Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-09-07
THE MACEDONIAN REVOLT.

The Porte has served notice on the
powers that it cannot guarantee the safety
of their legations in Constantinople. This
is due to the fear that Bulgarians or Ma
cedonians will perpetrate atrocities in the
hope of involving the powers in a war
which might result in the freedom OF
Macedonia from Turkish rule.
A dispatch from Constantinople to the
Berlin Tageblatt says the Turkish coun-
ell of war has urged the sending of an
ultimatum to Bulgaria, but Sultan Abdul
Hamid decided to delay. The Bulgarian
semi-official journal Dnevnik says treaty
of alliance exists between Russia and Bull
garia.
Battles, incendiarism and pillage con-
tinue to make conditions in Macedonia
almost intoler9ble,
According to authoritative reports from
Varna, at the recent council of ministers
presided over by Prince Ferdinand at the
palace of Euxinograd, it was resolved
that Bulgaria should continue to maintain
an attitude of the strictest neutrality in
the Macedonian question, and, further,
that the most stringent measures should be
adopted to prevent anything likely to
cause a disturbance in Bulgaria relations
with Turkey. The war minister is
reported to have spoken strongly in the
council against any thought Of Bulgaria
declaring war on Turkey; first on &C.
count of the enormous expenditure that
such war would involve, and secondly,
because the great powers would never
permit Bulgaria to reap the advantage
if she we're victorious. Should Turkey
attack Bulgaria, declared the minister,
the present army could hold the Turks
in check for the first few days, while the
entire Bulgarian army could be mobi-
lized within three to twelve days Bull
garia would never declare war, he add
ed, but if war was declared against her,
she would accept the challenge fear
lessly.
The Sofia Automouye publishes the
names of fifty villages burned by the
Turks.
Reports have reached the revolution
airy headquarters at Sofia of atrocities by
the Turks in the village of Velkosti, ia
the district of Debre. The troops and
Bashi- Bazouks are said to have sur
rounded the village, and part of them
entered and began plundering the houses
and assaulting the women. The other
soldiers remained outside and killed
those inhabitants who tried to escape
The Turks then set fire to the village in
four places, burning twelve women and
children. One child was hanged. Al
together sixty peasants were killed and
their bodies we're lying in the streets,
1t is said that Turkish war Of exter-
mination is proceeding in the Okrida
district. The massaeres of a century
ago are as nothing compared with those
occurring daily in the vilayet of Monas-
tir. The plight Of the survivors is terri
Bile. Not daring to leave their houses,
and subsisting on grass and water, they
resemble people in the last stages of
famine, It is alleged that priests sou
in one village was flayed alive and kept in
this horrible condition for several days
to the delight of his tormentors, until
a merciful Turk shot him dead.
Plus x. has represented to the Aus
trian Emperor the advisability, especial
ly on the part of the Catholic powers, Of
coming to an agreement as to the best
way to stop the massacres in Macedonia.
Several cardinals have expressed the
opinion that the pontiff should publicly
denounce the situation in Macedonia to
the civilized world, without distinction
of religion, calling upon all the powers
to take common action on humanitarian
grounds.