The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-26
Sultan Of Turkey Is Now
Willing to Yield as Much
as He Believes Would Not
Imperil His Sovereignty.
The Bulgarian and Mace
DOMAIN InSuIrectionistS
Merely Yelling Wish for
Ultimate independence,
Russia, Involved in Man.
churia, Would Postpone
Action-lnvesture of Con-
stantinople and It's Effect.

SOFIA. Bulgaria. April 25.-Th1
weeks spent in gathering information
first hand among the highest authoriti
in Constantinople, Bulgaria, Macedon
and SeTvia, including those entitled
express the views of Turkey. Russ
Great Britain, and the other great po
ers. and the leaders Of the insurrectio
lists. enables me to speak with a certa
Of confidence OF some Of the fe
lures Of the crisis which IS reshaping {
destinies Of this portion Of the world
It would merely be absurd TO prete
TO separate with accuracy the truth frC
in the great mass Of eontradi
tory material which has come before n
On the other hand, some facts and co
clusions may be set down without reese
walton.
must claim Indulgence if I speak
degmaticaIly- II is necessary, bscau
am not at liberty in many instanc
to name the authority for nv stat
ments. Moreover, ii IS not possib
within the limits of cable dispatch
go into corroborative details
A Seeming Paradox
My first statement viii seem a 9a-
1ox TO most readers. namely. that L
only people who seem TO be sincere
the desire for a certain measure Of 7
'orm in the Balkans are the Turks T
reason is simple. The Sultan desires
maintain the status quo in the peninsul
His task of controlling the irreconcilat
races and religions in Macedonia is {
most impossible under any system
government. and measures which are c
regarded as severe and oppTt
sive are absolutely necessary.
It is true that the Turkish measur
have been far too oppressive, cruel, a
corrupt. The Sultan believes that a
extensive relaxation would eventual
result in one or the other elements
the population gaining the upper haT
He is willing 10 yield. however. as mu
as he considers would not imperil
The Bulgarian and Mac
lonian insurrectionists raise the refoI
Try solely for outside effect. No great
disappointment could come to them tn
10 see genuine reforms introduced u
der Turkish auspices. voluntarily,
otherwise.
Veil Their Ambition.
They aspire for nothing short Of ind
pendence. although they usually v
their ambition under the term autonoH
II is the conviction of almost eve
observer that independe
would mean nothing short
the blacklist anarchy throughout t
land
Perhaps I should explain that the
have a larger schen
which was explained to me the 9th
day by their chief leader. with an e
.husiasm which was almost fanatics
he desired, he said, to form a BaIka
1r, as he expressed IL, a South Slav fe
grafton, consisting OF Bulgaria. Sery
4 lbania, Macedonia, and Roumania- T
object of this federation would be
prevent both Pan Russian and Pan-Ge
manic expansion, and he desired to 5
cure the active support OF Great Brita
and France. It would be useless
point out TO him the absurd imprac
-ability of his scheme in the prese
Russia Moi Ready
Turning to the larger aspect OF t
situation, it must be admitted that Ru
STA has fully convinced the represent
lives OF all the powers at Constantil
pie OF the sincerity Of her desire to ave
military Intervention at the present n
nent This belief Is coupled equal
With the strong conviction that L
Cars government, likewise. does u
desire a permanent settlement Of /
Balkan question. A brief postponemeI
lo1 genuine reform, is Russia's real
sire. Her status in Manchuria must fir
be settled, and II is expected that s
FIJI press IL TO the earliest conclusio
Regarding Russia's next move I quo
IN extract from a conversation with
duscovite statesman a few days ago:
I'VE expect nothing whatever fro
he Sultan in the way OF reforms in Il
present situation" he remarked cyniea
Y. We have never deluded ourselv
N this point. He will do nothing pra
ieally until strong pressure IS broug
O bear on him. and this will be dol
oon.'
Moral Suasion.
7 suggested that his language fmpli'
rave measures. NO: you misunde
tand me, was his reply. II mes
aoraI pressure, not military interveI
Tor" But when. with some surpris
expressed the prevailing opinion TIL
he resources Of moral influence in thu
ERECTION had been exhausted, the al
wer was emphatic that this was a mii
AIKEN idea. that events would prove b
ore long that pressure could be pl
pom the Sultan which would compel hi
Q yield TO all the demands Of the pow
RS. and that this effect would be pre-
uced without moving a battalion {
ring a shot. I came away skeptica
Ut puzzled.
There must always be borne IN min
le terrible danger Involved Ia pressin
ae ruler OF the Turkish empire too faI