The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-17

ously enforced the same order against tho Bulgarian priests, making every eifort to paralyze the development of religious and educational work and deprive the Bull garian ex-archbishop of all his privileges and force the people to come under the authority of the Greek patriarch. En- couraged by the Ottoman authorities the Greek bishops and archimandrites forced their way into the Bulgarian church. burned the prayer books and employed menaces to compel the people to acknowl- edge the patriarch. The governor of Mon astir issued an order April 23 forbidding Bulgarians to go abroad or even to Con- stantinople This order was interpreted to prevent Bulgarians going to any large city and forcing them to deal only with Turkish merchants, which would grad ually ruin and supplant them. The pro- vincial administration employed every possible means to install Mussulmans in the Bulgarian villages.
 Forced to Sell Lands.
 On the slightest pretext the Bulgarians were forced to sell their lands to the Turk ish at any price the latter chose to pay. Burdened with taxes, liable to perform statute labor for the Turkish land owners, the population Is reduced to a state of serfdom. This is one of the principal causes of discontent and when it Is in creased by the exacttions of the tax gath erers it is not difficult to understand why the wretched people should revolt from a despotic government and servitude. In conclusion the memorandum asserts that the foregoing exposure once more condemns Ottoman administrative govern ment In Europe.
 It says: Not long ago the porte de- nounced these revolutionary movements as being fermented by Bulgaria, and tried to put the responsibility on this princi- pality. Today 1t must acknowledge that 1t is its bad administration which is the only cause for the trouble. From sad ex- perience the porte must learn that sys- tematic persecution, cruel injustice and bloody repression do not restore order and peace in a country. The porte accept ed the principle, the project of reform, which 1t has not put into effect It has declared that the project is insufficient. Lastly, the porte formally promised the Bulgarian government to cease the ar- rests of Bulgarian priests and school masters, reopen the church and schools, release the prisoners and punish the of- ficials guilty of exactlons; in short, to adopt a policy of justices amelioration.
 Not only has the porte failed to ob- serve one of these promises. but 1t has enacted sterner measures of repression. What must be the result of all this? Tired of waiting the fulfillment of prom ises of better conditions and driven to de- spair the Bulgarian population have thrown themselves into a revolution, which Is spreading in an Ottoman prov ince 150 miles from the Bulgarian from tier.
 "The causes of this revolution are to- day known. The responsibility is fixed and the porte can no longer accuse the Bulgarian principality."
 The memorandum has made a strong impression in diplomatic circles. The Austrian diplomatic agent has already called on the premier to express his anxiety regarding the results that may ensue from it's publication. The French and Italian agents also expressed uneasi- ness. although they took a less gloomy view.
 The British ambassador has called the attention of the porte to the serious sit uation in Macedonia. He pointed out that grave consequences may attend fresh massacres of consuls or foreign subjects.
 The ambassador had an audience with the sultan on Friday.
 Russian Press Keeps Quiet. St. Petersburg, August 16-The Rus sian press does not lay emphasis on the dispatch of a division of the Russian Black sea fleet to Turkish waters. mere ly repeating the official statement with out comment. The Novoe Vremya, in an outspoken editorial, says:
 Bitter experience has shown the use- lessness and disadvantage of all con- certed measures. Now since the murder of M Rostkokski does not concern Eu- rope, we are proceeding without any con- cert and therefore we can more conf dently predict complete satisfaction for our demands from Turkey.