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the Committees were doing all in their power to provoke reprisals and foreign intervention by exasperating the Moslem population beyond endurance, and that he had just received news that a revolutionary band has cruelly massacred officials, including Agent of the Ottoman Public Debt at Perlepe. || He is confident of being able to restrain his subjects and army in the future as he has done for months past-being fully aware of the danger of excesses being committed either by the troops or Moslem population, and he absolutely denies that the Mahommedan population at Uskub or elsewhere has been given a single rifle. He adds that this mendacious report will be contradicted by the Porte. || It is not known whether the Russian Government accept the amendes" already made for the murder of the Russian Consul, as reported in my telegram of the 14th instant, but, up to the present, no specific demands have been formulated by the Russian Ambassador.

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Nr. 13273. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gesandte in Athen an den Minister des Ausw. Die griechische Regierung fürchtet Mißhandlungen der mazedonischen Griechen durch die Bulgaren.

Athens, August 11, 1903. (August 17.)

My Lord, || I have the honour to report to your Lordship the substance of the remarks on the subject of recent occurrences in Macedonia made to me by M. Rhally yesterday at the conclusion of a visit I had paid him in connection with several pending questions. || His Excellency told me that news had been received within the last few days of serious outbreaks at Kroushevo and Okhrida in the Vilayet of Monastir. These outbreaks had been provoked by Bulgarian bands said to be of considerable numerical strength. The rising at Okhrida had been put down by the Turkish troops. His Excellency had not so far heard of the suppression of the outbreak at Kroushevo, but understood that Hilmy Pasha was marching towards that district at the head of ten battalions. || M. Rhally expressed great concern at the present state of affairs in Macedonia. The Greek Orthodox population there was being molested, maltreated, and killed, being made to suffer thus heavily on account of their refusal to assist or join the insurgent bands. He had a long list of acts of brigandage perpetrated on Greeks in Macedonia. Through their desire to afford such protection as they could to their co-religionists in Macedonia, the Greek Government were placed in a position of extreme difficulty between the hammer and the anvil." Under these painful and

difficult circumstances, the Greek Government were exercising the greatest patience and self-restraint. His Excellency hoped that due note would be taken of this correct attitude. || M. Rhally said that he well knew how important and numerous the questions were in which His Majesty's Government were engaged at present all over the world, but he hoped their attention would be directed to the very serious position and sufferings of the Greek Orthodox population in Macedonia. || On my asking how far, to his knowledge, the application of the scheme of reforms was progressing, M. Rhally answered that as soon as a step was taken in that direction a fresh Bulgarian band appeared over the border.

Nr. 13274. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Charles des Graz.

Der Gesandte in Sofia an den Minister des Ausw. Übersendet eine Mitteilung des mazedonischen Komitees, die den Aufstand rechtfertigt und Einschreiten der Mächte fordert.

Sophia, August 12, 1903. (August 17.)

My Lord, I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of a letter which was left at this and the other foreign Agencies the day before yesterday, with the card of Dr. Christo N. Tatarcheff. It is signed by him and by Christo Matoff as ,,Délégués de l'Organisation Intérieure à l'Étranger;" it justifies the present outbreak of insurrection in Macedonia, appeals for the intervention of the Powers, and recommends the immediate nomination of a Christian GovernorGeneral independent of the Sublime Porte, and the establishment of a collective international control. || I have not acknowledged the receipt of this letter. F. Elliot.

Anlage.

Sophia, le 10 Août, 1903. Excellence, Les Délégués représentant l'Organisation Intérieure à l'Étranger ont l'honneur de porter à la connaissance de votre Excellence, avec prière de la communiquer au Gouvernement Royal, la déclaration suivante: Les violences inipunies des Musulmans et les persécutions systématiques de l'administration ont acculé les Chrétiens de Macédoine et ceux du Vilayet d'Andrinople à la nécessité de prendre en masse les armes pour résister. Ils ont eu recours à cette extrémité après avoir épuisé tous les moyens pacifiques en vue d'amener l'intervention de l'Europe dans le sens des Traités qui ont réglé la condition de ces populations. Cette intervention reste encore à l'heure actuelle le seul moyen de remédier au mal et d'arrêter l'effusion du sang. Les démarchés intermit

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tantes tentées jusqu'à présent par le concert Européen dans le but d'améliorer le régime Turc par des mesures palliatives n'ayant amené qu'une recrudescence du fanatisme Musulman et de l'oppression gouvernementale, il reste évident que cette intervention ne saurait être efficace que si elle avait pour résultat préliminaire et immédiat: || 1. Nomination, avec l'assentiment des Grandes Puissances, d'un Gouverneur-Général Chrétien n'ayant jamais appartenu à l'Administration Ottomane et indépendant de la Sublime Porte dans l'exercice de ses fonctions. || 2. Institution d'un contrôle international collectif, permanent et pourvu d'un large droit de sanctions. En faisant connaître les causes qui ont déterminé l'acte de désespoir des populations révoltées et les mesures propres à en arrêter ses suites, l'Organisation Intérieure rejette toute responsabilité et déclare que, puisant son énergie dans l'idée du devoir et dans les sympathies du monde civilisé, elle poursuivra la lutte jusqu'à l'accomplissement intégral de sa tâche.

