The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-14
TURKS AND MACEpoNIANs.
A War correspondent'sf View of the
 Situation in the Balkans.

A War Correspondents View of the
 Situation in the Balkans.
 War correspondents in idle times al- ways return to the immense and pie turesque possibilities of the Balkans. In that dangerous corner are eongested the fears and the ambitions of every great power except the United States; there, in Europe itself, the Turks re- ceding. wave of invasion, which once carried him to the walls of Vienna, still retain autocratic dominion with the grim tenacity of a ruling, mili- tant and fanatical race; there the Mohammedan, believing that death in battle with the Christian opens widethe gate to Paradise, and the Christian, with the mighty power of the Christian legions of Russia, Germany, Austria, France and Italy at his back, dwell in adjoining houses and meet every day in the market place. Risings and throat-cuttings and swift and terrible punishment by Turkish officials and appeals to Europe on the part of the punished are inevitable. This situation has caused three wars within the mem ory of men living-wars which lilly re- paid their cost in blood and treasure,
 That sleepless month in which I was occupied in keeping pace with the fly ing Greek army gave me one indelible impression. '"The Sick Man of the East" in so far as the phrase refers to the average Turk, is one of the health fest and most virile men on earth. Any one who has seen red rivers of fezes-divisions, brigades and regi- ments-spread out In skirmish order, and come forward, careless of all ob- stacles, to their objective with a skill that is modern and with fanatical confidence that is mediaeval, knows that however inimical Turkish rule in Europe may be to the interests of civ ilization, the Turkish army is mag nificent fighting machine, which may suffer for want of food, raiment and pay but ever keeps it's arms bright.
 Turkish opinion of the Mecedonians
 may be summed up in the remarks of an old Turkish sergeant who vised my passport once on the Greco-Macedonian border. ''These Macedonian Christians are swine" said he. "When the Pa- dishah gives the word we will snlite them as the rainstorm lays the dust. The Christians of far-away Europe are another matter. They are true fighting men-but not so good as Turks-not so good as Turks because they have not the true faith. And they are always stepping in and robbing us of our vic tories." tE
 Now looking at the matter from the side of the Macedonians. These fel- w-Christiahs of ours are expected to forfeit their pride in the name of dis cretion in much the same way as lone Chinese in a western mining camp. They are expected to pay their taxes promptly, courtesy to their superiors and not ask questions. For them every Turk has, aside from the prejudice of totally different religion and customs, the contempt of a judge for a racing tout, of British nobleman for small shopkeeper or poacher. Society, hu- man feelings and industry are still primitive.
 They say that the ransom for Miss Stone went to the Macedonian revolu- tionary committee. The Macedonian Christian knows nothing so we'll as that the rest of Europe is Christian. This is,his bank account and his battle cry. The Turkish governors of Mace donia are between the devil and the deep sea. They must keep their own religionists from declaring a religious war at the same time that they keep the Macedonian Christians from arous- ing the indignation of Europe and con- sequent intervention with the parade of their wrongs.
 When it is announced that large bands are being organized on the Bull garian frontier for the assistance of bands of co-religionists in Macedonia, history simply repetats itself. Russia looks to Constantinople as her natural heritage. She is patient and she can wait. Her hand may be forced now or not for years to come. Austria wants Macedonia and more especially the port of Salonica. This annexation of terri tory would do much to bind the careen- ing parts of Francis Joseph's empire together in something like common pa- triotism and pride. With the Russians. the war would be holy one, in the old sense of Huguenot and Catholic in France. Upon a few thousand lily clothed, uneducated, adventurous Christians in Macedonia and Bulgaria,
 rather than upon the chancelleries of Europe. hangs the balance between
 peace and war.-Frederick Palmer in Golfers Weekly.