The Mena weekly star., 1897-04-07


 The Macedon of to-day. for whose possession the allies would fight, is a poor country, inhabited by as shiftless and treacherous people as ever lived. The old Macedonian stock, of which we read in our school books. is extinct. The descendants of Philip and Alexan- der the Great. the men who conquered the world, to-day exist only in the im- agination of picturesque writers. Their place has been taken by motley crowds of Turks, Greeks, Slavs, Jews and Gyp- sies, who have for centuries quarreled among themselves. The country itself Is wild and unproductive; and its few fertile valleys and plains have not been systematically cultivated for years. 1t has rich mineral resources, but these have never been .eveloped, probably because the people were afraid that the fruits of their labor would be taken from them by Turkish tax-gatherers or villainous brigands. The province has but few cities. among them two or three seaports of importance, including Sa- lonica on the Aegean sea.
 Yet. ever since the disintegration of Turkey has seemed probable, many countries have cast envious glances at Macedonia. The Greeks claim it be- cause it has large Greek population. Servia claims it because, under the Ser vian Czar Dushan, it belonged to her; Bulgaria wants it because it was once part of Czar Samuels realm; Russia has an eye on it on general principles, and Austria Hungary would like to an- nex 1t because it wants seaport on the Aegean sea and a terminus for it's in- ternational railway system, which runs through the entire Balkan country.
 An English writer, who has made the question the subject of profound re- search, sums up the historical claims on Macedonia as follows: q, Macedonia was province of the Greek empire from the fourth to the middle of the fourteenth century-that is to say, for nearly thousand years, with a short interruption during the reign of the bulgarian Czar Samuel. ?, Macedonia was taken from the Greeks and annexed to Servia in the middle of the fourteenth century by the Servian Czar Dushan. 3, The third and the only historic fact of practical importance is that the Turks conquered Macedonia after de- teating the Servian King Vukashin in 1a71. and that ID to the present day they are masters of the country. To the question to whom Macedonia belongs historically, the only conclusive answer could be that it belongs to the sultan, and that after him the Greeks have the strongest historic claim. At any rate, one thing is beyond all doubt-the Bull garians have no historic claim.'
 It may be assumed, however, that should there be reek-Servian-Bu garian-Montenegrin coalition the di- vision of Macedonia would be agreed Gron before the opening of hostilities against Turkey, and historical claims would not be considered in the settle ment. And it may be assumed with equal assurances that neither Russia nor Austria would consent to any di- vision which might, in any way, inter- fere with their commercial and political interests. Russia would undoubtedly favor Bulgaria's claims because that state is one of her own creations whose complete absorption by the Muscovite empire is only question of time.
 While preparing this article the writer received letter from foreign gentleman in touch with European pol itics which stated, in effect, that in the continental capitals reports of general European war found but little credence because the RothSchilds and other money kings are opposed to a world conflict at the present time. inasmuch as all the countries which have been talking of going to war are on the verge of bankruptcy, and without ready cash, their actions must necessarily depend more or less on the decision of the money power which, so my correspon- dent assures me, is arrayed solidly against Greece and her probable allies.
 G. W. WEIPPIERT.
 His Limitation.