Les Délégués de l'Organisation Intérieure à l'Étranger,
Dr. Christo Tatarcheff.
Christo Matoff.

(Signé)

Nr. 13275. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Petersburg an den Minister des Ausw. Rußland und Österreich-Ungarn lehnen die Sendung von Bevollmächtigten zu den türkischen Truppen ab*). St. Petersburgh, August 17, 1903. (August 17.) (Telegraphic.) The Austrian Ambassador informs me that neither here nor at Vienna is the proposal to send Military Attachés, referred to in Sir N. O'Conor's of the 10th instant, regarded as desirable or practical. He said that, apart from other objections, it was clear that to follow all the movements of the Turkish troops would be impossible, as these will be dispersed over the wide area of insurrection, acting in detached bodies.

Nr. 13276. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Der Gesandte in Sofia an den Minister des Ausw. Rußland und ÖsterreichUngarn haben die bulgarische Regierung zum Vorgehen gegen die Komitees gedrängt.

Sophia, August 15, 1903. (August 18.)

My Lord, The Russian Agent has received instructions to inform. the Bulgarian Government that, although the Russian Government will

Am 10. August hatte die englische Regierung die Ernennung von europäischen Militärattachés bei den türkischen Truppen angeregt. Red.

require full satisfaction from Turkey for the death of their Consul at Monastir, yet it must be clearly understood that no measures which they may find it necessary to take with this object indicate the slightest departure from their general policy, and that they will give no support whatever to fomenters of disturbance; and they call upon the Bulgarian Government to take more vigorous action against the Macedonian Committees which work from within the Principality. | The Austro-Hungarian Government have instructed their Representative to speak in a similar F. Elliot.

sense.

Nr. 13277. GROSSBRITANNIEN. -- Der Gesandte in Belgrad an den Minister des Ausw. In Serbien wird die Bevölkerung unruhig. Verwicklungen mit der Türkei drohen.

Belgrade, August 18, 1903. (August 22.) My Lord, With reference to the rising in Macedonia, I have the honour to report that, during the last few days, meetings have been secretly held in Belgrade for the purpose of raising and arming bands for the invasion of Turkish territory. So far, they have not met with any great success, and, as far as I can ascertain, the majority of those who have enrolled themselves are Turkish subjects. There is always a considerable floating population who come from old Servia to find work in this country as porters and wood-cutters, and it is mostly from this class that recruits have been raised. || Though a band of some sixty armed men is said to have left Belgrade some days ago, the Turkish Minister assures me that none have as yet crossed the frontier. His Excellency also informed me that he had made representations to the Servian Government as to the desirability of putting a stop to these meetings, but that the Minister for Foreign Affairs had replied that, under the Servian law, it was difficult for them to take action in the matter; M. Kahevitch further declared that the purpose of these meetings was not for the raising of bands, but merely for collecting funds and expressing sympathy for their co-religionists beyond the frontier, and that to take measures against them would raise a degree of hostile feeling, which the present Government were not inclined to face. It is to be noted, however, in this connection that the Radical papers have lately been preaching, in very strong language, the legality of revolution in general and that of the Macedonian revolution in particular, and maintaining that it is not only justifiable, but the duty of every man to aid it rifle in hand. These same papers try to arouse the national feeling

of jealousy towards Bulgaria by pointing out that whenever the Committees occupy a Macedonian village they hoist the Bulgarian flag, and that, when the day comes for a settlement of the claims of the various races, the Bulgarians will claim these districts by right of conquest unless Servia makes her influence felt. Up to the present no very great importance need be attached to this movement, which shows no signs of spreading rapidly, and, so far as can be ascertained, is not directly encouraged by the Government. || Should, however, the situation in Macedonia become worse, it is probable that Turkey will be obliged to strengthen her military forces on the Servian frontier.

Wilfred G. The siger.

Nr. 13278. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Konstantinopel an den Minister des Ausw. Über

sendet Konsulatsberichte über den Aufstand östlich von Saloniki und in Kossovo.

I.

Consul-General Graves to Sir N. O'Conor.

Salonica, August 11, 1903.

Sir, || With reference to my despatch of the 9th instant, I have the honour to report that the person whom I sent to make inquiries into the condition of some of the cazas of this vilayet lying to the east of the Vardar Valley has returned to Salonica. From his Report, a copy of which I have the honour to inclose, it will be seen that there is reason to anticipate that the insurrectionary movement which began on the 2nd instant in the Vilayet of Monastir, and is expected to break out in the cazas of Salonica west of the Vardar in the course of the next few days (the 14th August being, according to general rumour, the date fixed by the Committee), will subsequently extend to the eastern cazas of the province, and be supported by bands crossing over from Bulgarian territory. My informant excepts the Caza of Demir Hissar, which he describes as being thoroughly disarmed and reduced to submission, and that of Kilkish, where the grouud is unfavourable for partisan warfare, and where the population, discouraged by the recent operations round the Lake of Amatovo, are, he thinks, unlikely to join in the rising, excepting under severe compulsion. || I have also the honour to transmit herewith copy of a despatch from the British Vice-Consul at Serres, reporting the reappearance of insurgent bands in his district, and tending to confirm the information contained in my first inclosure,

R. W. Graves.

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