The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-26
IN THE
CASE STATED
Mr.. Bslfour Analyses the Situa-
ton in Macedonia.
TURKEY not ALONE TO BLAME
AUSTRIA AND RUSSIA CAN SET
TIE THE TROUBLE.

/ ONDON. sept -9.-Eremlcr BdltOuT,
/ in a lengthy letter to the arch
bishop OF Canterbury DIT. David
son, discusses the Macedonian situa-
ton. The letter is reply to the arch
bishops action in drawing attention TO
the growing uneasiness among church
men at the apparent apathy Of the
powers. while unspeakable atrocities
. are perpetrated in Macedonia"
/ Mr.. Baifour says he is in entire SYM
pathy with the feelings Of horror and
Indignation. and fully understands the
/ desire to give expression in public
meeting to the sentiment of reprOba-
( ton which recent events justified. Mr..
Balfour then proceeds to analyze the
situation. He says:
we have not to deal with a sample
/ of disagreement or oppression by
Turkish officials, but with a problem
complicated by the fact that the Chris
tiau population of Macedonia is rent in
fragments by differences Of race aggra-
/ waited by differences Of religion. and i'm
I addition to the ills inflicted by cor
rupt and incapable administration and
/ by an ili-paid and undisciplined sol
/ diery and by detestabe system Of
/ taxation we have to reckon with ais
the ills which. i'm a population not inn
/ buCd with western ideas Of humanity.
rival natiUnalities and sects do not
sCruple to inhict on one another
Concert of Europe.
Mr. Balfour adds: THE instrument
whereby the situation may be dealt
with is the concert of Europe. But
this, even were they all in harmony.
[ is necessarily slow. and may easily be
I ineffective if the problem is complex
1t was a matter of cOngratulatiOn
when Russia and Austria, acting with
the authority Of Europe. proposed to
press the scheme of reforms, which,
I lacking i'm theoretical perfection. came
within the circuit of practical politics
and would, if more earnestly pressed
by the porte and more frankly accept
ed by the Macedonian population. have
spared the world the horrors il has
since witnessed. Neither of these con
ditions were fulfilled. The porte. as
usual. was dilatory and failed TO see
that a policy of humanity was a pol
icy of wisdom. The revOlutionists have
4 deliberately done their best to drive the
Turk to excuses and furnish him with
an excuse for deferring the execution
Of reforms. meeting horrors with hOr-
rOrs and brutality with brutality for
the deliberate purpose of driving the
Turk to- crimes against the innocent
and thus play upon the sympathieS OF
the world Such methods as these are
no more morally tolerable than the mis-
government which is their excuse"
Great Britain's Attitude
Coming to the question Of the atti-
tude of Great Britain, Mr. BaIfour
points out that Russia. Austria and
Turkey cannot be Indifferent to a ter
TitOrial redistribution i'm the peninsula.
while Greece Bulgaria, Servia and
ROumania are all interested in the fate
Of the province whose Christian popU-
latiOu is made up from all their ma
tionaiities. These external complica-
tions are doubled by internal ones. be-
cause Of religious differences the Mo
haTmedans fearing Christian rule
wnlle the eXarchists and Christians
prosecute the patriaTchists the Greeks
who are patTiarChists would sooner
find protection under the rule of the
sultan than be left 10 fight the matter
with the Bulgarians, who arc CXarch-
lists
1T is with a problem such as this
that one has to deal" says Mr.. Balfour.
and L cannot but believe that the best
hope of dealing with il lies i'm the con-
tinuCd cooperation Of Russia andVAus-
tria strengthened with the support and
aided by the advice OF the other sfena-
tories of the Berlin treaty"
These countries possess. Mr.. BaifOur
asserts. Incompatible influence over
the antag0nistic forces in the peninsu-
ia. In fact. not other nation or group
of nations could dc it at all if Russia
and Austria We're hostile. Great Brit
ain was not precluded by the policy
outlined from Offering suggestions
which had already been done. and she
viii continue to do so. But it would be
folly to forget that there ART. occasions
when two powers are stronger than
three and that an addition TO the
numbers carries a diminutiOn of eff
cheney.
These principles. concludes Mr.. Bal
four. direct the policy of the British
government i'm the near east. and he
has no doubt that they are in accord
ance with British interests and i'm
obedience TO them lies the best hope of
improving the condition of the Mace
domains and the security of European
peace.