The sun., 1908-08-23

lowing and he did not become really famous
until after his death. ID. ". a.
Hunsary's Interest I'm Macedonia.
We have before us an English trsnslation
OF the book recently pubnshed IN tho trenoh
language by q writer who employs the pen
name Of .Draganof. but who evidently
nosaeases n great deal Of FIRST hand inforrna-
| tion concerning Macedonia and Gs Reforms.
The book, which 10 printed In London. but
which bears no publishers name. IL intro
duoed with d preface by n. Victor Berard,
who certainly would not have performed tho
service II he had not known that the pseu-
donymous writer could speak with au-
thority, What the book purports to give ID
a complete history Of Macedonia and Of the
reforms that have been attempted there
during the last ten years. On the one hand
II depicts the sufferings and struggles OF
the Macedonian people; on the other the
desperate efforts Of the Sultan Abdul Hamid
to keep under the knife this people which
it's kinsmen OF Bulgaria, Servia, Rumania
and Greece have civilized by means OF
schools, but which they have been unable
to deliver by force OF arms. less for want
OF the military power which would check
mate the Sultan than for want Of diplo-
matio understanding on the part OF the
great European Powers. uniting all inter-
ests and all efforts in the service Of civiliza-
ton and OF liberty. It may be thought at
the first glance that the publication OF TINS
book is beated, inasmuoh as since the trans
lation was made the successful uprising OF
the Young Turks has brought about
proclamation OF constitutional government
In Turkey. This event has called forth
not only from Great Britain, Russia and
France but also from Germany and Austria
Hungary an admission that the proposed
interposition Of foreign Powers In the ad-
ministration Of Macedonia must be sus-
pended until the native refornners. now
apparently triumphant. have had an op-
portunity Of proving their desire and their
ability to assure tho equality Of all races
and religions In the Ottoman Empire be-
fore the law. 1.-THE Young Turk programme
can be carried out the Intervention OF the
Christian Powers in the affairs Of Turkey
would be, Of course. superduous. In order
TO Judge, however, whether the professed
intentions Of the Young Turks are fulfilled.
It 10 indispensable that We should know
what the condition OF the provinces COM
posing Macedonia actually 10 and what
the difficulties are which will have to be
surrnounted in order to bring about re-
gime Of tranquility. order and equality.
As q matter Of fact then the book before
u has lost none OF the usefulness which It
would have possessed had the sutocrat
Abdul Hamid no. been transformed. much
against his will. into constitutional sov-
ereign.
The fundamental facts viii be found at
tested In the collection Of authentic docu-
ments which occupies about two-thirds
| Of this volume These documents exhibit
what Life has been in Macedonia under tho
so-oalled Muerzsteg regime agreed upon
| by Austria and Russia. Civil war. iso-
lated murders. plunderings. rapes and
burnings have formed the staple OF the
daily chronicle. It Ii dihioult for any un-
biased reader Of the documents to dissent
from the opinion expressed by sDraganof'
that the AuBtro- Russian compact gueran-
teeing the status QUO In the BALKANS TO
suited principally In reassuring the Sultan
| ~ to the oonsequenoes Of the crimes oou-
| mitted and encouraged by him. We do
| not purpose at this time. however. TO re-
view the black record here set forth for
the reason that the Turkish revolution
has inspired the hope of better things;
but we do desire to direct attention to the
| gist Of the introduction contributed by
| M. Victor Berard, for he demonstrates
Of what vital importance to Hungary. from
both a political and an economic point Of
view. would be the success Of the Young
| Turks in organizing progressive self-gov-
| ernment in European Turkey. Such gov
ernment would give the products OF Hun
| gary their necessary outlet through the
Gulf Of Salonioa
It is the firm belief Of -Draganof' that the
| Hungarians. who have just changed their
| policy In respect Of the Slavs Of their own
kingdom. will also change their views In
regard to the Slavs who are their neighbors
on the south. 1t 10 his conviction that
this change will have the happiest oonse-
quenoes for the fate Of Macedonia. He
finds il difficult indeed to understand how
4 the change should have come 90 late. Dur
ing the thirty years which soon will have
elapsed since through the Triple Alliance
Austria Hungary became the tool Of the
Hohenzollern one must have been blind.
he thinks, not to have seen that all the
interest Of the Slav. Hungarian. Rumanian.
| Italian and even Austrian communities
which compose the Dual Monarchy have
been saorifoed TO the demands Of Berlin.
and that the servility Of Vienna has not
only compromised the dignity Of the HAps-
burg sovereign and the honor Of his states
men but has fettered all the Austro-H Hun
garian peoples.
Is there any need to review. asks 'Draga-
nof.' twenty centuries OF history. or even
to open . map Of Europe In order to show
the role imposed by nature on the poessssors
Of Austria-Hungary. and particularly Of
Hungary. II they wish to servo their own
interests as we'll a. the interests Of the
world' In the heart Of Europe this basin
Of the Danube Ia fertile enough. rioh enough
In nooks and forests, to support q very
dense population. but the Danube and other
great rivers. highways which come from
without and lead without, have always
played q part more important than the
land itself In the life Of its inhabitants.
From the east to the west, or vice versa,
as from the south to the north: from the
Mediterranean to the Baltic. a. from the
Atlantic to the Black Sea; from the Russian
plain to the Alps. as from the temperate
r. A. 49, - - . a.