The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-22
eITuATloN IN THE BALKANS
PRESENTS BUT VERY FEW
NEW FEATURES.
INFLUENCE OF THE KAISER
THROWN IN FAVOR OF A FREE
HAND FOR THE SULTAN TO
SUPPRESS REVOLT.

London, Sept. 21.-The Balkan sit
uation presents few new features. The
| German emperor's influence at Vienna
is said to have been thrown In favor
| Of allowing the sultan the utmost free
dom in s%uppressing the instruction.
Both Turks and Macedonians claim
the victories in the, Dolly encounters.
A dispatch from Sofia states that
| Bulgaria's military preparations are
reaching the stage of perfection that
will enable the concentration of 2OO,-
900 men on the frontier within a week
and that the stocks of provisions,
and ammunition are rapidly
becoming efficient.
According to a dispatch from Con-
| stantinople to the Daily Telegraph. the
| sultan Is so firmly resolved to avoid a
war that on the report that France
was sending a fleet to Turkish waters
and again when it was stated that Bull
garia was mobilizing, he drafted a de-
cree forbidding massacres in Macedo-
MIA and comforting more extensive To-
| cal administrative privileges than had
been demanded by the insurgents
themselves, but on each occasion.
| finding the rumors unfOunded, the de-
cree was rescinded.
Pressure Would Bring Reforms.
Is is believed. however. that should
| Turkish waters the decree will be
signed.
The Sofia correspondent of the Daily
| Telegraph gives a similar report that
the sultan is ready to concede local
autonomy, but will not grant interna-
| tional control or a Christian governor
to Macedonia.
A dispatch from the Monastery of
Rila, says the Greeks are Joining the
revolt in the districts of Menlikf and
DENT Hassir.
The Constantinople correspondent
| of the Times declares that he has good
authority for asserting that several
Servian bands have already crossed
the frontier and are now meeting in
| Macedonia.
IF BULGARIA fights Turkev it will be
difficult for Servia to lag behind, and
1t is quite clear that a Turco-Bulgarian
war would not be so one-sided as at
first sight it appears.
In an audience with NJ. Zindvfeh
the Russian ambassador. the sultan
expressed regret at the excesses com
mitted by Turkish troops in the
vilayets Of Monastir and Adrianople.
He said orders had been sent to the
authorities concerned to prevent their
repetition, and he gave the Russian
ambassador to understand that the
guilty parties would be punished.
Bulgaria has informed foreign dfplo-
mats that her note was not an ultima
tum. but a plee. for Intervention before
that would be too late. 5
Terrible Atrocities Predicted.
The Daily Mails correspondent at
Sofia telegraphs as follows:
One Of the revolutionary chiefs has
Informed me that the revolutionists are
massing thousands of men at various
points on the frontier and their labora.
tories are working necessarily to re
plenish their stock Of bombs and ex.
nlosives. They clio not count much on
war between Turkey and Bulgaria
but on the day they hear that the
meeting between the cZar and Emper
or Francis Joseph has not had the de
sired result for Macedonia. the world
will witness the beginning of massa
ores. burnings land destruction com
pared with which the Turkish atroci
ties will seem child's play. The han
ner of revolution, my informant says
will be unfurled in all of the border
districts. Every city and village
whether the inhabitants are friends Of
foes. will be DESTROYED. and such
state of anarchy will be caused thai
the Turks will step out voluntarily
and leave the country to the Macedon
ian survivors. They have selected thu
frontier districts for these final opera
tions so that Europe may hear the de
s-niring cries of the diving nation
t which the Turks would stile.