The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-13
WARS OMNIBUS CLOUDS
ARE LOWERING NOW
OVER MACEDONIA
THE TURKISH SITUATION IS BECOM-
ING MORE ALARMING
EACH HOUR.
Macedonian Districts Are Soaked in Blood of Christians and
Such Display of Barba rsm Has Never Before Been
Witnessed-Bugaran Forces Are on the
Point of Modelling.

Sofia, Bulgaria, Sept. 12.-With the
arrival of new and sensational reports
of the wholesale massacre of Chris
tians in Macedonia the situation here
is hourly becoming more alarming.
If the latest messages, which state
that 10000 Bulgarians have been
slaughtered in the districts of Okrida
and Leren, shall be confirmed, no doubt
exists that the government will be
forced to order the mobilization of the
army Immediately.
According to information brought by
courier to the revolutionary paper
Autonomye, a force of Albanians, as
sisted by Turkish regular forces, acting
under orders direct from Yildiz Kiosk,
massacred the entire Bulgarian Chris
tian population of the Okrida and Lee
rem districts.
Fearful descriptions are given of the
sights seen there, the soldiers slaugh-
tering men, women and children in
every direction, displaying a barbarism
never before witnessed.
The number of killed is not stated
in the courier's dispatches, but accord
ing to reports from other sources. the
total number of the victims will reach
10000.
Official circles are so far without
information regarding the reported
massacre, but in view of the character
of the latest advices from Macedonia,
it is feared the news is only too true.
Rumors are current that at a coun-
Gil Of the ministers to-day it was de-
cided to mobilize Immediately the first
and second army divisions.
This is officially denied. but we'll in
formed Icrsons do not doubt that the
cabinet, which is meeting in Council
daily, is seriously considering such d
| measure.
| A deputation of leading professors
and representatives of the professional
classes yesterday waited upon the min
| listers, and urged the government to Or
| der immediate. mobilization. Petroff
replied to the delegation that the min
istry was unable to admit the necessi-
| ty for such step at the present mo-
ment.
The Turkish government is believed
| TO have at the present moment no less
| than $4,000 soldiers In the Vilayet of
Adrianople, large bodies of them within
ten to fifteen kilometers of the Bulga-
rian frontier.
Confronted with such a situation. 1t
| is argued that Bulgaria would be am
ply justified in mobilizing the first and
, second army divisions, the headquar-
tiers of which are at Sofia. and Philip
popolls, and which comprise the forces
nearest the Turkish frontier.
The government appears to be firmly
resolved to avoid giving Turkey the
slightest pretext for declaring hostil-
tiles, and is doing its utmost to re-
strain the war fever. The situation,
however, is rapidly becoming worse and
| popular excitement is increasing.
Inc Bulgarians are singularly I'M
demonstrative and self-restrained. and
are not accustomed to give vent to
their feelings in popular demonstra-
tons and noisy professions. Sofia and
the country generally are outwardly as
calm as In the most peaceful times, but
people who know the Bulgarians say
this calm is more to be feared than
any outward evidence that they realize
the fearful condition of their brethren
in Macedonia
An important dispatch received from
Ria, states that the insurgent chiefs
intrusted with the leadership of the
outbreak in Eastern Macedonia have
met at Piria and completed their plans.
An engagement is reported to have
occurred between force of insurgents
ana turkish troops at Suchindol in
which not a single revolutionary was
killed, while the Turks lost heavily.
kilograms from Burgas say that the
Bulgarian population is fast disappear
ing from the district of Losengrad, and
that every one unable to escape to the
Bulgarian frontier Is killed. Five hun
bred fugitives have arrived at Burgas
from Tekengea. They state that in
the surrounding villages the Turks
search the houses for guns, falling to
find which they force the peasants to
buy guns.
These fugitives report that two men,
one aged 100 years and the other IS,
were impaled by the Turks in the
course of their search. The War Of
fee here is greatly concerned over the
increasing number of deserters who go
to foin the insurgents.