The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-15

have decided 10 bury the Ratchet end to
unite for common action some time in
March.
or course. if the Sultan we're left alone
to cope with his insurgcnt Christian sub
jects in Macedonia. which is the richest
and. 10 the imperial treasury. the most
productive OF all his provinces, he could
speedily crush the revolt. Indeed. he
could accomplish this without invoking
the services of the army of a quarter OF
a million men which ne has just mObil-
/ lied.
But as soon as ever general rising
| Of the Christians takes place in Mace
/ donia the insurgents will be joined by
/ the, entire Bulgarian army and nation
/ whether Prince Ferdinand likes IL or
] not Indeed. il he makes any attempt
| to prevent his people from proceeding
/ to the rescue OF their co-religionists in
( Macedonia he will be driven from his
! lettering throne.
/ The Bulgarian army. which itself mum
hers, all told, about couple OF hundred
/ thousand men, is largely composed OF
| Mace domains The percentage Of Mace
J DOMAIN officers is considerably over 20
per cent, while the average among the
rank and file, though not quite as big. is
nevertheless considerable.
Must Lead to Rule.
| While Prince Ferdinand might be able
| TO rely upon the obedience of his troops
/ il he leads them across his borders into
! Macedonia. it is very doubtful whether
/ they will pay any attention to his com
mands f. he makes the slightest attempt
| to prevent them from helping their fell
low cOuntrymen and co-religiOnists in
/ Macedonia TO free themselves from
| Turkish bondage and from the appalling
! oppression and cruelty perpetrated by
the Sultan's fanatic levies from Asia
But Bulgaria is no match for the
Porte. The latter's army. in spite OF the
excuses Of which it renders itself guilty
when set loose among the Christian viii
sges and townlets of southeastern Eu-
rope and Asia Minor is one of the finest
fighting forces in the world. It must
never be forgotten how stubborn was
the defense made b. the Turkish troops
against the combined forces Of Russia
Servia. Roumania. and Montenegro be-
fore peace was brought about by the
treaty OF San Stefano in 1878
Today the Turkish army is fmmeas-
urably better organized. better armed
and better trained by picked German
officers than it was a quarter Of a cen
fury ago. There is no doubt that the
Sultan could readily, not merely hold
his own. but easily crush a coalition
OF Bulgaria. the Macedonian insurgents
Servia and ROumania, with even Monte
negro and Greece thrown in. providing
, Russia holds aloof That Russia would
stay her hand in such an event is, how
ever. improbable in the extreme.
Even were the Muscovite government
TO decline TO intervene IN behalf of the
Christian states of the Balkan Peninsula
popular sentiment in Russia would COM
pei Nicholas II 10 take up arms in theii
cause precisely as his grandfather. EN-
/ peror Alexander H. WAS forced at
most inopportune moment from a Rus
sian point OF view. to 90 to the rescue
OF the Bulgarian insurgents as well "a
OF Servia and OF ROumania in 1876 anS
; 1871 That the Car realizes this h
5 plainly 10 be seen from the military pre-
5 parations which he is making. and which
, can only be aimed against the Sublime
Porte.
/ No Doctor for Sick Man.
! Nor is It probable that any European
p power will raise a finger in behalf o
2 the Sultan At the time OF the Crimeal
War England France. and Sardinia sac
rificed q vast amount OF blood and treas
ure in defense of the Porte against Rus
sian aggression. Again ia 1877 England
2 came forward and by threatening Z
bring her powerful Mediterranean heei