The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-13
is BULGARIA NOW TOAC1?1
It is Reported That at Council OF
Ministers It Was Decided to Mob
ilize the First and Second
Army Divisions, and
This Though De-
MED is Be-
lieved.
(Ry the Associated Press.)

tBy tne ASSOcldLeu 1>TeSSI
Sofia, Bulgaria, Sept. 12.-With the ar
rival of new and sensational reports of the
donia, the situation here is hourly becom-
ing more alarming. If the latest messages,
which state that sixty thousand Bulga-
rians have been slaughtered in the dis
tricts of Okrida and Leren, shall be con-
firmed, no doubt exists that the govern
ment will be forced to order the mobili-
zation of the army Immediately.
According to information brought by a
courier to the revolutionary paper Auto
Turkish regular forces acting under orders
Grect from the Yildiz Kiosk, massacred
the entire Bulgarian Christian population
of the Okrida and Leren districts.
Fearful descriptions are given of the
sights seen there the soldiers slaughter
ing men, women and children in every di-
rection, displaying barbarism never be-
fore witnessed.
The number of killed is not stated in
the courier's dispatches, but, according to
reports from other sources, the total num-
Der of the victims will reach sixty thous-
and.
Official circles are so far without infor-
nation regarding the reported massacre,
but, in view of the character of the latest
advices of Macedonia, it is feared the news
is only too true.
Rumors are current that at council of
the minister today, it was decided to mobi-
lie Immediately the first and second army
divisions.
This is Officially denied, but well inform
ed persons do not doubt that the cabinet,
which is meeting in council daily, is Sc
riously considering such a measure
A deputation of leading professors and
representatives of the professional classes
yesterday waited upon the ministers and
urged the government to order immediate
mobilization. Premier Petroff replied to
the delegation that. the ministry was un-
able to admit the necessity for such step
at the present moment
The Turkish government is believed to
have at the present moment no less than
$4,000 soldiers in the vilayet of Adrianople.
large bodies of them within ten to fifteen
kilometres of the Bulgarian frontier Con
fronted with such situation, it is argued
that Bulgaria would be amply justified in
mobilizing the first and second army di-
visions, the headquarters of which are at
Sofia, and Philippopolis. and which com
prise the forces nearest the Turkish from
tier.
The government appears to be firmly re-
solved to avoid giving Turkey the slight
est pretext for declaring hostilities and is
/ doing its utmost to restrain the war fever
The situation. however, is rapidly becom-
ing worse and popular excitement is in
creasing. The Bulgarians are singularly
undemonstrative and self-restraned, and
are not accustomed to give vent to their
feelings in popular demonstration and
noisy professions Sofia and the country
generally are outwardly as calm as in the
most peaceful times, but people who know
the Bulgarians say this calm is more to
be feared than any outward evidence that
they realize the fearful condition of their
brethren in Macedonia.
special dispatch received here from
Ria, states that the insurgent chiefs en-
trusted with the leadership of the out
break in eastern Macedonia have met at
Piria and completed their plans.
An engagement is reported to have oc-
CURED between force of insurgents and
Turkish trops at Suchindol, in which not
single revolutionary was killed, while
the Turks lost heavily
Telegrams from Burgas says the Bulga-
rian population is fast disappearing from
the districts of Lovengrad, and that every
one unable to escape to the, Bulgarian
frontier is killed. Five hundred fugitves
nave arrived at Burgas, from yrekengea.
They state that in the surrounding vii
lagos the Turks search the houses for
guns. failing to find which, they force the
peasants to buy guns. These fugitives re-
port that two men, one aged 100 years and
the other S5, were impaled by the Turks
in the course of their search The War Of