New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-03

"Nihs- Inc solder preys on the people. The
talnt or corruption is everywhere The officers
OF the law sell a years freedom from iau at
the price of a Ira and grant private titles to
public lands from which the peasants o,,+ their
winters wood They farm out the right to col
Iect taxes. They sell the privilege of taking
Io per cent If that can be extracted from the
mhaohants or even 30 per cent if they will
pay SO much. In one place, a rice district 30
Fer cent of the seasons harvest is taken bv the
1.-THE purchaser
arms are not allowed 10 he brought into Tur-
Key but boxes Of them pass through the custom
MUSE uneXamined when the officers palm is
= esu' hakShlsh is the conjuring word in
turkey went while 1 was in Constantinople
to Interview the Minister OF the Interior There
was a line of men at his door as I retired All
heio out their hands and whispered. "Bakshish"'
Ny dragonan informed me that the minister
would never be in his office again unless +ipped
every Of them.
There is a medley of race interests I, 1raca-
donia- The small races such as the vaIo,res
humanians and other remnants scattered over
the country may be left of account for their
influence is inconsiderable. The Turks Bull
edllahs' creeks, Servians and Albanlans are the
rival races The Turks, while the ruling race
Go not form even one-sixth of the population of
Macedonia, and they excel in Ignorance The
and they excite the luminosity and jealousy not
only Of the Turks but also of the Servians,
Greeks and Albanians. The Austrians are con-
Quoting from Now Bazaar active propaganda
among the Alhanians to win their friendship
and are operating TO d considerable extent
through the Roman Catholic Church. The Ser
Tians are az work il the way among the
Bulgarians and other races. Macedonia is q
realm OF rival propaganda, easy conversions of
faith and rapid transfers of nationality Ameri-
can missionaries tell that people con-
stantS coming to them and asking how much
money they viii receive if they agree to become
Protestants. Some of these volunteers for the
Protestant cause have already been Roman
Catholics. and possibly for mereenary reasons,
/ asked a man il the Metrovftza district what
race he belonged
Il a Bulgarian he replied but my
brother is a Servian."
How is that? ," inquired
He got Ira for becoming one"
The Servians know that their fate win he
sealed if Macedonia be annexed to Bulgaria.
The private secretary Of the King of Servia
made this admission frankly when l talked with
him in Belgrade. The Servians Will be hemmed
IN and isolated forever if Macedonia becomes
Bulgarian possession They are not in sympa-
thy with the Bulgarian movement Where in
terest is. there VIII be sympathy The Greeks
do not love the Turks, for they not Yet free
from the reproach of defeat at the hands Of the
Sutan's men. They hate the Turks less than
they do the Bulgarians. They know that the
Turks, although other nations may prevent
Russia from driving the Sultan out Of Europe
for years or generations. can never make an
other aggressive movement, but must remain on
the defensive. With Macedonia controlled by
the BuIgarians. the Greeks cannot hope to have
q
Bulgarians.
The Greeks boast of having the highest intel
ligence among the races in Macedonia. In Sa-
lonica and the larger towns they are the best
people. The American Consul holds the highest
position in local society. He is a man of means
and influence and Greek by birth. over his
Beautiful nome which is on the waterfront. look
ing directly toward Mount Olympus, floats the
American flag 4 Greek by birth, and Amer
lean official by profession, he is a Russian sub
iect7 for the sake or having adequate protection
The Greeks in the Macedonian villages do not
know even their own great history. That may
he for the best for those who familiar with
It live on past glory. The Greek politicians are
always making long, eloquent speeches. as dld
their statesmen of old, but they have lost the
inspiration of great themes. An American mis-
sionary told me that when he first approached
the shores OF that country with q glorious past
he asked the captain of his ship what We're the
swarm of filthy. crazed creatures scrambHng over
the side from small boats loaded with all sorts
Of sea produce, and filling the air with stenches
and vile screeches. Il felt like striking the
man down" said the missionary, when he told
ma that they were Greeks, but soon learned
the depth TO which that once great people had
faren." These were however, Greeks OF the
baser sort.
Tho A1hanians remind me considerably Of the
American Indian; not in type or color, for they
ore a white race. but in habits. Their country
&c Western Macedonia from Greece to Monte
aro They live in tribes or clans, each with
i+s own chief They are subjects OF the sultan
only 4, name No European traverse their
country unless he pays a chief well for the priVl-
laee He will then be secure against moiesta-
ton The Albanians have the Turks SUSPICIOUS
nature Any man who enters their country Is
gunnosed 70 be d spy, seeking information for
aerressors bent upon depriVing them Of their
liberty They considered the Russian ConsuI at
Nfe+rovitza an enemy for coming so near TO their
country and assassinated him They nave the
same rnarauding instincts that the American
Indian once had and the same nomadlc ten
darcias They like 20 wander over the lands of
peaceful people and prey upon them. me spring
and autumn nigrations of these people across
,,ala-o,i. strike terror into the hearts OF coun-
trv folk outside the large towns The Albanian
:; never without his weapons. He fights with
H.; s,,.,-d between his teeth as to have 1t
h.ra,, when his last bullet is spent or In case
he misses his adversary and has no time 10 re-
load for the others onslaught. The Albanian Is
rho terror not only of the Christians but OF the
Turks The Sultan recruits much OF MS army
for service in Macedonia from these WIG people'
They not only do their work well in the Siaush-