New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-11
SARAF0FF In LONDON.
The Macedonian Leaders and The;.
Cause.
London, December n

them is Boris sarafoff, who has been command
ing the insurgent bands In the Monastir distr,c,
He is soldier who received his training In IN.
Bulgarian army. and. with the exception OF !,
single year. he has been lighting and organizin,
the revolutionary movement since lS91 IN.
age is thirty-one. and. constant as mis- seryics
has been In district heavily garrisonsd by
Turkish forces. with frequent hairbreadth e.
eapes. he has never been wounded. He IN Of
medium height. broad shouldered but uths In
movement. with swarthy complexion betoksn-
ing life In the open air and exposure to wind
and rain. and with an expression Of innexisl.
determination. sarafoffs deep set brown eye.
underneath a crown, of black hair are rernarka-
hly keen and penetrating. His face. with tn
finely modelled forehead and sensitive nose and
lips. does not lack distinction. but the eyes rS-
veal the enthusiast and the fevolutionist- vixi-
lance, caution. resolution and masterrul snsrxy
stamped upon the features. but tho eye
either flashes or is chilled with suspicion and
reserve Sarafoff is bearded like a pard'' when
he Is fighting among the hills OF Macedonia, but
he Is clean shayen In London, with the exception
OF a short. brfstly mustaehe. and his hair 10
closely cut sarafofr Is less excitabls than the
Slavs usually are. and when he talks he Is cir
cumspect and wary. and conveys the impression
OF holding In reserve what he considers OF vital
Importance. He has small hands. and uses them
gracefully In illustrating and enforcing what
he has to say. He Is not a swashbuckIer but
a shrewd, earnest. reserved soldier. accustomed
to impose discipline with iron hand and to
maintain rigorous self-eontrol whenever q crtsi,
IN his fortunes arises.
sarafefrs closest companion is Michel Guert-
cofr. He IS tall. sinewy and handsome. with
profile almost classical In regularity of features
and with long. Jet black beard and thick
mass OF raven hair curling IN defiance OF re-
straint- He is two three years older than
Sarafoff and has manner OF more refinement
He has the pale face Of student. and was
educated as a lawyer. abandoning the profess
sion In order to become one Of the chief OF
ganizers Of the revolutionary movement For
six years he has been wandering among thu
villages of Macedonia. recruiting the revolutions
airy bands and directing their operations. A
man of exceptional courage. he was a conspira-
tor while giving instruction professor Ia
one OF the towns strongly garrisonet by Turk
ish troops and. disguised as a peasant. a Ia
borer or a priest. he has passed In and out OF
the military lines and eluded pursuit During
this years campaign he was In command Of IN
surgent bands IN the Adrianople district, and
succeeded IN holding his ground for nearly two
months against vastly superior forces Guerji-
cofr Is more outspoken than Sarafon. and does
not affect diplomatic caution and reserve Hts
face is illumined with fine glow OF enthusiasm
when he IS advocating the Macedonian causa
Like sarafor. he speaks French. but moro
fuently. and he Is fine type OF an educated
revolutionist.
Both Sarafcfr and GuerJlcof speak with al.
miration OF another leader. Gruyen. who could
not be induced to leave the mountains Of Mace
donia SO to accompany them 70 the European
capitals. They assert that he Is the most st-
fective organizer. and commands the confdsncs
OF the insurgent peasants as no other leader
cept the lamented Deltchef. who killed By
the Turks last summer. has done. Another Mac
edonian leader now in London Is Tzontcher.
who has been operating n the Adrianople dis
trict. and is reported to have had some differ
ences with Sarafoff on details OF military tao
ties He Is advocate of guerilla warfare.
whereas Sarafoff favors preconcerted uprtsings
on large scale the most practical expsdisns
for bringing about European Intervention
have not seen Tzontchef-. but can hardly believe
that he Is so good soldier as Sarafofr. what
ever may be the strength OF his argument that
strict guerilla warfare wears out the patience
and resources OF the Turks without provoking
reprisais In the form OF atrocities such as wers
committed this year In the Monastir district
Another prominent Macedonian who is IN Lon
don Is Dr. Tatarchefr. who has received nedl-
cal education here and In Berlin and Paris and
Is fully qualified for the post of surgeon general
OF the Macedonian forces He is now the per-
maaent representative OF the insurrectionary
movement In London. Is delivering addresses
under the auspices of the Balkan COMMITTEES.
and - Jealous champion OF the revolutionary
cause. Sarafoff and Guerjicof came to London
with the idea OF crossing the Atlantic and max
ing a direct appeal 10 american audiences 70.
financial and political support. They have re-
luctanty abandoned the iouEney. on the ground
that operations cannot be suspended IN the Bal
kan. and that they must return and direct them
early In the year. DR.. Tatarchefr speaks Eng
lish nuently and may go to the United States
In February or March on behalf OF ths rsyou.
tionista
While tbs Macedonian leaders 90 not agrees
upon points OF military tactics. they have q
common object. They tell me that autonomy
under Christian Governor. who himself ac-
knowiedges the suzerainty Of the Sultan. VIII
satisfy them and lead at once TO the pacihca-
ton OF European Turkey. They have no faith
either in the original or the revised schems Of
there is secret understanding between the two
powers by which inaction Is maintained with tbs
consent Of Germany until the territories can be
divided between them. They dfstrust Russian
diplomacy. and are confident that Austria
Hungary. with its confederation Of races which
are invariably pulling IN opposite directions. VIII
never intervene with sincerity and energy. Rus
sian occupation they emphatically condemn aS
an evil worse than the continuance OF Turkish
rule II would Involve the absorption OF the
vilayets as Russian provinces. and would be IN
compatible with national emancipation They
are not anxious to have big Bulgaria. although