The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-13
news letter .
FROM LONDON

London, Sept. 13.-One of the
stanchest defenders of the Bulgarians
IN the present controversy over the
question of alleged atrocities is L. D.
Woodruff, the veteran American mis-
%sionary who recently presented a
statement to the British foreign office
on behalf of Bulgaria.
Mr.. Woodruff was the first FOREIGNER.
OUTSIDE the Bulgarians, permitted to
enter Adrianople after the surrender
or the Turks. He walked in at dawn
over the SCARED battlefelds, and for
weeks afterwards he was in active
charge of the relief work in the Turk
1sh cholera camps. He was constantly
IN a position to see who was respon-
sible for any. atrocities in Adrianople
and it's neighborhood, and he absolves
the Bulgarian authorities from. any
blame for the isolated outrages which
took place. .
Coming to London with a committee
of native Bulgarian and English mis-
sionaries to present a statement. to
Sir Edward Grey, which was desired
by the British foreign Office in it's
work of delimiting the Enos-Media line
fixed by the conference of London, Mr..
Woodruff took advantage of the oc-
casion to tell the English foreign min
lister something Of the Bulgarian side
Of the atrocity charges. Sir Edward
was so impressed by the assertions of
the American that he requested him to
supplement them with a written &C
count Of his personal observations.
A. summary of his statement to Sir
Edward Grey follows: when l en-
tered the city the streets of Adrianople
were free from any excitement or dis
turbance, with the exception of a few
! or = ~, -l~l- 1~n--@I ~ rN
erWards, a been fired at some Turk
ish officers who sought to escape from
a house where they had been hiding,
There was an air Of relief n happi-
ness on the faces of the people, fol-
even to the stubborn defenders the
Bulgarian occupation was a relief from
impending starvation.
Il was surprised at how little dam
age had been done to the city by the
bombardment, only twelve civilians
having been killed. 1 saw no fezzes
being knocked from the heads OF
Turks, and l know that when someone
complained to General Vazoff that his
soldiers were snatching the fezzes
from the heads of citizens, he ISSUED
oil order that any soldier found guilty
Of such an action be promptly shot.
1.-THE European Turkish soldiers
were released as soo as the lists Of
their names were submitted. Thu
others were started as soon as posi-.
BILE, on the Toad to Bulgaria, n .aftei
the column had passed several bodies
were found. These were prisoners wht
had been shot as grim necessity o.
war because they either would not OF
could not keep up.
THE Turkish officers were sent tt
the best hotels in Philippopolis ant
Sofia. The soldiers were given breas
as soon as it could be procured. Man.
Turks died in the cholera amp from
hunger because of the Indifference a.at
lack of organization of their fellows
On account of the danger of infection
the Bulgarians passed the breat
across the lines to selected orderlies
but the supplies did not always reacl
the men who needed food the most
The horrors Of this island Of dealt
cannot be exaggerated, but the suffer
ing there was as much due to til,
Indifference of the Turkish doctors al
to Bulgarian neglect. Shukri Pash;
was praised by the Bulgarians for hi
heroic defense OF the city. but thi