The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-11
THE MACEDONIAN CONTEST.


Paper in the American Review Of Reviews.
by An American Born in Turkey"
From the battle OF Navarfne II became
the accepted rule. very routine Of state
craft. that the Sultan's authority was 10 be
preserved. guarded and respected until
Turkish oppression took shape in massacre.
When this came. after a longer or shorter
period of waiting and greater or less hell
OF human suffering. some new share of the
Turkish empire was set in the familiar
path which ran through a special admins
tration guaranteed by the powers. a native
and local administration. autonomy, a sep
arate principality, protected independence.
and at length a separate national existence.
The Danubian principalities. Roumania.
Servia, Greece. Bulgaria and Crete, have
all gone through this succession OF events.
For a century this process has been in
progress. For seventy years it was &C
cepted.
There came day. in May, 1896. when
Lord Salisbury had to decide whether he
would risk the peace Of Europe by forcing
the hand OF Russia, determined that there
should be no interference over Armenia.
He loved peace. For quarter OF a CEN
tury, during half of which he ruled the
British empire. he made it the object OF
his life TO keep the worlds peace.
When the historian of our day. half a
century hence, has before him the private
letters and memoranda OF this period he
will probably find. IL his search 20 far
enough, a personal message from Robert
Cecil to William Mckinley in the critical
days Of 1898, warning him that the peace OF
the world was in peril IL the Philippines
sastf ,pH Leo
salvage Of colony-coveting Kaiser, and
as the next fifty years go the historian OF
1858 will hold Lord Salisbury and President
Mckinley wise or unNise.
So in 1896 Lord Salisbury reversed the
policy OF Castlereagh and Canning. OF Pal
merston and Gladstone, and left the Turk
ish empire to stew In its own juice whers
Russian policy was determined to have 1t
cook until 1t was done to turn for Rus
sian eating.
Not a drop OF Russian blood shall be
shed-not jot OF the Russian inheritance
which a Russian communique INSPIRED ut
terance) told all the Balkans last
January that the policy which had
, tsa n armenia hopeless Rseg to
befallen human beings outside OF savagery
IN our day would be repeated In the Bal
kan peninsula. The plain meaning of this
scene which 1t affected, save by close
students OF the situation. was that Russia
would not again launch its armies across
| the Danube or land them at Bourgas and
Varna. Neither would Russia permit q
new Balkan state TO arise TO hold az every
Muscovite feels Roumania, servia, Bull
Russian heritage" in the East
With its 100000 population. its frontage on
| the Aegean. its certainty of absorbing Adri-
possession of the thcroughfare OF the Baif-
| ans-for up and down the Strymon ard
Wardar Tor twenty-five centuries have
e1er tne ses 81 no CONQUEST on and eenyol
| cedonia once TO pass to Bulgaria q great
Balkan federation. strong enough. with
Austria Hungary. to stem Russia would
The clew which runs through the laby-
rinth of dubious diplomacy and blood-staiped
event in the Levant has therefore been,
| in any event the Sultan could count upon
! first Russia and next Germany 20 prevent
| any interference which ended his sover-
eighty over any part of his territory.
There has been no moment when any MILL
| tary success. properly so-calied, has been
won by these Bulgarian revolufionists. Not
/ a day when some band has not been selling
| the lives of dozen members In a hopeless
struggle, whose only purpose IL and can be
| to force the interference OF the powers b.
provoking turkish excess. All Europe has
| fable. The answer win be one Of tempera-
ment rather than Of principle.
| So far mere outrage and excess 90
| there is probably not much TO choose be-
| tween Bulgarian Komitadji and Turkish ir-
| regular. The whole land Is savage. Brute
slaughter and rapine appear eyerywhere.
| 1t is easy TO make q case for either side.
| The worst excuses are undoubtedly by
| Moslems. Nothing can exaggerate and no
| words that can be printed can de- cribe the
1 woe and horror OF the past six months IN
Macedonia from Turkish troops. regular and
4 irregular.