Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-18
Revolt Started in Macedonia.

causes of complaint
Revolt Started in Macedonia.
The revolution which overthrow the
late sultan and brought the Young Turk
party into power began in Macedonia,
and the Macedonian committee bore an
honorable part in the movement. The
most influential leaders Of the Young
Turk party and the present government
are Macedonians, and for year after
the revolution everything went smoothly.
The relations between the MoslemS and
the Christians were perfectly harmonious.
but the people are naturally rebelliOus;
they acquired revolutionary habit long
ago. Like the Irish, they are habHually
long before the Macedonians were in
arms to resist the authority they had
themselves assisted to create. The gov
eminent undertook TO suppress disorder
by ddsarming the people, and military
posses were sent through the province to
take away the guns and other weapons,
especially from the Christians. Resist
ance provoked violence and hlOodshed,
and now Macedonia is again under mar
ttal law, as it was continuously during
the reign of Abdul Hamid, until the
great powers undertook the administra-
ton of affairs
The Greeks, Bulgarians and Albanians
sympathiZe with the Macedonian revolu-
power to assist them. Therefore, an or
gained uprising Of Macedonian Chris
tians against Turkish authority would be
likely to involve Greece, Bulgaria, Servia
and Montenegro, and the Albanians
would take advantage Of the situation to
make another strike for freedom.
The revolution In Albania last summer
was suppressed without much difficulty
but with considerable bloodshed, because
the Turkish army had nothing else to
IN nd mi fhrnU
his entire force into that distracted prov
ince; but the expense was enormous.
Several of the leaders We're shot. anu
hostilities have ceased; but the cause of
the uprising still exists and every town
and village in Albania is garrfsoned with
Turkish troops. which have treated the
natives very badly
Government Doesn't Help.
The government at Constantinople has
done nothing to remedy the cause of
complaint. but, on the contrary, has ag
gravated it. and has forcibly closed every
school in Albania which would not teach
the Turkish language. The Albanians in
sist that their own language should be
used and they will not allow their chill
dran 10 study any other. Although the
present Turkish government is Indifferent
to the Moslem church in many ways. and
in Asia Minor and other parts of the
empire has not only encoura ged. but is
giving financial support to Christian
schools. in Albania it is endeavoring to
force the Koran and other Mosem litera-
ture down the threats of the Christians,
and has compelled the schools to use the
Turkish language, because none but
Christian booke are published in Albania.
1t has, even closed American missionary
schools because they too insisted upon
using other languages than the Turkish.
The entire policy of the government in
H. l.,
actly contrary to that which has govern
ed its treatment Of other provinces and
there will be perpetual revolution in AL
bania until radical change is made.
Sooner or later. perhaps at the next out
break. the Albanians will be reinforced
by the Macedonians. and if there should
be a conflict between Turkey and Bull
garia. or between Turkey and Greece,
the Albanians will jump into the fight
promptly and they are the best fighters in
Europe.
The warlike spirit of Greece has been
by the rebellious spirit Of AL
banis and the knowledge that the Rus
and equipped. with the most modern arms
and accouterments, an army OF G1OOO
men in the little kingdom of Montenegro.
which has population of only 10000
When somebody expressed surprise to
King Nicholas that his tiny kingdom
could support SO large an army he calmly
replied that the women did all the work
anyhow, and the best way to keep the
men quiet was to make them drill. With
less population than the District Of CO.
lumbia, Montenegro has one of the finest
and most effective armies in the world.
Gear Approves War.
The object Of Russia in organizing this
force and supplying it with arms is we'll
understood by the European powers. 1t
Is taken for granted that, according to
the hereditary policy of the Romanoff
dynasty. the car will do everything in
his power to provoke war in the Balkans
against Turkey, in order that. when the
moment arrives, he can
step in and carve of another slice of
Turkish territory to be added to his own.
Russia is always ready to encourage trou-
BILE, hoping sooner or later to get access
to the Mediterranean, to add Armenia to
her Asiatic provinces, and to obtain Dos
session of the south shore OF the Black
sea.
France will stand with Russia when the
time comes for a showdown, England is
the protector of Greece and has been badly
douted in Turkey. She has lost her pres
tige In the Ottoman empire, and - ratu-
rally expected to do whatever she can to