The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-11
Prodding the Powers.

Prodding the Powers.
The gentlemen representing the Mace
DOMAIN Committee, whose operations afeld
are in turn represented by Boris Sarafoff
in the Monastir and Salonika districts,
in. their appeal to the powers, issued yes
terday, make some wholesome, suggestive
statements throwing light upon the stu
alton, and indicating the inevitable result
Of the present tendencies.
The committee remind the powers (Aus-
tria and Russia) who nearly a year. ago
notified the Sultan that he must carry out
administrative reforms in Macedonia,
that such notification amounts to nothing
without the organization of Christian
government under an, experienced Chris
tan governor. acting independently of
the Sultan and cooperating with joint
administrative board appointed by the
powers. This kind Of settlement would not
have been eagerly accepted by the Turk,
but 1t Is only thru some such arrangement
that anything like peace can ever be
brought upon the Balkan peninsula. The
powers themselves started the trouble and
during the whole Of this year have done
little but encourage the turmoil in Ma
cedonia. The Turk is no more disposed to
execute reforms in Macedonia now than
he was at the close of the Berlin Congress
when he had just signed the several
pledges for reform in Europe and Asia.
When the British government led in
the policy of handing back Christian lands
to the political and military authority of
the Sultan Of Turkey it knew that it
meant their restoration to the governm ent
of a perfidious barbarian, who would
break faith ere the ink was dry on the
treaty. It was not very long, indeed, be-
| fore Abdul Hamid massacred in cold blood
| about 100000 poor Armenians, concerning
| whose protection special engagements had
been entered into with Great Britain. I'm
| der the Russian treaty of San Stefano,
! the greater portion Of the region: called
! Macedonia was delivered out of the hands
Of Turkey. This treaty was killed by Lord
| Beaconsfield at the Berlin Congress, be-
cause he thought 1t was too liberal and
| besides he wanted to pocket much Turk
ish plumber himself. He took Cyprus and
restored the Macedonians to the rule OF
the pashas and tax drivers. The Mace
| domains were thrust back into a. worse
than Egyptian house of bondage and were
told to stay there. So. @on the Balkan
peninsula, Europe has tried. to- paralyze
the Independent nationalities by. croWding
Greeks and Bulgarians, Roumans and AL
banians into juxtaposition each with ma
tional aspirations to be scourged under
| the lash Of the Turk. In 1878, because
Russia would have had preponderating;in-
fuence in the southeast Of Europe under
the terms of the San Stefanos treaty, Lord
Beaconsf1eld tore up that settlement and
l prolonged chaos in the Balkan peninsula
increasing the probability Of collapse
division and satisfaction of the Turkish
| empire.
The Berlin treaty made alignments d.
rectly calculated to keep up attrition be-
tween the various nationalities. Servis
was given enough to make her want tho
whole old Servian empire. Greece, three
years after the Berlin treaty got Thes.
sally; and a considerable portion of Epir.
us. Bosnia and Herzegovina, properly in
cluded in Macedonia, were handed over tt
Austria. Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelis
were arranged to generate attrition ant
war and the situation, to-day, reflects ex
actly the legitimate result Of the studies
in geographical exercises enaged IL
around the green cloth-covered table il
the big council chamber of the Radzivil
Palace in Berlin in 1878 The final settle
ment with the Turk will be written will
blood.