The Washington times., 1903-09-13
Explanation of the Balkan
Trouble Advanced by
Hellenic Editor.
AGITATORS ARE BLAMED
ReVolutiOniStS Come From
Beyond the Border and
Commit Crimes.

NEW YORK, Sept. 12.-According to
Constantine ID. Phassoularides, editor
OF ''Thermopyloe." the Greek newspa-
per OF New York. the American press
has not grasped the true inwardness Of
the Macedonian situation He said 20
day:
The trouble in Macedonia began
about two years ago, when the BuI-
garian revolutionary committee of Sofia
was organized. It's object was to expel
the Greeks from Macedonia. To carry
on the conflict they obtained from
wealthy Greeks, by force and blackmail,
revolutionary funds. To quote from a
pamphlet issued last May by the Society
OF Hellenism of Athens: From De-
cember, 1901, to the end of 1902 the Bull
garian committee assassinated about GOO
Greek merchants and other wealthy
Greeks of Macedonia, and from others,
by threat and blackmail, they raised
from $50 to 81, 900 $3.50 TO $4,000
each
Large Greek Population.
by the latest statistics which the
Greek government sent to the powers
about the racial population of Mace
donia, as reported in the 'Nea Hemera,'
OF Trieste, Austria, on August %. the
total population in the vilayet of Mon
astir, which consists of the districts of
Koriza, Dibra. Seres, and Elbasan, is
59,109. of which there are 3O9, 1872
Greeks. 174.011 BuIgarians, IA 900 Ser
vians. L, 900 Roumanians, 344, ,766 Mussel-
mans, and 4, $50 Jews
The vilayet- of SaIonika, which con-
sists of the districts of Sierra and Drame.
has population of I,O4O, ,220, of which
number there are 34S, ,O5O Greeks. 2o5. $50
Bulgarians. 225, ,514 Mu5selmans. and Co.
40 of other nationalities, of which lat
ter number there are 1000 Jews. Thus
II is seen that although the Bulgarians
lay claim to Macedonia they are de-
cidedly in the minority
Few Bulgarian Taxpayers.
According 20 the statistics of the
Bulgarian exarchate itself, there are
55,63S Greek pupils attending the schools
in Macedonia, and 1884 Bulgarians Ac-
cording to the statistics of the Turkish
government, 53 Greeks to l Bulgarian
pay taxes.
''Of the Bulgarians fighting in Mace
donia today not one has been born in
Macedonia. They all make inroads from
over the frontier. The people generally
are peacefully inclined, and prefer to
remain under the Turkish protection.
rather than under the criminal rule of
the Bulgarians.
Russian Consuls Blamed.
of course behind Bulgaria is Russia
who wants TO grab everything 10 quote
from an article written by Prince Nest
sersly in the 'Graschdaum' Of St Pc
tersburg. If there were rot Russian
consuIs in Macedonia there never would
have happened these pitiful things.
am very sure that the revolutionary
movement would never have risen so
strong in the absence of Russian con-
suls. We must mot forget that Mace
donia, Albania, and Bulgaria are using
every means TO force Russia 10 80 70
arms against Turkey. I am asking or
government. when things are in this con-
dition. what is the use for US 10 have
consuls in Macedonia? II I had the
power in the government would recall
all our eonsuls from there
Prey of Black1nailers.
According TO the papers published in
PhilippopoIis. none Of the Greek mer-
chants there can escape the blackmail Of
the Bulgarians. who are practicing The
money or your life game.
We find true that the Bulgarians
have no right 10 Macedonia by either
numbers or commercial interest The
real wealth OF the country is with the
Greeks"