The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-13
WANTS OUR AID IN MACEDONIA
AGENT or REVOLUTIONARY CON-
MITTEE TO SEE ROOSEVELT.
StephanOve's Plan IL to Have the Powers
Demand the appointment NJ Chris
tian Governor Who Shall He RespOn.

=
A special delegate sent by the Mace
donian Revolutionary Committee to seek
aid Of this country through President
Roosevelt arrived here yesterday on the
staMine Stephanove, and he was selec cd
for the mission because he ia u Yale graduate,
having been member Of the class of 1899.
Last year he travelled through Mace
donia, was arrested and imprisoned by
the Turks and secured his release through
the interference Of the English. For a
time he was a member Of one Of the organ =
lied bands that are now carrying on a sys-
tematic guerrilla campaign under the direc-
ton Of the commit e.
Stephanove said last night in regard to
his mission:
I'VE want this Government to cooperate
with the other Powers. and we want al II
the Powers to demand tho appointment
Of Christian Governor, who shall be re-
sponsible to the Powers and not to Turkey.
"The Russian Austrian reforms are not
sufficient and will not correct the present
terrible conditions, because while they
demand the appointment Of Christian
Governor and Chiefs OF Police, yet the
Governor will still be responsible to Turkey
alone. That means nothing at all for
Macedonia.
-The Revolutionary Committee has to-
day about IS, 900 men under arms and oper-
ating in bands Of about fifty each. II we
had the necessary arms we could have lOO,-
900. Our scheme Ia to harass the Turkish
troops by operating in these small groups.
10 thak - Al,
against Spain and We sh all keep It up as the
Cubans did.
-In Macedonia there are now 100000
Turkish troops. The massacres such as
those reported at Monastir have been very
much exaggerated, but can vouch for
as many as 200 being slain at a time and the
burning Of mo- ority Of the houses in scores
OF villages
@The Governor pays no attention TO the
appeals Of victims. In the prison where
I was confined at Series there were $50
prisoners, some Of whom had been there
five years without trial. That Ia the
situation in every city in Macedonia. 1t
will continue 90 until the reforms We ask
are made and the Governor is made RESPONSE
bic to the Powers.
"The revolutionary committee repre-
sents the spirit of the Macedonian people
Its followers are the husbands, brot hers
and fathers of outraged women. We are
not responsible for outrages ourselves, az
MIR. Balfour seems to think. In order to
save the innocent peasants We seek to
fight out in the plains and away from the
villages.
The Turkish soldiers will not come
out and fight, but instead burn the villages
and massacre the inhabitants.'
Mr.. Stephanove. who Is a brother Of
Nine. Tsilka, who, with the missionary,
Miss Stone: was captured by bandits two
had fv,k atN x1 tall
OF his experiences In Macedonia after no
left Yale.
THE Turkish Government" he said,
learned that had been educated in this
country, and upon my return, accompanied
by Mr.. Mcdonald Of the London Dolly NeDs.
threw everything in my way to prevent pre- my
OF massacres. The Governor OF Salonica
finally agreed to let us go on, but gave us
an escort OF fifteen cavalryrnen, believing
that this would 80 terrify the peasants as
to make 1t impossible for us to meet them.
we succeeded, however. In getting to
the peasants in lot OF villages and heard
the story of the women from their own
lips. Finally, when we got to Rasslov the
chief Of police told us that the Governor
had ordered us to separate. They told me
] was free to 60 anywhere. however. As
soon as Mr.. Mcdonald left they arrested
me and kept me five months inprison with
out trial.
-Then, upon Mr.. McDonald's represerta-
tions, the British Ambassador irterfersi
and I WAS placed on trial on the charge Of
influencing people to rise. Had the British
Government not inter,ered, would have
been in prison to-day, with hundreds of
others.
Il joined ono Of the revolutionary bands
in August and since then have been under
tho orders of the committee. These Or
ders are carried by couriers. The COM
mittee moves from place to place, and al
though the Turkish troops have been after
the committee for months tho members
Of it have always kept out Of their hands
and directed the campaign.
Each band Is told Of the movements
OF the troops and knows when TO strike.
They are supported by the villages. The
committee does not want the large bodies
OF revolutionists to operate, as band OF
thirty can work with much less danger
In harassing the troops.
"The names of the twelve men who are
directing our campaign are kept secret.
They are officially known as the Interior
Committee That is to distinguish them
from the organization working outside of
Macedonia.
4They are receiving funds all the time.
more arms are being obtained and to-day
this committee is at the head OF we'll
organized army, which adopts guerrilla
tactics only because more can be gained
thereby."1
Mr.. Stephanove expects to 60 to Wash
ington this week.