THE MACEDONIAN MUDDLE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 118, 9 May 1908, Page 4

THE MACEDONIAN MUDDLE

SOME OF THE OAHDS IX A CHEAT IXTERNATIONAL CAME. (By John Foster Eraser.) In Macedonia is being played the greatest of games in high politics. When you know the cards you will find the game more cynically amusing than the canipaigu of the suiiragisto against Cabinet Ministers* Remember, then, that in the |>ad old days the TurKs, coming from Asia, nobbled a considerable portion of Europe. But during the last hundred years Turkey has been weakening, with the result that the friuging nation* of Turkish territory broke loose—(.'recce, .Servia, Bulgaria, and Koumania. They were assisted by the great Powers behind them, chielly Austria and iiussia. So all the European coiuilries which were once under Turkish rule and whieli had Christian populations have broken ' from Mussulman overlord*hip—Except Macedonia.

.\o»v, while Macedonia is .still [Kill of Turkey, it has Bulgaria and Scrvia on the north and Greece mi the South. There is no distinct .Macedonian race. Tlie |wople there are mostly Bulgarians, though the Greeks run them close. There are also a good many Servianainl collie Koumanians. And the Turks themselves are to lie remembered. Kill ill broad description it may lie said that Alaeedonia is occupied by Bulgarians on the Bulgarian side ami by Greeks on the Greek side. They ale Chri-tian raees, but belong to different Churches, aud hate each other with more hitlerlies* than do Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. The Turk treated tin* Christian .Macedonians very badly, imposed heavy taxations, and when the Christian villages would not, or could not. pay. proceeded to punish them in crude, Oriental manner by murder and rapine. The Bulgarians, who liad been liberated from Tnrki.-ii thraldom In Hnssia. thought of their ill-treated br.ither,; and si-tor- over (lie border-. So " bands " were funned; they invaded Turkish lerlilon. and lived in th.' liiils: they uuudeil Christian villages from Mahometan outrage. Their intciiti'>n- were pelfi'.'llv good, though they \\riv liabl" to be shot !>,< 1 lVebo> it el's. I.ilonillv

-peaking. they were sucees-inl 411 their ail". Hill their presence d'd not <Oll- - llie Turkish ;mthuritii -. The 'l"nrU~ liail a well-I'i.mi.sus-picion 1 hat I lie Bulgarian Go* ■rumen! wa* encouraging The "bands," they thing trei>|>- iiitn Macedonia. anil when re calcitrant Christian villages. aiileil by Unitarian' " brigands.'' as the Turks ,ailed ion who eanie over Ir.>lll Bulgaria In help, were viciuit-lv ina aered. we Ilearil a great ileal in ICngland about the killing of poor Christians hy linital Turk*.. It was not. the policy 01 Bulgaria to talk about the provoeation. " For Hulpnria was beginning to play a deep game—which was lint in the original thought. If there was the intervention of the groat European Chris tian Powers, Macedonia would !»' taken from Turkey. But as there is 110 Man--(lonian race, Bulgaria proceeded to stake out what would be her portion—a very large slice, especially as the majority of the people were Bulgarian*. Greek vilspreading up from the south, were ill llie Bulgarian area, and many of then belonged to tlie Bulgarian Church. "We count you as Bulgarian villages,'' said the Bulgars. Xovv th e Turks had also been cruel to the Greek Christians in Macedonia. It was not. however, till (ircoee saw what Bulgaria intended that she let it be known that il there was any dividing of Macedonia she was entitled to more than half. Greece proceeded to stake out her section —and it considerably overlapped the staked area of Bulgaria. Divides, there were Bulgarian villages within the Greek sphere, but belonging to the Greek Church. "You are Greeks,' proclaimed the Hellenes. When the two countries, with the aid of officially unauthorised "bands,'' began to capture each other's villages on the ground of religion, the fat was in the. tire. The Bulgarians insisted that Bui garuui-speaking villages were Bulgarian, whatever their religion miglii be. but that Greek-speaking villages, being liu!gariau in religion, were, ot cotir.se, Bulgarian! "No," said the Greeks. "Green villages are really Greek, never mind, their 'religion, but Bulgarian villages which have adopted the Greek laith lmirit be reckoned Greeks'"! So lival "bands" went out to convert and reconvert villages. Men who resisted one sid,. or the other were killed. They aiv biing killed to-day. It is not unusual fur the Turk to be blamed tor the crimes the Christians commit. If he proceeds to punish the lawless districts, he is denounced for outrages. And the Turk i* playing a little game also. For he is encouraging tlie Greeks against the Bulgars. He knows that, while they are so bitter against each other, the'v have less time to devote to him. Besides, it delays the day when Bulgaria will force war 011 Turkey—Bulgaria. being a B turdy little nation which has though niuca recently ot how .lapan. crippled Russia, and has drawn a moral. And there is also the possibility that the Bulgarian-. to precipitate matter*, will deliberately, provoke the to a tremendous massicrc of ISulgar-Mac;'-ilonian Christians, and foree Europe to intervene and add 1110-t of Macedonia to Bulgaria. That, is the internal mess. Kill the I'owcrs are worrying and nag-

giui; the Sublime I'ort to institute 'Tc loim-." The Sultan docs not like lo 1,,, t,,|,| hih business any more than I In-rc-i ul U-. lint Ibitiiin. Italy, An-tria. and Ifn-sia led lire him. <lerinany docs not: and a- a crins**rpienei. tlcriiiany — tin. most I'ar-ceinir of all-is gelling all the commercial concession* within Ihe •J"iivki-h Kmpiro. Who wants peace in Macedonia'; Iliiiain. -uppnrtcd bv Italy, ves—hut with Macedonia lo remain Turkish, be-,-hr if it docs not (here will be a (lis tnrh.itico of "the balance of power. l!u —ia doe- not want the I'rit.ii-h settlement Macedonia wit ha Tttrki-h (!overror Ccneral. but ruled by an international committee. Au-tria. which haiieeti "nur.-iiig" fVi-ftin. Herzegovina. an-1 'the Dalmatian const, and bullying little Servla. docs not want peace, because she expects to march down anil ,-e<iiro Salonika a- an Austrian port. Russia ;,nil Austria have rival interests. C!eriiiiinv. however, i- quietly aiding Austria.' because Germany hopes some (lay to make Austria part of her empire. Thill"- in Macedonia will never he better till they are a great deal worse.