wide the doors of free States to compulsory or voluntary emigrants? In developing his interpellation, M. Takeff said he would not describe the shocking facts of the Macedonian sufferings, which are sufficiently depicted in the French Yellow Book.

M. Daneff considered the interpellation in opportune, for it was at present impossible to communicate anything about the intentions of Russia. At present, said the Minister, the important point is, what is the policy of the Government with regard to the Macedonian question. There are two questions, the emigrant question and the refugee question. The Government has not taken, and will not take, any measures to close the frontier to the refugees. In such cases, every State has the right, nay! the moral duty, to keep its frontier open. There are now at the frontier a considerable number of refugees. Far from trying to make capital out of this fact, the Government has exerted itself about the repatriation of the refugees; it discussed the matter with the Turkish Representative, but before a definite result could be reached, the number of the refugees increased, and the character of the movement became more acute, so that the negotiations had to be abandoned. Some assert that the Bulgarian Government has carried on a lively agitation to induce these people to leave their homes; but everyone knows with what difficulty a Bulgarian peasant resigns himself to leave his native place without serious cause. The Government has tried to persuade the refugees of the good intentions of the Turkish Government, but they refuse to believe in them, and decline to return to Macedonia. Such being the case, no Bulgarian Government has the right to compel them to return, although they are a great burden upon the State and upon society. This qustion will settle itself when the refugees are convinced that tranquillity and order reign at their homes. || The question of the Macedonian emigration to Bulgaria is quite different. The Macedonian emigrants cannot abandon interest in their native country and their countrymen. The Government can never detain a man who has made up his mind to give his life for his country; but the limits of legality must not be overstepped. This damages not only Bulgaria but also the Macedonian cause itself. The Minister appealed to public opinion not to allow itself to be moved by fine speeches and fiery appeals. As the Government must be able to repel any charge of disloyal action on the part of the Great Powers, it must not hesitate to take the strongest measures against those who transgress the laws of the land. This the Government will do, in the interest not only of Bulgaria but of Macedonia. || M. Strashimiroff, referring to the Report of the Turkish Commercial Agent at Rustchuk to the effect that bands amounting to over 6000 men were organized for

the invasion of Macedonia, said that the superior Macedonian Committee gave colour to this charge by the way it is collecting money, &c., and that it had transgressed the limits of the law and became a revolutionary institution; and he asked whether the Government intended to proceed against it. The Bulgarians of Macedonia, he said, have no need of help from here. They are in sufficient strength to defend themselves; the ,,organization intérieure" has 2000 fighting men at its disposal, and its organization is such that it divides authority with the Turkish Administration and even with the Exarchate, even divorce matters beings referred to it. Of itself it gives the Turks no opportunity to supress it, but a pretext is given by the incursions of the bands, which thus do incalculable mischief; besides running the risk of provoking a conflict between Bulgaria and Turkey, or at least of rendering necessary a mobilization, which would entail enormous expense upon this country. He therefore called upon the Government to keep the Macedonian Committee in order. || A Mussulman deputy was understood to compare the emigration from Macedonia into Bulgaria with the emigration of Mussulmans from Bulgaria into Turkey, and to ascribe the latter to similar causes. This caused great uproar, and the Deputy denied having intended to convey that the emigration of Mussulmans is caused by ill-treatment. His speech has, however, not been reported, and accounts differ considerably as to what he really said. The discussion ended with the adoption of an Order of the Day expression confidence in the Government.

Nr. 12867. BULGARIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an die Vertreter in Paris, Petersburg, Wien. Protest gegen.

die türkischen Maßregeln.

Sofie, le 23 Janvier (5 Février), 1903.

D'Après les renseignements parvenus au Gouvernement Princier, les préparatifs militaires entrepris dernièrement par la Turquie dépassent de beaucoup les mesures qu'elle pourrait prendre pour parer à l'éventualité d'un soulèvement en Macédoine. Il est certain que ces préparatifs sont dirigés contre la Bulgarie, d'autant plus que la majeure partie des troupes. Ottomans est massée sur notre frontière sud-est, dans la région d'Adrianople. Un grand nombre d'officiers supérieurs de l'état-major Ottoman s'occupent activement de travaux de fortification sur la ligne frontière dans ces parages. || D'autre part, les bruits faux que le Gouvernement Impérial ne cesse de répandre systématiquement sur de prétendus mauvais traitements infligés à la population Mussulmane en Bulgarie, et sur de

prétendues formations à Roustchouk de bandes révolutionaires et autres, prouvent à l'évidence que la Sublime Porte cherche un prétexte pour justifier une agression contre la Bulgarie. || Cet état de choses agite les esprits dans le pays et oblige le Gouvernement Princier de prendre des mesures pour être prêt à toute éventualité. || La mise à exécution de pareilles mesures de notre part pouvant avoir pour effet de rendre encore plus difficile la tâche des Grandes Puissances d'arriver à un réglement pacifique de la question Macédonienne, le Gouvernement Princier croit de son devoir d'en prévenir les Puissances avant de prendre une décision définitive à ce sujet. || En conséquence, j'ai l'honneur de vous prier de vouloir bien communiquer ce qui précède au Gouvernement auprès duquel vous êtes accrédité, en demandant instamment que des démarches pressantes soient faites auprès de Sa Majesté Impériale le Sultan pour la cessation immédiate des préparatifs militaires de la Turquie.

