THE BALKANS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 13 January 1913, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

THE AEGEAN ISLES

(By Electric Telegraph.-—Copyright.)

Press Association.)

London, January 12

The Grecian delegates declare that Greece will not agree to the' TC:\ish retention of the Aegean Islands..

RELIEF FUNDS

Paris, January 12

The Government has sent twenty thousand francs for the relief cf Turkish fugitives at Salonika and Monastir.

A NOTE TO THE PORTE,

London, January 11

Reuter’s correspondent states that the Ambassadors will meet on Mondaj to prepare a collective Note to the Porte.

THE CHATALDJA SKIRMISH. Sofia, January 11. It is officially stated that the story of the Chataldja skirmish is untrue.

THE FATE OF ADRIANOPLE

London, January 11

The Powers are unanimous that Adrianople must be surrendered. The joint Note >does not mention the Aegean Islands. ROUMANIA’S DEMANDS. The Roumanian negotiations with Bulgaria are progressing satisfactorily. The ‘Mail’ states that Roumania has demanded a strip of land from Sells tria to Kavarna as compensation foi her neutrality. The replj is that only the National Assembly car: cede territory, and that she will not consent to any dismemberment. Paris', January 11.

The newspapers have recalled the reports of the Austro-Roumanian offensive and defensive alliance.

A PRACTICAL PROTEST

London, January 12

Mr. Aubrey Herbert has quitted the Balkan Committee, owing to the resolution supporting the Allies’ claitns, and also the absence of any censure of the Servian massacres of Albaniam and the Bulgarian massacres cf Mos loins.

TURKISH HONOUR,

(Received 8.45 a.m.) London, January 12

Reuter states it is believed Chukli Pasha partially re-victualled Adrianople, seizing, in spite of the armistice, a food convoy intended for the Bulgarians at Chataldja.

PILLAGE AND MASSACRE,

(Received 8.45 a.m.) Athens, January 12

Advices from Corfu state that the Turks and Albanians burned 120 houses in the village of Keramizzu, and tortured and massacred thirty women am. children who were taking refuge in a cave. Outrages and burnings in othe Epirus villages are also alleged.

THE TURKS REPULSED

MONTENEGRINS RESTLESS

Cettinje, January 12. The Turks at Taraboch attacked the. Montenegrins, but were repulsed. The Montenegrins are bitter at the non-recognition of the armistice, and threaten to resume fighting.

LOSS OE OPPORTUNITY

Sofia, January 12

The newspaper ‘Mir/ commenting on the Roumanians’ claim, said: “lloumania, like other Powers, ex pected the Allies to be defeated. Had lloumania poined the Allies, they might have accomplished the task of freeing the Christians without bloodshed. lloumania can only regret the loss of the propitious opportunity instead of claiming Bulgarian tend-

on'. ”

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW.

Christchurch, January 12

In connection with the cablegram from Sofia stating that the public of Bulgaria was indignant at Roumama’s insistent demands, a resident ol Christchurch, who was born in the locality affected, told a reporter to day a little of the reason for the perpetual jealousy between the two countries. He was a native, he said, of Tulaca, which, with the port of Sulina and Kostancea, formed the chief towns of the district of Dohrogea, now in Rouinania. Previous to the war between Turkey and Greece, in 1878, this district included a great number of Bulgarians, Greeks and Russians, as well as Roumanians, and during the Turkish regime these had great freedom of action in every way, and they did pretty much what they liked. When Roumania took charge, however, she mulcted strict laws and enforced them, and this caused bitterness and heart-burning. One of the most touchy points bore upon the name a man took. Though the country remained largely Bulgarian, a Bulgarian could not secure a Government position unless he adopted the Roumanian form of address, which was lonesco as contrasted with the Bulgarian form of “Ivanoff.” It was explained that this was really the same word, but the articulation made all the difference between an acceptable and a non-ac-ceptable form of address. Naturally, Bulgars chafed under this restriction, and also complained most strongly about the teaching and religious cr-

dinances imposed hy the Roumanians. These provided that teachers must be Roumanians, and that Roumanian religious teaching should have access to the sciiools, with the idea of destroying the Bulgarian nationality. Fundamentally, there was a difference between the two peoples. The Roumanians numbered about ten millions,, and were a superior type to the Bulgarians, who totalled about five millions. The Bulgarians could live very cheaply and in summer time provided cheap labour for the harvest of Roumania. The Roumanians, in consequence, look down upon the Bulgarians, and, conversely, there was a bitter feeling on the part of the Bulgarians against the Roumanians. Ever since the original cession of this district mentioned flohtier troubles had existed, and war between the two had been a matter of frequent threat, and, in the past, a subject of alarm and even of mobiliphtions every few years. Serious war had been expected about fifteen years ago, but that cloud had passed by, and now Roumania, it seemed, desired to further weaken Bulgaria at this apparently advantageous moment.