The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-03-14
MACEDONIA HAS
VERY PECULIAR
BALKAN NATURE
Is Called the Dumping Ground
OF Different Peoples and
Forms.

WASHINGTON, Mar l3-Where:n5
Macedonia best represents all the ele5
nents in Balkan politics which go 10
make them the most uncertain OF all
possible politics and the most proph-
ct confusing OF all things in the
TO the National Geographic Society hy
Luigi Villari concerning the races
and religions of Macedonia. Besides
rejecting in an intensified way the
conditions which have made develop
ment difficult throughout all the his.
tory OF the Balkans, this former TUr-
kish strip Of territory. in the heart
of the peninsula today is largely re-
sDonsshle for the preoccupation with
neutrality OF Greece OF Albania and
OF Bulgaria. Describing Macedonsa's
peculiarly Balkan nature Mr. Nillari
says:
Macedonia mas for two thousand
years been the dumping ground OF
different peoples, and forms; indeed it
is a perfect photographic museum
The mountainous nature Of the inter
for made it difficult country to con-
quer and the various invaders We're
never able completely to absorb the
different peoples whom they found in
1t. While the greater part of q dis
trict was occupied by the invader, the
aboriginal inhabitants retired into the
mountain fastness and there maintain
their existence; one race established.
itself ON the sea coast and another
ncld the Interior"
Thus succeeding waves Of immiSra-
ton and conquest overlaid this coun-
try with various strata OF peoples,
cultural systems, anti-cultural sys-
tens. and religions; and established
~, III
tionsnips to the remaining lands OF
the Balkans and to the remaining
races OF Europe. For example, a
large Bulgarian population looked toi
Bulgaria for their future political de-
velopment, while large Greek pop
ulation looked to Greece Then, there
were Seryians, Albanians, Rumanians
Vlachs and Turks to conrplicate the
racial and national expression Of the
country. heterogeneous in races,
languages, customs, histories. ideals.
religions and in everything else, the
writer points out, Macedonia was an
easy problem through centuries for
the Turks
Macedonia. AR. yillari explains,
formed neither racial, linguistic
nor a political unit under Turkish
dominion IT was the first land I'M
Europe colonized by the Turks. Geo
graphically, it is a unit, lying just
above Thessaly. at the head OF an!
Gent Greece, and at a remote period
II its history. 1t formed a kingdom. i
Since the war of the Balkan allies
stth the Turk. Macedonia has been
incorporated with the modern king
dom Of Greece However, the Bull
garian government still makes the
cares OF the several hundred thous-,
aud OF Bulgarians there its own,
which increases the delicacy OF Gree
ian7Bulgarian relations. The Alban-
ians have an interest similar to thei
Bulgarians in the Macedonian admin
istration.
The languages spoken in this strip
OF land are many, the writer contin.I
aes, while the various religions have
been In state OF more or less bitter.
conflict for centuries. Most or me
Christian population OF Macedonia, he
says. belongs to the Greek Orthodox
church. and these, whether Greek.
Bulgarian, Rn1nanian Or Serbian, are
counted by the Greeks as Greek pop
ulation. The majority Of the Bulgar-
tans, however, belong to the Bulgar-!
AN church. the Bulgarian ENarchate,
FORMER members who severed their,
connection with the Greek Orthodox
1910 mere Is much bitterness be-
tween the two faiths. Islam and Rome
and various missionary denominations
or Protestant faiths divide the re-
naming population.
Thus. Macedonia is q complete pic
ture OF the Balkan difficulties where
aims, ideals and nationalities are sol
diverse. mixed and irrenconciliable as
to make progress, concerted effort. all
most impossible.