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Servian territory, are of greater importance than at first appeared. explained to me yesterday by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, it is not a frontier dispute of the ordinary type arising out of an attempt at smuggling, nor has it occurred in a district subject to the influence of the Macedonian Committee, in which severe measures are doubtless justifiable, but it is rather an outbreak of turbulence among the Albanians in the Sandjak of Novi Bazar, which the Porte is apparently quite unable to repress. The murder, under somewhat aggravated circumstances, of two unoffending Notables near Sienitza, and the fact that the Christian population is not being allowed to possess fire-arms or defend itself, has, of course, given rise to energetic protests on the part of the Servian Government, who have strongly urged the Porte in its own interests to maintain order in the district. || It appears, however, that although professing the best intentions, the Porte is unable to do so; and that the manifestation of her authority against the band of brigands near Ipek, reported in my despatch of the 14th March, has not been followed with the results which were hoped for. || The state of affairs in Albania is too notorious to require further description now, and when it is remembered that it is a district in which the Government has been unable to put in force its own Regulations for a tobacco monopoly, it is not surprising that it is unable to carry out its duty of protecting the Christian population. || Sienitza, I am informed, is a place where there is an Austrian garrison which gives rise to the danger of a possible intervention.

G. F. Bonham.

Nr. 12778. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gesandte in Sofia an den Minister des Ausw. Bericht über eine Programmrede des Vorsitzenden des mazedonischen

Kongresses.

Sophia, June 26, 1901. (July 1.)

My Lord, || Professor Mikhailovsky, the new President of the Macedonian Committee, on the 22nd instant gave a lecture, of which the following is a summary. || The Macedonian movement must place restraint upon itself and avoid trials of strength which might easily lead to a catastrophe. The endeavour of the Macedonians must be to show the whole world that they have no Pan-Bulgarian aspirations, and that they are striving simply and solely for the autonomy stipulated by Article XXIII of the Treaty of Berlin. The Bulgarian Macedonians must work in complete accord with the other races in the province, and convince them that the future autonomy of Macedonia will rest upon the principle of

complete equality of all its inhabitants. This is the only way to gain the sympathy of European public opinion for the Macedonian movement and to insure the triumph of the sacred cause. No aspirations towards union with Bulgaria; complete equality of rights of all inhabitants of Macedonia; political autonomy, with the eventual prospect of a federation of all the Balkan States" such must be the political creed of all Macedonians. The cause of failure, both in Bulgaria and in Macedonia, has been the endless internal party warfare in Bulgaria. In future, a sharp line must be drawn between Bulgarian and Macedonian affairs. A Macedonian who mixes in Bulgarian party politics must keep aloof from the struggle for the freedom of Macedonia, and a Bulgarian who devotes himself to the Macedonian cause must turn his back upon the internal and external aspirations of Bulgaria. || M. Mikhailovsky is said to intend to undertake a lecturing tour in Europe.

F. Elliot.

Nr. 12779. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Konstantinopel an den Minister des Ausw. Die Pforte

will eine Untersuchungskommission ernennen.

Therapia, July 2, 1901. (July 8.)

My Lord, I inquired of the Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday what truth there was in a statement I had seen in a foreign newspaper to the effect that, at the instance of the Russian Ambassador, a Commission was about to be sent into Macedonia to inquire into the condition of affairs in that province. || Tewfik Pasha repled that, owing to several complaints received at the Palace from the officials and inhabitants of various districts, the idea of appointing a Commission of Inquiry had originated with the Sultan, but that it was in no way due to any representations made by M. Zinovieff, whose only recent references to Macedonia had been to urge the Imperial Government to keep within the law and the bounds of humanity in repressing any insurrectionary attempts directed against the Government. || His Imperial Majesty had instructed the Council of Ministers to select and recommend members of three Commissions the one administrative, the second financial, and the third judicial with a view to the careful examination of the mode and manner in which these several functionaries were exercising their authority, and to the redress of such abuses as were shown to exist. The members of each Commission had accordingly been chosen and recommended to the Palace, but the Imperial Iradé had not yet been

Staatsarchiv LXVIII.

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promulgated, and his Excellency was unable to say when the Commissions would begin their labours. || I said that the execution of this project would give general satisfaction, provided the members of the Commission inspired confidence. I added that the measures seemed highly expedient in the interests both of His Majesty the Sultan and the Ottoman Government, and that I hoped that his Excellency would give it all the support he possibly could. N. R. O'Conor.

Nr. 12780. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

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Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Konstantinopel. Die Lage ist nicht bedenklich. Soll sich mit den übrigen Botschaftern verständigen.

Foreign Office, July 13, 1901. Sir, The Greek Chargé d'Affaires called some days ago and stated that his Government were alarmed at the state of affairs in Macedonia, and would be glad if your Excellency could be instructed to join in representations to the Porte as to the necessity of taking measures for the preservation of order. || The most recent reports received from you on the condition of Macedonia have not indicated the existence of any urgent cause for alarm, and although disturbances have been reported from Albania and Novi Bazar, the first accounts appear to have been exaggerated, and order has been restored without much difficulty. I note also from your Excellency's despatch of the 2nd instant that the Sultan has appointed a Commission to investigate the situation on the spot. | Your Excellency is, however, authorized to join in any representations on the necessity of adequate measures for maintaining order which the Ambassadors of the other Powers may be instructed to make. Lansdowne.

