Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-02-16
WAR CLOUDS.

A mass-meeting of 10, 900 Macedo-
mans was held at Sofia, Bulgaria, yester-
day to protest against the action of the
government in dissolving the Macedonian
committees in Bulgaria. The meeting
demanded the re-establishment of the
Macedonian societies and the judicial
punishment of individual offenders only.
1t is reported that warrants are out foI
the arrest of Boris Sarafofl, Yankoff and
other Macedonian leaders. DIR. Danew,
the Premier, announced in the Sobranje,
or National Assembly, the measures
which led to the previous arrests. he
said that the offices of the Central Mace
DOMAIN committee had been seized and
all the papers there confiseated. The
dissolution of the committees in the
provinces, he declared, had been ac-
complshed without opposition.
A rumor which has been current sew
eral days in Vienna to the effect that
owing to the difficulty of obtaining the
consent of the other powers, or for other
reasons, the Austro- Hungarian demands
of reforms in Macedonia have been
greatly modified since Count LamsdOrfi
drafted them, was practically confirmed
last night by the official Fremdenblatt.
1t states that the demands are carefully
framed so as not TO oyerstep the limits
prescribed by respect for the Sui
tan's suzerain rights and that, being
confined to comparatively modest bounds,
they are more likely to attain the desired
end than if they were more pretentious.
They will not succeed, says this official
organ, if Macedonia is made the theatre
of a guerrilla war. 1t is regarded in
Vienna as certain that these half reforms
will not satisfy the Macedonian reyolu-
tionary party, which demands complete
autonomy.
A dispatch from St. Petersburg says
that Minister of the Interior Plehve has
sent a circular to the newspapers in
structing them to refrain from publishing
articles hostile to Turkey in connection
with the Macedonian situation.
A reliable journal in Shanghai says:
.'The Russian squadron now on the way
to the Far East, which on its arrival in
the Mediterranean will be strengthened
by seagoing topedo boats, may be
expected TO arrive at the port of destina-
ton, Port Arthur, in March, as the five
big ships will be much delayed by visits
in English, French and Mediterranean
ports, and afterward by coaling at Alden,
Colombo, Singapore and Hongkong.
After the arrival of this fleet Russia will
have at her disposal in the East s first
class battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 3
small non-protected cruisers, II seagoing
torpedo boats and also the five gunboats
and about 20 torpedo boats of the Sibe-
rian fleet. In the event of~war this fleet
the greatest part of which consists OF
modern ships, will be strengthened by
such steamers of the volunteer fleet as
NAV be in the East at the times-ThC
necessary material to make them into
auxiliary cruisers is being kept in readi.
ness at the ports Of departure in Europe,
as also at Vladivostok This feet posi-
bly, may be added to by several more
vessels from Europe, and Russian naval
power on the China coast will then be
superior to each separate fleet Of the
hitherto two strongest naval powers in
the East, the japanese feet and the ships
of the British China station"