Nr. 12868. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Wien. Unterredung mit dem österreich-ungarischen Botschafter über die österreichisch-russische Note an die Pforte.

Foreign Office, February 17, 1903.

Sir, || The Austro-Hungarian Ambassador called upon me to-day and left with me a Memorandum, of which a copy is inclosed, containing an account of the scheme of reforms which the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Governments intend to recommend to the Sultan for adoption in Macedonia. | His Excellency was instructed to express the hope of the AustroHungarian Government that His Majesty's Government would accept the scheme in principle and would give it their support at Constantinople. Count Deym explained to me that the scheme was for the moment communicated to us in strict confidence, and the Austro-Hungarian Government earnestly desired that its contents should not be made public until it had been presented to the Sultan. The two Powers hoped to be able to do this on the 19th instant, and they trusted that His Majesty's Government would give them at once some indication of their attitude. In reply to an observation of mine, Count Deym admitted that His Majesty's Government could scarcely be expected to commit themselves finally with regard to a scheme which they had had no sufficient opportunity of examining. He went on to say that for the moment all that was desired was that we should give our consent to those portions of it which related to the most urgently necessary steps for ameliorating

the situation in the three vilayets. Such consent on our part would be without prejudice to any supplementary modifications (,,compléments") which might eventually be found necessary should experience show that the original proposals were insufficient. | After listening to his Excellency's remarks, I made to him a statement to the following effect, which I afterwards communicated to him in writing:

1. His Majesty's Government have for a long time past been deeply convinced of the necessity for the introduction of measures of practical reform in Macedonia. They have constantly urged the adoption of such reforms upon the Turkish Government. || 2. The present situation in the Balkan Peninsula is such that any further delay in the introduction of such reforms might be fraught with the most disastrous consequences. || 3. His Majesty's Government have obviously not had time in which to examine with the care it deserves the scheme put forward by the two Powers. If, however, they were to put forward an alternative scheme of their own the discussions which would arise would certainly involve delay for which His Majesty's Government would, in some measure at all events, be responsible. || 4. The scheme of the two Powers, so far as we understand it, contains some features which would probably find a place in any scheme of reform which the Powers would be likely to support. || 5. His Majesty's Government are therefore prepared to accept it in principle, and, subject to the reservations which follow, to recommend it to the Sultan for his acceptance. || 6. They reserve, however, to themselves the right of recommending to the Powers any modifications which may suggest themselves after the scheme has been further examined and discussed. 7. They desire in particular to have it understood that their provisional acceptance of the scheme will not, in the event of its disappointing the expectations of its framers, and proving inadequate as a remedy, be regarded by His Majesty's Government as precluding them from putting forward or supporting, either during the tenure of office of the Inspector-General or at any future time, alternative proposals with the same object. || They earnestly trust that neither Austria-Hungary nor Russia, nor, indeed, any of the Signatory Powers, will, at this juncture, use language or take action which might unnecessarily hamper their freedom of action hereafter, or render it difficult to effect changes either in the scheme itself or in the personal of the administration, if during the next three years experience should prove that such changes are desirable.

Lansdowne.

Nr. 12869. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Konstantinopel an den Minister des Ausw. Österreich

Ungarn und Rußland haben der Pforte ihre Reformvorschläge mitgeteilt.

Pera, February 21, 1903. (February 21.)

(Telegraphic.) || This afternoon the Russian and Austrian Ambassadors presented to the Porte their proposals for reforms in the Vilayets of Salonica, Monastir, and Kossovo. I am informed by the French and Italian Ambassadors that they have been instructed by their Governments to support the proposals, and I understand that the German Ambassador has similar instructions.

Nr. 12870. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Derselbe an Denselben. Hat

die Reformvorschläge unterstützt.

Pera, February 23, 1903. (February 23.) (Telegraphic.) || I informed the Grand Vizier to-day that His Majesty's Government supported the scheme of reforms in Macedonia which was presented to the Porte on the 21st instant by the Austrian and Russian Ambassadors, and that they hoped that they would be accepted and put into effective execution without delay. || His Highness replied that a mazbata of the Council of Ministers reported in favour of these reforms yesterday, and that an Imperial Iradé accepting them without modifications had already been issued.

Nr. 12871. ÖSTERREICH-UNGARN und RUSSLAND. - Reformplan für Mazedonien.

(Communicated by Count Deym, February 27, 1903.) Die österreichisch-ungarische und die russische Regierung, von dem aufrichtigen Wunsche beseelt, die Ursachen der seit einiger Zeit in den Vilajets von Salonich, Kossowo, und Monastir herrschenden Unruhen zu beseitigen, sind zur Überzeugung gelangt, daß dieses Ziel nur durch Reformen erreicht werden kann, welche eine Verbesserung der Lage der Bevölkerung in jenen Vilajets herbeizuführen geeignet sind. || Wie aus den vor kurzem von der Hohen Pforte an die Botschafter in Konstantinopel gerichteten Mitteilungen hervorgeht, hat die kaiserlich ottomanische Regierung selbst die Notwendigkeit erkannt, auf Mittel bedacht zu sein, für eine strengere Einhaltung der Gesetze zu sorgen und die bestehenden MiB