introduction of practical and effective reforms should be entrusted to another Commission which should partly be composed of Christian members. I described the situation as one which, failing the prompt redress of the legitimate complaints of the people, was fraught with danger to His Majesty himself and to his Empire. || After discussing at some length the best steps to be taken, His Majesty said that he would at once appoint as a member of the Commission sitting at the Porte, Alexander Caratheodori Pasha, and that he would send another Commission into the Roumelian provinces who would reorganize the gendarmerie and police, and would inquire into the abuses generally. To this Commission would be appointed Nassir Pasha and two officers of the gendarmerie section of the Ministry of War, General Blunt Pasha, and a German officer selected with care from those serving in the Turkish army. Nr. 12858. TÜRKEI Mazedonische Reformen. 1. Der erste Sekretär des Sultans an die Generalgouverneure von Monastir, Kossovo, Saloniki, Janina, Adrianopel, Scutarie. Le 19 Décembre (N. S.), 1902. (Télégraphique.) || Ainsi que Sa Majesté Impériale le Sultan l'a ordonné à plusieurs reprises, et qu'il est déterminé par les lois et règlements de l'Empire, les premiers devoirs des Gouverneurs-Généraux sont de protéger les biens, la vie, et l'honneur de tous dans les provinces qu'ils administrent, et de sauvegarder ainsi la sécurité et la tranquillité dans le pays. Des plaintes sont, cependant, formulées au sujet de certains actes d'agression et de la négligence dont les autorités Impériales feraient preuve vis-à-vis des auteurs de ces méfaits. || Cet état de choses est contraire tant aux devoirs essentiels des Valis qu'aux prescriptions des Iradés Impériaux. Aussi, d'après un Ordre formel de Sa Majesté Impériale le Sultan, un délai de vingt jours vous est-il accordé pour que vous fassiez arrêter pendant ce délai tous les individus qui ont commis des délits ou des crimes dans la province, et leur appliquer les prescriptions de la loi, et que vous soumettiez aux pieds du Trône Impérial le résultat des mesures que vous auriez prises en exécution de cet Ordre Impérial. Il faut que tous les fonctionnaires sachent que toute attitude contraire entraînera leur révocation et une grande responsabilité, et qu'ils travaillent par conséquent d'une manière sérieuse à assurer le résultat désiré. Notre Auguste Maître ordonne, en outre, que si, en pareil cas, le nombre des gendarmes n'étant pas suffisant, la nécessité de recourir aux troupes Impériales se fait sentir d'une manière absolue et réelle, les autorités militaires, sur un Acte délivré par le Vali, prêteront immédiatement l'assistance requise. Il est cependant bien entendu que les autorités Impériales, en vue de prévenir tout abus, s'abstiendront de se servir de troupes dans les affaires qui pourraient être réglées seulement par la gendarmerie. || Des communications dans le sens qui précède ont été faites au Ministère de la Guerre. 2. Der Grosswessir an den Generalinspekteur und die Gouverneure der Provinzen der europäischen Türkei. Le 5 (18) Décembre, 1902. (Télégraphique.) || Quelques Représentants étrangers viennent de nous aviser, d'une manière privée, que des actes criminels de toute nature se produisent sur certains points de votre province, sous les yeux mêmes des fonctionaires locaux, qui font semblant de les ignorer. || Les premiers désirs de l'autorité sont d'assurer et de maintenir dans les provinces la confiance et la tranquillité, d'adopter toutes les dispositions efficaces propres à empêcher que des vexations et des méfaits soient commis par les uns au détriment des autres, de garantir également les biens, la vie, et l'honneur des habitants Chrétiens, d'arrêter ceux qui se livreraient à des actes contraires à ces principes et de leur infliger sans retard la punition qu'ils auraient légalement encouru et de ne rien négliger pour que les fonctionnaires, qui feraient preuve d'inattention ou de manque d'énergie dans l'accomplissement de leurs devoirs, soient immédiatement destitués et mis sous jugement. || Bien que ces recommandations vous aient été déjà adressées à maintes reprises, le fait que des plaintes continuent à être formulées de ce chef va à l'encontre des désirs du Gouvernement Impérial. Aussi a-t-il été décidé, d'une façon formelle, que dans le cas où de pareilles plaintes viendraient encore à se produire, tous les fonctionnaires, grands et petits, qui ne rempliraient pas leurs devoirs en seraient, sans exception aucune, tenus sévèrement responsables. - Nr. 12859. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Wien. Bemerkungen zum Vorgehen Österreich-Ungarns und Rußlands. Foreign Office, January 6, 1903. Sir, I told the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to-day that His Ma jesty's Government were watching with close interest the efforts of the Staatsarchiv LXVIII. 7 Austrian and Russian Governments to arrive at an understanding with the Porte as to the introduction of an improved system of local government in Macedonia. || We recognized that Austria and Russia were specially interested in the matter, and also that they were in a specially advantageous position for dealing with it; but his Excellency would, I was sure, unterstand the immense importance which we attached to the question, and our earnest desire to contribute, so far as our opportunities permitted, to its satisfactory solution. We had instructed our Ambassador at Constantinople to impress upon the Sultan the gravity of the situation and the absolute necessity of introducing substantial measures of reform. His Excellency would find me at any time ready to discuss with him the steps which might be taken in order to promote the adoption of such measures. Lansdowne. Nr. 12860. