aug. 23. Tho Russiau Black Sea squadron, ordered to Turkish waters, and arrived at Miada, Eastern Turkey, on August 19, to support Russian demands on the Sultan, has been recalled to Sebastopol, the squadron’s point of doparturo. The recall followed the notification from tho Porte. The Sultan has ordered all Russian demands to bo complied with.

A despatch has aeen received from M. Zinovierf, Russian Ambassador at Constantinople, announcing that the Sultan had yielded completely to Russia’s demands. It follows that the Porto has taken the following measures to fulfil tho demands of tho Russian Government. In addition to the condemnation and- execution of M. Rostytoski’s murderers and the punishment of their accomplices, those officers who made disrespectful allusions to M. Rostykoski are dismissed from the service. A careful search is being made for persons who firod at the Consul’s carriage. All officials, twenty-four in number, whoso names were handed to the Porto as objects of unfavorable comment by the Russian Ambassador, are relieved of posts and handed over to justice. Private persons mentioned in the same list as guilty of various offences will likewise bo tried. Ismaelhuki Pasha, chief of police at Palanka, a province of Uskub, is restored to his post. Persons under arrest for accusing Mussolmans of outrage and abuse are liberated. Hussein Hilmi, Inspector of Macedonia, is reprimanded. Chiefs of gendarmerie and police at Salonica are replaced. The Porte has ordered tho appointment to the gendarmerie of several foreign officers whose names will be announced later, and finally all military, civil, and judicial authorities have received the strictest orders to take measures to socure order and tranquillity. A rumor has been current that tho Sultan has appealed to the German Emperor to use his good offices at St. Petersburg in

favor of the recall of the Russian squadron. An extraordinary. Council of Ministers assembled at Yieldiz Kiosk yesterday to consider the situation in the entorior, and diseusss military measures rendered necessary. The Sultan had sought the advice of the French Ambassador. A despatch from Sofia on August 16 states that the Bulgarian Government has presented a momo. to Powers setting out at great length the condition of affairs during the past three months in Macedonia. Since the Turkish Government undertook to inaugurate reforms most precise details, names, dates, and names of places ace given in the memo., which is a terrible category of murder, torture, incendiarism, pillage, and general oppression committed by Ottoman soldiers and officials. Particulars were obtained entirely from official sources, such as Bulgarian Consuls aud officials of the Bulgarian Govornmont, and in many instances from reports made by Turkish authorities. Bulgarian Government guarantees the absolute truth of every statement, and challenges the Porte to disprove a single charge made in the memo. A despatch from London on August I3th gives a fair idea of the present situation.

The Daily Mail this morning prints a despatch from Belgrade, which states that Macedonian insurgents never appear in great numbers, hut in scattered detachments, thus baffling the Turkish troops, and avoiding open encounters. They confine themselves mostly to the destruction of villages and crops, expecting, in this way, to compel the populace to join the rebelliGn. The Turkish soldiers are powerless to deal with these small bands, hut to show that they arc active they occasionally loot peaceful Christian villages and perpetrate the most awful outrages. ' * Under the pretence of combatting the insurgents, various hands of Bashi-Bazouks have become the eurss of villages. They rob and murder indiscriminately, and anarchy reigns supreme. A climax of the terrible massacres may occur at any moment. Even at Belgrade Mahommedans are beginning to organise. The Turks now threaten to resort to dynamite As far as is known, the following villages have been destroyed : Koortsebu, 1 Mared, Narakov, Kosinctz. .Gochlevo, Lichnalres, Vladova, Ostrovo, Sorovitch, Esischu, Bakitz. and Jezar. On Tuesday rebels failed in an attempt to set fire to Monastir. The correspondent regards the situation as desperate. The Times prints a despatch from Sofia, which says that the Turkish authorities at Villum have distributed five ihoutand rifles to- the Mohammedan population, which alreiady threatens the Christians with massacre.