The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-11


Greek church in Turkey. At that time
many scattered Christians lost their re-
ligious rights and by force OF circum-
stances were forced to become Turks The
Bulgarians would have met the same
fate had not the Greek patriarch taken
them under his protection and care.
Without Greece there would be no Bull
garia now Without the care of the Greek
patriarch the Bulgarians would have
been forced to adopt the Turkish religion
and be Turks.
Now In later times, about the year
1870, the Bulgarians were stirred up by
Russian agents and they have started
again their ancient evil tactics. Starting
with crusade against the Greek church,
they look at Macedonia with envious
eyes and desire it for their own, instead
OF lighting the Turks openly for the ter
ritory, they have formed lot of dam
gerous secret societies whose main object
Is to kill and exterminate the Greeks of
Macedonia and other provinces I'm hope
that Bulgaria shall some day be the sole
surviving heir to the dying Turkish
power. Bulgarlans never fought the
Turks. 1t was the soldiers of the Tar
pof Russia who gave independence to Bull
garia in 1S77-7S.
If Bulgaria had desired to fight the
Turks in the cause of Christianity she
missed splendid opportunity nine years
ago when the Greeks were contending
with the great Ottoman empire. That
she did not come to the aid of the Greeks
is a proof of her duplcity and insin-
cerily. The Bulgarian societies have
dangerous method; they have let loose
many bands of murderous men who de-
mand money by force and threats from
every rich family whom they can In
tinidate for the support of their patriotic
societies (as they shameless1y call them.
An American lady has been a victim
of these societies. Miss Ellen Stone
for whom the Bostonans had to raise
a ransom of $4,000 and pay to her cruel
captors. over 1000 prominent Greeks in
and around Macedonia were murdered by
the men of these societies The muir
dered men were doctors. school teachers
priests, merchants and others. They have
also destroyed much property by fire and
dynamite. in the year 1903 the Bulgarans
exploded several bombs in the city of
Salonica, by which much property was
destroyed, and the inhabitants terrorized
In 1905 the Bulgarians burned the CEN
trail part of the city of Andrianople, the
business of which place is in the hands
of the Greeks In 1906 the Bulgarians
assisted. by their police, burned the
whole city of Anghealaos and drove the
people out. The inhabitants emigrated to
Athens This city was built in the year
500 b. c., by Greeks and to this day 1t
was always inhabited by Greeks. 1t was
a seasite city of commerce and was sit
uated in Bulgaria. The people, although
Bulgarian citizens. were Greek in senti-
ment on account of their ancient descent.
These same Bulgarian societies have at
tackled and damaged many other towns,
and terrorized the inhabitants during the
past year.
This is the true Bulgarian scheme to
conquer Turkey-to exterminate the
Greeks and not fight the Turks. The
cunning Bulgarians have spent much
money in their propaganda, even sub
sidizing a part of the European press.
Thus they mslead the worlds opinion
about their crimes and always give tire
Greeks the blame for the disorders In
Macedonia. They claim that they are
trying to liberate the Maeedonfans. TO
liberate the Macedonians with what, ana
by whom? With thieves and murderers,
with outlaws and dangerous bands of ruff
fans? The Greeks seeing that Turkey
could not cope with these Bulgarian
bands protested to the European powers
more than once; but no one would listen
to their protestations. because the Bull
garian agents at European courts were
busy contradicting all complaints against
their propaganda. No European power
would attempt TO stop the murderous
work of the Bulgarian society. BY this
hopeless condition the Greeks were forced
to take steps for their own protection by
organizing armed bands to make war on
the Bulgarian societies and their spies.
| They have also called the attention of the
great powers by proclamation to the faet
that Bulgaria never had and never will
have any right in Observation-Disclosures
J Macedonia.
Gus COSTELOS,
p DRASSAS.
Greek American citizens, Birmingham
Eval