The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-12
WAR is INEVITABLE.
Concluded from First Page.

and Kastoria on the headwaters of the Wis
tritza or Inji-Karasu, that discharges into
the Gulf of Salonica not far from the mouth
of the Vardar.
1t is to be noted here that the River Wis.,
tritza, just mentioned, was proposed by
England in 1892 as the northern boundary of
Greece, but the united influence of Austria,
Prussia and Russia prevailed. and the
boundary was run from Surpi, on the Gun .hd
Gulf of Arta. giving, so to speak the meat
back to Turkey and leaving Greece with
the bare bone of her devastated hamletS
and ravished hillsides to begin her national
existence. The great difficulty of Greece
always has been that she has not suf-
ficient area of grain-producing land as q
basis for the national SuStenance. 1t is in
the region between the Greek frontier and
the Vistritza that the Turkish army of OBJ
headquarters at Elassona and its left flank
resting on the slopes of Olympus, the abode
of the ancient gods of Greece, with the
right finak covered by force cautioned at
Naselitch watching the Greeks at Trikkala.
The whole country between the Greek from
tier and the Salonca -Monastir Railway line
is broken by a series of mountain ranges.
some of considerable height. The roads as
are those all over Macedonia and, indeed.
all over the Turkish empire. are unworthy
of the name. North of the railway line the
Bulgarian element begins to dominate in
the population, and in the region north
of a line drawn east from MonaStir by Dol
ran TO Nevrekop. on the Karasu. the pop
ulation is wholly Bulgarian. The road run
ming north from Monastir passes over
Il
town of considerable size From Perlipe
there is road through defile opening
on a fairly open country TO Gradsko. on the
Salonica-Uskub Railway, and another
across the hill to kuprilli, or Valessa, sew
eral stations north of Gradsko, with
mixed population.
country opens out into a plain and undu-
lating country that stretches away to the
Servlan and Bulgarian frontiers. With the
military instinct that still survives, the
Turks have constructed redoubtS and bat
teries around Uskub. and have converted
ii into another Plevna. The population here
begins to change character, and the Bull
girian and Serb meet. The railway going
north from Uskub passes through tunnel
which the Servian and Slavo-Albanian pop
ulation begins. These hills form the nortn-
ern limit of Macedonia. To the north the
territory is known in the Turkish Admins
tration as the Nilayet of kossovo, or the
''Backbirds, the fatal field on which the
Servian army under the Car LazaD was
defeated in 1883 and the old Servan EN-
pire, founded by Duchan fell under the
Turk. The town of Mitrovitza, which is
the terminus of the railway from Salonica,
is picturesquely situated at the junction of
the SitinitZa with the Ibar, one of the main
tributaries of the Servian Morava that dis
charges into the Danube below Semendria.
On the north side of the town are the
gorges through which pass the road leading
to Novi-Bizar close to the Servian from
tier. In order to prevent the possibility of
Servia and Montenegro coming together at
any moment on this territory. the Austrian
| lin Congress to maintain conformity with
| the Turks equal garrisons at certain strate-
gic points on the roads passing across No
| vi-Bazar from Servia to Montenegro. These
| points are Plevje, Priepolje and Bielopolje
| and glance at the map will show how
| effectuaily the purpose of blocking the
roads is accomplished by their occupation
| This question has been one of the many
| thorns in the side of the Sultan. but the
| only remedy he might have applied that
| could have removed them he failed to USE
and the Austrian occupation has now every
| appearance of being permanent.
The Bulgarians have considerable forces
| concentrated south of Sofia at Dubnitza,
| Samakov and Tatar Bazardjik. From the
| first named, Dubnitza, road leads west to
| leads due south to Djuma, on the Turkish
| side of the frontier, down the valley of the
across the mountains by LISA and Drama
| to Kavala on the Aegean, opposite the
Island of Thasos, an appanage of the Khe-
| by this road, besides being assisted by revo-
| lutionary bands, could be supported by a
be my 1ne no he
| ley of the Struma, from SamakOv and Ia
tar Bazardjik. A Servian movement would
| from Vranya on the railway line TO Uskub;
another from Leskovatz to Pristina in the
Vilayet of Kossovo and others from Ujit5
| action with Montenegro in N0vl-BaZar and
Kossovo There certainly should be no diff,
ficuity, so far as the Balkan states and
Greece are concerned. in their all coming to
| an equitable understanding for the parti-
| ton of Macedonia Whoever possessed Sa-
| lonica would be bound TO make ii free
| port of entry and shipment for all the other
| states interested in the railways terminal
| ing there and the inhabitants would gain
| at once by passing under their national
| flags Their political and military necessi-
| ties would in a short time compel the three
| states to enter into some kind OF federal
compact for mutual defense and trade re-
! quirements. Under the surveillance and
| with the good will of Europe, powerful
| and prosperous confederation would eventu-
| allv be formed that would in time develop
| into a nation. with traditions and a mission
| of its own. In view. however of passing
| events, this can only be regarded as a
| dream or a pious wish. The practical poll
| tics of ambition welding the weapons of
! force are seemingly preparing TO solve all
| questions without regard to considerations
| of humanity or right.