The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-23
MACEDONIAN SITUATION.
Greek Editors Explanation Of.
the Eastern Trouble.

the Eastern Trouble.
BEGINNING OF THE INsURREOT1oN
Constantine y. Phassoulnrfdes Saysl
Reliance ON Russia II Ref .~onsib1s.
For hi Revolution and That Mnc-
edonfans Are Satisfied with Turk-
1sh, Rule-Greek Population and In-
terests Far Exceed Bulgarian.
'The New York newspapers do not
to understand the Macedonian
situation" said Constantine D. Phas-
soularides, the editor Of Thermopylae. |
the Greek newspaper, recently to Q
reporter of the New York Commercial
Advertiser.
'Yhe trouble in Macedonia began
about two years ago, when the Bull
garian revolutionary committee Of
Sofia was organized. Its object was
to expel the Greeks from Macedonia.
To carry on the conflict they obtained
from wealthy Greeks, by force and
blackmail, revolutionary funds. To
quote from a pamphlet issued last May
by the Society Of Hellenism Of Athens,
From December, 1901, to the end OF
1902 the Bulgarian committee assas-
sinated about 600 Greek merchants and
other wealthy Greeks of Macedonia
and from others by threat and black
mail they raised from ESQ to f1.C0O
$3.50 to $4,000 EACH
'By the latest statistics which the
Greek government sent to the powers
about the racial population of Mace
donna, as reported in the Nea Henera
Of Triest, Austria, on Aug. 20. the
total population in the vilayet Of Mon
astir, which consists Of the districts
Of Koriza, Dibra, Sores and Elbasan,
is 1853, 1O9, Of whom there are 3O0.7S2
| Greeks, 174,O11 Bulgarians, 14,6OO Ser
vians, 1900 Roumanians. 344,766
Mussulmans and 1850 Jews.
"The vilayet Of Salonika, which con-
sists OF the districts Of Sierra and
| Drame, has a population Of 1,O4O,22O,
Of which number there are 34S,O5O
| Greeks, 2O5,SS6 Bulgarians, 225,514
Mussulmans and 6O,7T0 Of other ma
tionalities, Of which number there are
$1,000 Jews. Thus it is seen that al
though the Bulgarians lay claim to
Macedonia they are decidedly in the
minority.
According to the statistics Of the
Bulgarian exarchate itself, there are
55, 633s3 Greek pupils attending the
schools in Macedonia and 1894 Bull
garians. According to the statistics o1
the Turkish government, fifty-three
Greeks to one Bulgarian pay taxes.
.The Greek population is not only
the largest. but the most progressive
The British consul in Salonika, writ
ing to his government, said: Generally
the Greek population in Macedonia |:
higher in numbers and education thar
the Bulgarians. They also surpass TIL
Bulgarians in business and commerce
The Greeks, however, are quiet ant
avoid trouble, hoping that they viii
get benefit by peace, while the Bull
garians are always ready to commi
any crime for their W benefit.
"Of the Bulgarians fighting in Mace
donna today not inc has been born il
Macedonia. They all make inroad'
from over the frontier. The peopl'
generally are peacefully inclined an
prefer to remain under the Turkisl
protection rather than under the Grim
inal rule of the Bulgarians.
"tOf course behind Bulgaria is Rus
STA, who wants to grab everything t.
quote from an article written by Primo,
Mestsersky in the Graschdaum Of ST
Petersburg. If there were not Rus
sian consuls in Macedonia there neve
would have happened these pitifu
things. | am very sure that the revo
, l~utionary movement would hav
risen SO strong in the absence of Rus
, sian consuls. We must not forget tina
Macedonia, Albania and Bulgaria ar
using every means to force Russia t
go to arms against Turkey. l am ask
: ing our government. when things ar
I in this condition. what is the use TO
us to have consuls in Macedonia. If
had the power in the government
would recall all consuls iron
there
: when the actual revolution begal
| about a month ago in Krushevo, &C
cording to the Acropolis Of Athens AM
other Greek newspapers. 400 Greek
were slain and the city was ruined
. According to the same paper. abou
!, thirty Greek villages were destroys
in the vilayet of Monastir. During til
> conflict of course some Of these VII
T lagos were destroyed by the Turks
who found it necessary to bombar'
: them in order to drive out the Blu
garian revolutionists who were defend
] ing themselves there.
e According to the papers publishe
: in Philippopolis, none Of the Gree
t merchants there can easily escape tn