The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-26
GREAT BRITAIN
 GAN ONLY SUGGEST
Premier BaIfour Discusses the
 Macedonian Situation
MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM
While He Is In Entire Sympathy With the Feelings of Horror and lndig- nation, England Cannot ln-
 terfere Just Now.

London, September 25.-Premier Baltouf in a lengthy letter to the Archbishop or Canterbury, Dr. Davidson, discusses the Macedonian situation. The letter is reply to the archbishop's action in draw ing attention to the growing uneasiEess among churchmen at the apparent apathy of the powers while unspeakable atfe- cities are perpetrated in Macedonia
 MT. Balfour says he is in entire sympa- thy with the feelings of horror and in- dignation and fully understands the dc sire to give expression in public meeting to the sentiment of reproduction which recent events justified MT. Balfour then proceeds to analyze the situation. He says:
 I've have not to deal with simple question of misgovernment or oppression by Turkish officials, but with problem complicated by the fact that the Christian population in Macedonia is rent in frag- ments by differences of race aggravated by differences of religion and in addition to the Ills inflicted by corrupt and inca pable administration, and by an ill-paid and undisciplined soldiery,. and by a de- testable system of taxation we have to reckon with all the ills which. in a popu- lation not imbued with western ideas of humanity, rival nationalities and sects do not seruple to lnfllet on one another.
 Europe Must Be In Harmony.
 MT. Balfour adds:
 "The instrument whereby the situation may be dealt with is the concert of Eu- rope But this, even were they all in har- mony, is necessarily slow and may easily be ineffective, if the problem Is complex.
 Ut was a matter of congratulation when Rusisa and Austria, acting with the au- thority of Europe, proposed to press the scheme of reforms, while lacking in the oretcal perfection, came within the circuit of practical politics and would, if more earnestly pressed by the porte and more frankly accepted by the Macedonian popu- latlon, have spared the world the horrors it since witnessed Neither of these con- dtions was fulfilled. The Porte, as usual, was dilatory and failed to see that policy of humanity was a policy of wis dom. The revolutionists have deliberately done their best to drive the Turk to ex- cesses and furnish him with an excuse for deferring the execution of reforms meeting horrors with horrors and brutali- ty with brutality, for the deliberate pur- pose of driving the Turk to crimes against the innocent especially upon the sympa- thies of the world.
 Such methods as these are no more morally tolerable than the misgovernment which is their excuse.'
 Internal Complications.
 Coming to the attitude of Great Bri- tain, MT. Balfour points out that Russia, Austria and Turkey cannot be indifferent to territorial redistribution in the penln- sula, while Greece, Bulgaria, Servia aad Roumania are all interested in the fate of the province in which the Christian population is made up of all nationalit es, These external complications are dohalsd by internal ones, because of religious dif- ferences, the Mohammedans fearing Christian rule while the exarchists and Christians persecute the patriarchists. The Greeks who are patriarchists, wotild sooner find protection under the rule of the sultan than be left to fight the mat ter out with the Bulgarians, who are ex- archists
 Great Britain, said Mr. Balfour. was not precluded by the policy outlined from offering suggestions, which has already been done, and she will continue to d1 SC. But it would be folly to forget that there are occasions when two powers are stronger than three, and addition to the numbers carried, counts for efficiency.
 These principles, concluded MT. Balfonr. direct the policy of the British govern ment in the near east. He has no doubt that they are in accordance with British interests and in obedience to them lies the best hope of improving the condition of the Macedonians and the security of Eu- ropean peace.