The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-30
Tho Macedonian Question.

-
the WORLD M. w. II.
Tho Macedonian Question.
The problem Of the Near East. or, in other
words, the Macedonian question, is certain
to become urgent the moment the problem
OF the Far East Il solved or postponed by a
treaty Of peaoe between Russia and Japan.
A great deal Of light IL thrown on the method
Of dealing with the three vilayets Of Mace
donia and with the vilayet Of Adrianople,
which, though 1t adjoins Macedonia, Is not
a part Of that country, either geographically
or politically, In the essays contributed
by various experts to the volume which is
called The Balkan Question, and is edited
by LUIGI VILIARI tE. P. button Coz. Only
the chapter on the mixture OF races In Mace
donia is contributed by the editor, but the
contribution y a valuable one. There
is an introduction by the Right Hon. James
Bryce and a useful description Of the Turk
ish administrative system by Mr.. Edwin
Pears, who has long been the leader OF the
consular bar in Turkey, and who Ia known
as the historian of .The Destruction Of the
Greek Empire" and "The Fall of Constanti-
nople." M. Victor Berard, editor OF the
Revue de Paris, furnishes chapter on the
attitude of France toward the Macedonian
question, and Mr.. E. Hilton Young suggests
what certainly seems practicable scheme
Of reform. Mr.. Ahthur Ponsonby, formerly
q member Of the British Embassy at Con-
stantinople, makes an earnest plea for
vigorous British policy, and Mr.. Valentine
Chirol discusses the various positions taken
1>u kho If
twelve chapters is worth reading. but we
have personally derived most benefit from
those written by Mr.. Villari and Mr. E. H.
Young.
According to the statistics collected
by Mr.. villari, the total population of the
three Macedonian vilayets is from 1000, 900
to 23OO, 900, OF whom not more than 100 900
are Mohammedans. About third Of these
Mohammedans are Osmanl Turks. AL
though the first Osmanli colony dates from
A. ID. 1881. and although Macedonia was
subiected to Ottoman rule long before
the capture Of Constantinople, and although,
moreover numbers of the conquered in
habitants went over to Islam, Mohamme-
dams never formed majority in Mace
donia nor even In any large district Of it.
They are found in all parts Of the country,
however. especially in the large towns,
but they are everywhere outnumbered by
the Christians. They constitute the Gov
eminent, the army, the privileged caste.
They are not, however. the richest class, for
while they are the chief landowners they
are not addicted to trade or to any Of the
money making professions. which are left
to the Christians and the Jews. The dis
- hn Tt,rly
most numerous are the plain limited by
the rivers Vardar, Karasmak and Mog-
lenitza and the Pajik Mountains; and a
district around Servia and Vodena, en-
closed by line touching Vodena. I.aban-
liza, Domenitza and Ranitza, with extern
sions to Monastir, Eassona and Tirnovo.
Even here, as we have said, the Turks by
no means comprise the whole population.
They are conferred in the towns and in a num-
Der Of villages in the plains. The noun
famous parts Of these same districts are
usually inhabited by Christians, the Moslem
conquerors, naturally, having chosen the
more fertile lands.
At Salonica and few other towns OF
hiacsSionia tiisre are large jewish settle
ments The Macedonia Jews like nearly
all the Jews In Turkey, are descended from
those driven out OF Spain by Ferdinand
and Isabella. and they speak e Spanish
dialect to this day. though they usually
know many other languages as WE'LL At
Salonica they form the majority Of the
population. As might be expected, their
favorite occupations are banking and trace,
but the poorer Jews are boatmen. porters,
servants, small shopkeepers, and, In one
or two districts, even peasants. They
are the one subject race that the Turks
have never prosecuted, and they are, con-
seuuently, loyal subjects Of the Sultan.
They thoroughly understand how to make
a good thing out Of the Turkish Govern
ment, and, in exchange for being left alone.
are It's chief financial support. They are
industrious, honest and intelligent.
The Christian population Of Macedonia
includes Greeks, Bulgars, Serbs and Vlachs,
or pseudo Rumanians. The Albanians are
divided by religion into Mohammedans.
who make up two-thirds Of the whole num-
Der; Orthodox Christians and Roman Catho-
lies. In every tribe save the Mrdits, who are
all Catholics, and even in many families, there
are both Mohammedans and Christians,
and, although they are constantly fighting
among themselves, religion is hardly ever
the cause Of the quarrel. 1t can hardly
be said that the Albanians have any politi-
cal aspirations beyond that OF maintaining
their autonomy and their traditional right
to plumber their neighbors. The Turks
have used them in Europe much in the same
way as they have used the Kurds in Asia,
giving them practical independence and
license to pillage the Christians In exchange
for fidelity to the Sultan. When the old
division OF Turkey into pashalks was abol-
ished and the present system Of vilayets
substituted. large Albanian districts were
Incorporated in the Macedonian vilayets
OF Kossovo and Monastir (the third Mace
DOMAIN vilayet is called salonica), with the
result, IL not with the avowed object, OF
introducing further element OF disorder
and fresh instrument OF persecution
among the Slavs and Greeks. In the
vilayet Of Kossovo they are striving con-
tinually to drive out the Servians whom
they murder and rob with impunity, and
sometimes even make raids across the
frontier into Servia. For the Slavs, in
deed, the Albanians have peculiar detesta-
ton, and Mr.. Vilhri maintains that any
scheme OF reforms for Macedonia which
is to bANsuccessiul must begin by exclud-