The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-25
HORRORS OF THE BALKAN WAR
Carnegie Commission Closes Its
Searching Inquiry

Paris, Oct. 23.-Troops of all the
warning Balkan states committed at
rocities. according to the evidence
gathered by the international Car
negie commission in its searching
INJURY Just ended The conclusions
Of the commission are TO be publish
ed in book form with illustrations
and fac SMILES of number OF the
documents on which the report is
based. In view of the commissions
desire to present an absolutely i'm
partial account of its Investigations,
the text will not be divided into sec
tions written by individual members,
but issued AS whole, for which all
the members of the commission take
responsibility.
One of the noteworthy tasks was
the minute examination and veftifi-
cation by the commissioners or the
famous packet Of letters from Greek
soldiers captured by the Bulgarians,
containing horrible descriptions OF
how Greek soldiers avenged them
selves" on Bulgarians who fell into
their hands. The commission beliey
es that it has established the anthem
lefty Of these letters.
Othe' documents testify that the
Greeks occasionally made use of the
forbidden dun dun bullet and show
also the misdeeds OF Bulgarians and
other belligerents. The inquiry did
not extend to the Rumanians.
The commission collected material
from every available sources. After
having visited the officials. the com.
mission went to the scenes of al
legged atrocities and Intercepted at
length every class of witness. from
soldiers who took part in the battles
to women and children who were
spectators and victims OF the hor-
roTs.
Some OF the most important evil
dence taken by the commissioners is
said to have been from children.
While it was found that the Bull
garlans had committed the greatest
faults, the soldiery of other nations
taking part in the war were also
guilty of many hideous acts.
In Bulgaria, where the opinion is
that Bulgaria has been abominably
treated by the foreign press and
ether belligerents scarcely blamed
for their misdeeds. the fullest in
Quiry was invited and cvey possible
facility for investigation was given
to the commission.
The members were permitted to
question civilians and soldiers at will
and among the soldiers an endeavor
was made to learn the psychological
basis of the sayagery and hatred
shown by the Bulgarians toward
their forme' allies.
The Bulgarians, in their campaign
against the Turks, behaved in an ex.
emplary manner. II would appear
that the Bulgarians. who had borne
the brunt of the war against the
Turks. were exhausted at its end and
thought only of going to their homes
Immediately. They had been p-omis
ed this. When they were told that
their allies had acted in bad faith
and had betrayed them, the Bulgar-
ian fury burst forth uncontrollably.
Turkey also gave the commission
every facility for inquiry. The gov.
eminent of Greece did also, although
certain amount of opposition was
encountered in that country.
Servia did its utmost to prevent an
unhampered investigation and no in
quiries were permitted except in the
presence of Servian military attache.
This attitude reduced the commits.
sicn's work in Servia practically to
nothing and produced a bad impress
ion on the commission which in other
places. where It was allowed free
dom to investigate. learned that
faults were committed by all the
helligerents.