The San Francisco call., 1901-10-17

~ ISPATCHES from London announce that the
| Constantinope correspondent of the Daily
- Telegraph reports it is believed in the Turk
ish capital that the United States Government will in
sist that Turkey shall repay whatever amount is found
necessary to ransom Miss Stone Another telegram
from Constantinople is the effect that the Russian
Government has expressed desire to assist the
United States in rescuing the abducted missionary
The reports of course be regarded as abso-
luely reliable, but they open up an interesting phase
Of the situation.
The who captured Miss Stone and her COM
panon and who have demanded for their release such
high ransom may be no more than Bulgarian ban
dts, and should such prove to be the it is not
likely any international complications will ensue
There have been, however, many evidences tending
to confirm the report that the bandits are acting in
connection with the Macedonian committee" set
of men who for years past have been trying to raise
in the Balkans in the expectation that it would
result in further dismemberment OF the Turkish
empire. The committee is avowedy revolutionary
and suspects it Of being overscrupuous in
the means it employs to obtain money to incte
strife 1t is therefore not altogether improbable that
the committee may have had something to do with
the bandits who have SO securely hidden Miss Stone
in the recesses OF the mountains
Should the developments OF the case prove COM
plicity the part Of the Macedonian committee
there would then be cause OF genuine international
complication for it is we'll known the committee has
direct dealings with the Russian Government In
fact, it is generally believed in Europe that the real
headquarters OF the committee is at ST. Petersburg
that its members in the pay of the Gar and that
its activities are designed more for the purpose of
giving Russia an excuse for interfering in Turkey
than for anything else 1t will be that if this
theory be true Russia might we'll afford to be prompt
in offering aid to the United States Her Govern
ment could with little trouble bring sufficient pres
to bear upon the Macedonian committee to force
it to surrender Miss Stone even without ransom.
and it would be to her advantage do So for she
could thus display herself before the world as the pro-
tector of Christians in the Turkish empire
OF course much credit is not to be given to any
of these reports The entire population of the Balkan
Peninsula appears to be involved in a network Of
conspiracies of one kind or another Between revo-
lutionists and bandits there is probably not much d
ference. The very who is conspiring for liberty
and religion to-day may be conspiring for robbery
and loot tomorrow. The men who are carrying on
political intrgues are doubtless in many instances
the same who are acting the leaders of brigands
and bandits
In the meantime the Turkish Government is in a
are pursued by troops they will kill the women
death of the unfortunate captives while if he neglects
to exert the utmost energy he will naturally be held
responsible for the of the robbers. He will
have, however, little sympathy More and more it
is becoming evident that strong government is
needed in the Balkans to keep the peace and it is
clear the Turk will never again be in position to
exert that power