Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-18
BULGARS SWEEP OUT NATIVES
OF ALL SERBIAN MACEDONIA
American Relief Work, Which Is Held a
Vital Necessity, Is Barred by King
Ferdinand's Government.

Serbian orphans of war. was also put IN
Jail. All food was Communicated. AL
though food was still plentiful and cheap
in Bulgaria, lack of railway communica-
ton Kept it out of Macedonia. All Of
the civilians went short of food. Fuel
was scarce and sold at an exorbitant
price. The weather was terribly cold.
But in addition to these miseries the
Serbian homes were denuded of every
thing that the conquerors. wanted, such
as household goods. They had little
food. clothing or fuel 1t was their pitt
able condition that caused Mr.. Stuart to
permission to carry on relief in this ter
ritory."
Copies of Correspondence.
Copies of this correspondence. which
was carried on in the French language.
were turned over to a correspondent of
the Associated Press by Mr. Schnellens.
A translation of Mr.. Stuarts first let
ter, dated December %. 1915. follows
Being charged by the American Red
Cross Society to organize the distribu-
ton of relief to the necessitious in the
troops. j have the honor to appeal to
you to have the kindness to request
the general headquarters for it's au-
thorization and benevolent help for
The answer from the Bulgarian Red
Cross said the request had been for
warded to headquarters resulting in
the following reply from Maj. Gen.
Jostoff
THE general staff of the army in the
field. while expressing it's keen thanks
to the American Red Cross for it's very
noble proposal to aid the necessitous in
the occupied territories. regrets that on
account of purely military considera-
mil nYir hn ~ ufv I.,,-
ton of this relief on the spot. Mr.
Stuart can put these sums in the hands
of the Bulgarian Red Cross. which will
accomplish the desires of the American
society,"
Mr.. Stuart then requested the Bull
garian Red Cross 10 ask headqua rters
quarters whether. If the relief could
not be distributed on the spot for mill
tary reasons. the same objections
would hold against the establishment
Of an American depot at Nish only.
the personnel to be entirely American
II would then distribute it's supplies
through the surrounding country
through the medium of the Bulgarian
Red Cross.
Plan Held Not Convenient"
This proposal. which would enable
the Americans to keep check on the
supplies given out. resulted in the fol-
lowing note from the general staff,
signed by the sanitary colonel. DR.. Bat
zaroff. and the medical chief, Dr.
Popof.
THE generalissimo charges me to
inform you that at this time, when the
administration of the new territories
is being organized and not even Bull
earian subjects are permitted to travel
in it, it is not convenient to permit
the representative of the American Red
Cross, the very honorable Mr. Edward
Stuart to distribute personally the
relief in question. The generalissimo
believes it would be preferable il the
American Red Cross would turn over
the distribution either to the local mill
tary or administrative authorities or
TO committee composed of repre-
sentatives of the local authorities and
the Bulgarian Red Cross. because he
believes that for the American Red
Cross, animated by humanitarian SEN
timents, ii would be a matter of indif-
ference who would distribute the aid
provided the desired end was attained"
The American committee volunteer
ing for this work was composed of
Mr.. and Mrs. Stuart, Charles Fox
Gerald Laughlin and Mr. SchelIens
All except AIR Schellens are now in
Belgrade.