The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-25
FIERCE FIGHTING
NEAR FRONTIER.
Six Hundred Turks Killed at
Kotchani, Their Comrades Aft
erward Burning Villages.
REBELS HOLD KRESNA PASS.
Sultan's Forces Have Lost 800
Men and Five Officers in Vain
Efforts to Dislodge Them
From Stronghold.

Sofia, Sept 24.-Accor6ing to telegram
received here to-day from Kostendil (for-
ty-three miles from Sofia). 600 Turks were
killed in fight at Kotchani, September Ii.
The Turkish force numbered 1000
After the fight the troops, enraged at
their losses, pillaged and burned num-
ber of Bulgarian villages.
Advices from Uskub say that five bat
talions OF Turkish troops left Sovovitch
yesterday for Morotsoro. from where a
band of revolutionists had been threaten
ing Perlepe. Three other battalions have
proceeded to Neveska, where insurgent
bands have reappeared.
Turkish soldiers recently took fifty wom-
en- from the burned village OF Klissurti
and all attempts to recover them have
been unayailing, the soldiers refusing to
obey their officers
REBELS STUBBORN.
Constandnople, Sept A.-The battle Of
Kresna Pass, according to the latest ad-
vices received here, Is still In progress
The insurgents are successfully holding
strong positions and their casualties are
slight. only a score being killed or wound
ed, while the Turks, up to the present,
have lost five officers and $50 men killed
or wounded.
Part OF the British Mediterranean
squadron has arrived at Suda Bay, Island
or Crete, and Is held In readiness in case
u developments la the Balkan situation
POWERS STAND FIRM.
st. Petersburg, Sept 24-The Russian
Government has issued an official note re-
iterating that the attitude OF the Powers
in regard to the Austro-Russian reform
scheme for Macedonia Is unchanged, and
that. consequently, neither Turkey nor
Bulgaria can expect support from any
quarter in the event Of open or secret re-
sistance to that scheme.
The Government, after pointing out that
the suggested reforms were at the outset
attended with good results. continues:
These, however, did not satisfy the
Macedonian committees which have
sprung up In the Slav states. The prob
ability which had become apparent that
the Christian population would calm
down under the influence Of reforms de-
prived these committees of all favorable
ground for the realization Of their revo-
luuonary plans.
while proclaiming that their object
was the protection Of their coreligionists
against Turkish oppression, these commit
tees in reality seek to attain their selfish
aim of modifying the administrative sys-
tenn in the Province SO as to convert 1t
into Bulgarian Macedonia, to the detri-
ment Of the rights and privileges OF the
other Christian peoples, whose interest is
equally dear to orthodox Russia. As the
leaders found no support among the nom
Bulgarian element in Macedonia, they ex-
erted themselves to raise general insur-
rection by cruel outrages and terrorism
In order to hinder the introduction of
projected reforms.
''Unhappily, in spite OF the precautions
of the Sofia Government. the Macedonian
agitation spread considerably in Bulgaria
itself, finding support among those who
mistakenly reckoned that the outbreak
thus caused would compel Russia to alter
her programme and proclaim herself the
champion of the unrealizable plans of the
leaders Of the revolution.
This fatal conception, against which
Russia gave incessant warnings. has
brought upon the Christians in the Turk
ish vilayets grievous oppression which will
only end when the incursion Of insurgents
from Bulgaria and the revolutionary ac-
tivity of the committees cease. Not until
then can the immediate application of re-
forms needed by the population and by
which they will be protected from Turkish
atrocities be insisted on, the utmost en-
deavors having failed to bride the fanat-
icism of the Mussulmans.
VIEWS REITERATED.
I'm view of the thickening Of complica-