New-York tribune., 1903-02-18

Understanding Sad to Ernst Bet7reen
France. RuSsi1 and .4ustria.
Paris. February

uela and in Morocco is the storm In Macedonia.
Macedonia is country from which grewsome
tragedies are likely TO be heard of in the next
few Tnonths-particUlarIy so toward April, when
the grass begins TO grow and when the fighting
conditions of that lawless land become alto
rrJher too enticing- Credit is due TO NJ. Delcas-
50 French Minister of Foreign Affairs for TAX
iug the initiative in bringing about an under
standing between the three powers most inter-
ested-Russis, Austria Hungary and France
with the object OF preventing a European con-
7ict being brought about by the civil war, mas
sacres. atrocities and general deviltry that are
already going on in that hilly, impenetrable belt
Of Turkish territory between the Gulf of Salonica
and Bulgaria.
Tie yellow book just published by the French
Department of State furnishes irrefutable evil
denee OF a condition OF affairs worse than any,
hing recorded in the Su1tan's doninons since
the Armenian atrocities. Reports from NJ Steeg-
French consul al Salonies, show that the Chris
tan populations OF Macedonia not only aspire
- autonomy to annexation with kindred races
Z the adjoining States Of Greece. Bulgaria or
Servia, but that thei- natural thirst for inde
pendence is complicated with "a burning ambi-
ton OF each TO dominate all the others This
constitutes almost insurmountable difficulty.
and has enabled the Porte 10 play off the
hatreds and jea;ousies Of one against the other
nal animosity Of BuIgcr.ans. Greeks and Serbs
cf Macedonia makes Il impossible TO constitute
su Independent State Of Macedonia. For in
stance. one hears Greeks declare that they pre-
fe- the Turkish rule to that Of Bulgaria, and
vice versa. Moreover, hostile bandfuls Of in
habitsnts do not live in separate zones Of terri
Tory, but are all mixed together in hopeless
confusion and SO scattered about that it is i'm
r-actica bic 70 carve Macedonia into geographi-
cal slices. 10 be forked over respectively 10 Bull
Esria. Servia and Greece.
II SteeE. after studying the problem with eN-
haustive patience and investigation, has drawn
uT a plan which has been submitted to the
cabinets of France. Russia and Austria Hun
gary and has beel. approved by the three gov
crnments as the only practical solution. The
plan in substance is this: a European governor
IS 70 be appointed for Macedonia with absolute
powers The police Is TO be organized on a
French basis and 10 receive regular pay, so as
10 longer 10 be forced 10 rob the inhabitants
Tax gaIherers are 10 be paid for their services
and their operations controlled. Christians and
Afosie1ns are TO be employed on the pelice force
fl such proportions and localities as to corre-
spond IS nearly as possible with the prevail
ing religion II each vilayeI- The revenues Of
Macedonia are estimated 10 he sufficient 10 sup
7ort the proposed scheme. which has the ad-
vantage OF not exciting the hostility of the Sui
taa Fv eulbodying anything tending 10 disnen-
rer his empire OF TO infringe upon his territorial
rrsroga tive. The Plan VIII be urged upon the
Sultan very shertly. and IN case of opposition
VIII be pressed in q most categoric manner.
All reports indicate that tha chaotic condition Of
Macedonia is about 10 break forth into scenes
of massacre and bloodshed. impossible for civ
5!5zed Europe 70 witness as simple spectators,
and which. II unheeded. would inevitably spread
10 z triangular war between Greece, Bulgaria
and Servia.
Al ell events it is now made clear by NJ Del
cases yellow book 1hat France. Russia and
Hungary are acting N perfect accord
Indeed II is in a large measure owing 10 the
efforts Of the Frene1 Foreign Office that the
present agreement between Russia and Austria
Hungary was finally concluded by the recent
visit Of Count Lamsdorff to Vienna, Belgrade
and Sofa which brought home TO the Balkan
States chiefly concerned that the two great
powers woul6 take steps whatever TO aid
the Macedonian revolution In leading article
In The Journal des Debats" NJ Alcide Ebray
draws three conclusions in regard to the Mace
donian situation-arst. that European diplomacy
has at hand in N Steeg's scheme practical
remedy for Macedonian chaos; second, that the
hope Of seeing Turkey consent to its application
Is not 10 be desPaired of, and third that France.
Russia and Austris-H Hungary are determined to
catacysrn which threatens 70 exceed the Ar
fnenian atrocities that aroused the Indignation
= America and Western Europe
L is worthy of note that 70 a woman of
American birth Nine, Rskhmttief, wife of the
Russian diplomatic representative At Sofia, is
due the credit Of making = most effective and
lucid report OF her visit to the camp Of the
Macedonian refugees near the monastery OF
Rvlo. The courageous American woman sue
SIC (-zor n
the malignant cruelty practised by the Ottoman
police and soldiers-themselves unpaid and
starving-on the Macedonians Of Bulgarian race
and Christian religion. The infamous treat
gnent Is described by Nine. Bakhmetief as a per
petusT exhortation Of hatred and retaliation on
he part Of the Bulgarians native of their own
rrincipaiity and which il is almost impossible
70 repress.
such are the brief outlines Of the Mace
DOMAIN question which, according 10 those
best informed here. has entered upon more
hcreflsl phase owing TO the understanding be-
tween France Russia and A1stria-Hungary.
The Efforts Of diplomacy are now being directed
toward Germany with the idea OF obtaining an
assurance that 10 unexpected step from Berlin
VIII ieopardize the situation for it is felt here
that Emperor William has a sort of sneaking
foadress ror the Sultan, and that the relations
between Turkey and Germany more nearly ap-
preach an alliance than has been the case be
tween any other power and the Ottomon Empire
since the Crimean War in 1S54-'55 1t is urged
IN Parisc that the assent of Germany 10 the
scheme for reform in Macedonia adopted py
France Russia and Austria-Hungary viii pro-
vide an additional safeguard for peace, and ex-
tinguish still more effcaciousIy the racial and
religious ,,onfa grafton in Macedonia looked for
ward te as inevitable during the coming spring.
9. / B.