Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
THE BALKAN CONFLICT
Discussions Between Turks,
SlavS and Greeks.
RELIGION AND EDUCATION
Western knowledge of Macedonia
is Imperfect.
PROPAGANDIST PLANS FOILED
How and Why the Greeks Applied
to the Turkish Government
for Protection.
RELIGION AND EDUCATION
PROPAGANDIST PLANS FOILED

conflict between Turk and Slav and
Greek. according to keen students of the
PIT blem is always existent In the Balkans.
AS to the actual state OF affairs there our
knowledge here in the west is very imper-
feet, to say the least What the Macedo-
mans have done, are doing, and will do, is
matter that was seldom taken up in the
past, and only lately. since 1890 have we
taken general interest In their troubles.
The Greeks are not false to their old ideals,
they have been accused. They are OPP
pressed and cheated by the Bulgarians and
Servlans, the Bulgarians particularly.
Therefore some accurate Information on
those countries is useful.
The Greeks are always unfolding nobly
the banner of Hellenic culture" said
prominent diplomat They have done the
best they could under the adverse circum-
stances which seem to have fallen to their
lot ever since they lost the supremacy n
the world centuries and centuries ago. This
best can only be verified by those who
travel in those countries and see for them
selves
1T Is very difficult to form an exact and
impartial Idea of the condition OF things In
Macedonia today, on account OF the many
rough conflicts of races which have been 60
ing on for many years in its provinces. sta
tistics of those countries are deceptive and
faulty. They are planned in a slipshod
manner and according to the whims of
their author. Many peasants throughout
Macedonia could not tell. If asked their ma
tionalty. They do not know, because the
sovereignty over their provinces is always
disputed. For long time all the Christians
OF Macedonia were dependent on the Greek
Church. Now there is a Bulgarian Church
also. Neither the one nor the other, L
kEow on good authority, corresponds to eth
biological divisions.
Educational Conditions
THE Greek patriarchate still comprises.
Servians Koutzo-VaIaques and Bulgarians.
The Bulgarian enarchate or local religious
Jurisdiction. In spite of Its strictly national
character comprises thousands and thou
sands of Servians. The sole national chite-
rion Is the school. There general education
is not obligatory-it depends upon private
initiative alone. The love and progress of
instruction denote the moral and civilizing
value of race. Therefore, knowing the
number and Importance of the Christian
schools in Macedonia, we can estimate with
perfect eXaCtness the material and lntellec-
tual force of the divers cOntending races.
Il have here some interesting facts re-
garding schools in Greece and Bulgaria"
continued the diplomat In the vilayet of
SalOnika, Greece, which comprises twenty
six cazas, or districts, there are In all 81
schools. subdivided into primary and second
airy schools. and schools for girls, with 1850
teachers and over 1900 pupils. These are
divided between the four Christian races
the Greek. the Servian, the Roumanian and
the Bulgarian. There are 521 Greek schools
with a2, ga students: $40 Bulgarian schools.
with 9,544 students; p Serv1an schools,
with SD students and 10 Roumanian schools
with ass students.
Greek schools are found in q districts,
Bulgarian in H. Servian IN 10 and Rouma
MAN in 4 Out of total number of TWEEN
ty-five districts Greek schools are lacking
in only two Kavador and Raslik, where
only Bulgarian schools are found. In the
vilayet of Monastir, which comprises fifteen
districts. there in all 100 schools with
3S634 students.
English Consul's Opinion.
These schools are instruments of ma
tional propa ganda, especially the Bulga-
rian. Roumanian and Servian institutions,
and therefore they are created and helped
only, in most cases. by governmental re-
sources. Some years ago the British gov
eminent sent for statistics the subject
and Mr.. Blount, the then English consul
general at Salonika, wrote: The impor-
taHce OF most OF the Bulgarian schools is d.
minished, l think, by the Importance OF
the sums sent from Bulgaria, oriental Rou-
melia, perhaps even from Russia for their
sustenance instruments OF official propa-
ganda, the schools have Fictitious Glen
tele recruited by large pecuniary subsidies.
All these schools are quite artihcial-they
have no roots in Macedonia.
"On the other hand, the condition of
Greek schools IS quite different. They are
due to private initiative, and are attended
freely without any aid. pecuniary moral or
physical. The most obstinate Bulgarophile
writer's are forced to recognize this side of
the question.
Greek intellectually
''It Is impossible not to be struck by the
educational superiority OF the Greek race
1t denotes an intellectual value and activity
which the contending races are far from
possessing in the same degree.
1T has often been alleged too. that the
Turks. This Is not true, and the rumor has
been forged by the Bulgarians and their
devoted friends. The course OF events
proves Just the opposite. The Bulgarian
comitadjis or propagandists. have started
an artificial movement I'm Macedonia Just
In a country where the divers national in
terests are In constant and violent conflict.
They wanted the Greeks to take I'D arms
and help them. so that they might present
strictly Bulgarian movement as a Mace
DOMAIN revolution TO the rest of the world.
The Greeks have not been so simple as to
be caught In this snare. The comtadtis at
once put into execution their Internal plan
TO eNtlnguish the Greek race, that strong
and Influential obstacle to their selfish and
greedy Intentions. Taxing the Greeks and
numbering men and women without distinc-
ton brought terror and calamity to the
peaceful and disarmed Macedonians What
would the disinterested Bulgarophile want
the MaCedonians 10 do? The Greeks had
and have. to take care of their own exist
enee. Most naturally they applied for pro-
NStNlNA ~ Nile Iu4lNB government.
Turkish Help Asked.
They asked the Turkish authorities TO
save them from these strange iiberators,
who pretended to free them from the Turk
ish rule by overtaxing. plundering and muir
deTing them Is that an alliance with the
Turks? Did the American citizens ally
themselves with the Turks because they
were guarded and protected by Turkish
soldiers during the Armenian nassacres?
1t is exactly the same with the Greeks
There is but only one difference-that the
Americans were guarded and faithfully
protected. while the Greeks were not.
The religious dissensions of the different
and antagOnistic races will some day solve
the problem. II will not be many decades
ere the Greeks will become a more indie
pendent people. and the Bulgarians, Rou-
manians. and other subservient races be
placed once forever under the drastic rule
OF either Russia or Turkey. These are the
only two nations that could cope with the
situation. and very likely Turkey will have
the preference"