Nr. 12781. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

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Bericht des Generalkonsuls in Saloniki an den Botschafter in Konstantinopel über die bulgarischen Komitees in Mazedonien. Salonica, July 5, 1901.

Sir, Though there is apparently a momentary lull in the proceedings of the Bulgarian Committees in Macedonia, it should not be supposed that the recent measures taken by the Turkish Government have to any appreciable degree discouraged them from pursuing their course of active intrigue. Indeed, they boast that of all the men arrested and condemn

ed in this and the neighbouring vilayets, not a single one was a real „Comitaji“, all being peasants who had merely assisted them in a secondary capacity. || I have lately succeeded in ascertaining, from a source which I consider most trustworthy and, especially, completely impartial, some details concerning these „Comitajis" in the districts of Ghevgheli and Doiran, which, since these districts are known to be the centre of Committee propaganda, may be taken as representing the state of things all over Macedonia. || Bulgarian agents are told off most of them, my informant thinks, but is not sure, from Sophia to recruit each a band of ten men, of whom he takes command. They make the mountains, where they are out of the reach of the Gendarmerie, their base, descending thence occasionally to scour the villages in search of adherents to their cause. They hold up to the peasants a picture of the Virgin and a dagger, making them kiss each and swear fidelity to the cause, and warning them that should they prove unfaithful they will fall by the dagger. These bands are armed with good rifles, manufactured in Austria, similar to those in use in the Bulgarian army. Each man carries 180 rounds and a small revolver. They are further provided with dynamite bombs, the size of a very big orange. My informant had one of these latter put into his hands, as also one of the cartridges, which was emptied to show him its charge of grey, smokeless powder. They have a stock of uniforms, made apparently of a kind of waterproof material, which, from the description given me by my informant, who examined one, must be of much the same colour as khaki. These uniforms are buried in safe places until such time as they may be required. All agree, however, in saying that no movement is expected this year. Meanwhile, not being provided with a change of clothes, they rub their bodies with oil to keep out vermin. || The bands in question seem to exercise no pressure on the peasants, who give in their adhesion to the cause, other than forcing them to supply bread; but they insist on their orders being unfalteringly obeyed, and are pitiless to those who refuse to join them, threatening them with death, and frequently carrying out their threat, as was the case on the 12th ultimo at the village of Fourka, in the district of Ghevgheli, where they murdered two Orthodox Christians and the Moslem village guard. || My informant tells me that the leaders of the bands have, by giving out as their object the amelioration of the condition of the populations, and the introduction of reforms into the country, induced not only non-Bulgarian Christians, but even Moslem villagers, moved by either fear or hope, to side with them. || My informant answered my doubts as to the truth of some of these facts by

assuring me that every detail was absolutely correct; that he had spoken with all parties, and seen and handled the objects he mentioned. || If, then, he has not been of set purpose misled - which I consider very unlikely or if even only part of his information is true, the situation in Macedonia is such as to call for immediate and serious attention before the whole country becomes involved in a state of excitement, which it will be difficult to control without the application of coercive measures on a far larger scale than one would at present suppose necessary. The number of the Committees' partisans was stated to my informant by Bulgarian „onbashis" (corporals) at 20000, of whom 4000 are in Ghevgheli and Doiran. I am persuaded that this is a gross exaggeration, but with this exception I believe all the details given me, the more so that they agree with information I have obtained from other sources, namely, that there are several small bands of Bulgarians, the number of which cannot be ascertained, patrolling the country, and keeping it in a state of ferment, to suit the object they have in view at some more or less future date. || Although your Excellency may have seen the Regulations drawn up by the Bulgarian Committees in Macedonia, and affecting the bands in question, I am taking the liberty, as I find that no copy has been sent to the Embassy, of transmitting one, inclosed for your Excellency's information, as it clearly shows in what spirit the Committees are working. A. Biliotti. P.S. The inclosed Regulations are the translation of a paper, written in Bulgarian, found on one of the men arrested in the town of Salonica on the denunciation of other Bulgarian prisoners.

Anlage.

A. B.

Regulations of the Bulgarian Committee in Macedonia.

(Traduction.) || Toutes les bandes armées se composent de Bulgares indigènes d'une certaine région limitée. Ceux-ci exécutent secrètement les ordres donnés par le Président du Comité. || Les devoirs des bandes armées: Les bandes armées se composent d'hommes munis d'armes fournies par le Comité. Ces bandes sont formées par les Comités Révolutionnaires de chaque district ou village, et reçoivent l'instruction militaire nécessaire à leurs vues. Ces bandes sont indépendantes des Comités et distribuent à leur tour des armes à ceux qu'elles enrôlent et qu'elles gagnent à leur cause. Ces bandes sont chargées par les Présidents des Comités de Révolte de pourvoir aux armements de ceux qu'elles embauchent dans leurs districts et de faire des provisions d'armes et de poudre

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