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Konstantinopel. Ansicht der englischen Regierung über die notwendigen Reformen. Foreign Office, January 9, 1903. Sir, I have already, in my telegram of the 21st December, conveyed to your Excellency my approval of the language held by you, at a private audience with the Sultan on the 18th December, in regard to Macedonia, as reported by you in your telegram of the 19th ultimo. The advice offered by your Excellency to His Imperial Majesty was thoroughly in accordance with the views of His Majesty's Government. || In their opinion the condition of the population in this portion of the Turkish Empire has become almost intolerable, and the need for measures of reform is urgent. They agree with your Excellency that the appointment of one or more Christians of established position and reputation to take part in the Commission of Inquiry now sitting at the Porte, and on that of inspection sent to the spot, would be advantageous. But what is most urgently needed at the present moment is not inquiry but measures of immediate and practical reform in the Administration. For this purpose, as stated by your Excellency, the expedient most calculated to secure success and to command public confidence is not so much the introduction of theoretical changes of system, or limitations as regards the creed of highly-placed officials, as the appointment of European experts of tried ability and integrity in the Departments of Justice and Finance, and of a certain number of carefully-selected European officers to reorganize the gendarmerie and police. The presence of such officers in the disturbed districts would not only be a considerable guarantee against the recurrence of acts of cruelty and oppression, but would give far better opportunities than at present exist for examining and checking the exaggerated reports of outrages which are now disseminated by both sides for the purpose of inflaming public opinion. || It is, of course, obvious that without adequate financial arrangements for the payment of the various branches of the Administration no reforms can be carried into practical effect. || These are the salient points on which His Majesty's Government think it necessary to lay stress. From the reports which have reached me from other capitals I am led to believe that the attention of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Governments has equally been directed to the necessity of immediate improvement in the administration of the European provinces of Turkey. His Majesty's Government await with interest the communication, which they are given to understand will shortly be made to the Signatory Powers of the Treaty of Berlin, as to the result of the recent conference between Count Lamsdorff and Count Goluchowski. The position of Austria-Hungary and Russia gives to those States special opportunities of observation and influence in the Balkan Peninsula; and His Majesty's Government will be ready to give their best support to any practical suggestions which the Cabinets of Vienna and St. Petersburgh may wish to press upon the Porte with the object of affording a remedy for the present evils. || In my despatch to His Majesty's Ambassador at Vienna of the 6th instant (of which your Excellency will receive a copy) I have given an account of some observations which I made on that day to the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador in reference to the Macedonian question. Lansdowne. Nr. 12861. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gesandte in Bukarest an den Minister des Ausw. Rumäniens Interessen in Mazedonien. Bucharest, January 13, 1903. (January 19.) My Lord, Considerable uneasiness continues to prevail in Government circles in regard to the result of the reforms which the Governments of Austria-Hungary and Russia propose to impose on the Sultan for the better administration of the Turkish provinces of Macedonia. || Roumania cannot claim to be consulted in the above question, in which. she is certainly interested, and is compelled patiently to count on the benevolent protection of Germany and Austria. || Meanwhile, the Govern ment will be exposed to the attacks of the Opposition, who accuse M. Sturdza and his colleagues of neglecting the interests of the Roumanian population of Macedonia. || The above Roumanians, or, as they are commonly called, Koutzo Vlachs, or ,,lame Wallachians", are generally stated by Roumanians of the Kingdom to number from 400 000 to 800000, but I learn on good Bulgarian authority that they number at most 100 000. Excepting, I understand, in the neighbourhood of Monastir, they are mostly scattered throughout the south of Macedonia, and in the districts bordering on the Kingdom of Greece. || No serious politician asserts that the existence in Macedonia of 100000 or more Roumanians would give this country a claim to territorial aggrandizement in Macedonia, but the policy generally advocated is to endeavour to unite the Roumanians and Greeks, and even the resident Turkish population, in opposition to the aggressive Slav populations, and thus to save Macedonia from total annexation by the Slav races. || It is recognized that, if Bulgaria were to obtain an extension of territory in Macedonia, her next step would be to recover the Dobrudja, which, as your Lordship is aware, was given to Roumania as a compensation for the loss of Bessarabia, after the termination of the war of 1877, and which contains Constantza, the one important seaport of Roumania. J. G. Kennedy. -- Nr. 12862. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Konstantinopel an den Minister des Ausw. Unterredung mit dem Sultan. Constantinople, January 14, 1903. (January 30.) (Extract.) || I had the honour of being received by the Sultan to-day, previous to my departure for England by Orient express. || After some casual remarks His Majesty spoke of the measures he had taken to give effect to the reforms in Macedonia which he had mentioned at my last interview. He was anxious, as he told me at the time, to appoint A. Caratheodori Pasha on the Macedonian Commission, but, on considering the matter, he found there were serious difficulties in the way. || His Majesty entered into long explanations as to the nature of these difficulties, and though I did not entirely agree with him, I cannot say that they had not some force. Without, however, appointing Caratheodori Pasha on the Commission, the Sultan said he had the benefit of his advice and experience, as he was constantly at the Palace, where he had a room at his disposal as First Translator. || His Majesty went on to say that he had |