that he was about to commence hostilities. I am also informed that disturbances have taken place at Goumenja, where bombs were thrown and some loss of life ensued, but no coherent account of what took place is as yet forthcoming. || Bands are also reported to be operating in the mountainous district of Malesh, situated of the south of Joumaia-Bala and west of the Upper Strouma Valley. I am informed to-day by the Vali that he has received authority from Constantinople to enrol a force of gendarmes, 2000 strong, whom he considers better fitted than regular troops for the pursuit of the bands in difficult ground, and he assures me that he will be able to put 500 or 600 of them in the field very shortly. Special precautions are being taken to guard against disturbances in the town of Salonica, where great apprehension exists of a renewed attempt by Bulgarian anarchists to bring about panic and massacre by the use of dynamite. || I have strongly impressed upon his Excellency the urgent necessity to which he seems quite alive preventing any sanguinary excesses on the part of the troops and of the Mussulman population in the repression of the insurrection.

of

R. W. Graves.

VI.

Report on Doiran Caza.

Après l'attentat de Salonique et l'arrestation de plusieurs Bulgares de la ville de Doiran et de son caza, les Bulgares y avaient perdu tout à fait leur courage, mais plus tard, après la mise en liberté de ces arrêtés, la population Bulgare y devint de nouveau audacieuse et même provoquante. Maintenant, si en prenant comme base la ville de Doiran. on divise le Caza de Doiran en deux parties, on peut remarquer que dans la zone de l'est, située entre la ville de Doiran et les limites des Cazas de Demir-Hissar et Kilkisch, il y a une grande tranquillité. Dans cette zone il n'y a eu jusqu'à présent aucune bande Bulgare depuis l'extermination de la bande d'Alexis, qui y agissait dernièrement. Plusieurs grands villages, comme Akindjali, Sourlovo, Potorose, dans cette zone, ont déjà reconnu le Patriarchat, et se sont déclarés comme Grecs. Les villageois de cette zone ne se préparent nullement pour un mouvement prochain, et si des troubles éclataient dans cette zone, ils seraient provoqués, non pas par les villageois, mais par des bandes étrangères. || Tout autre est la situation dans la zone de l'ouest, comprise entre la ville de Doiran et Guevguéli. Dans cette zone il y a plusieurs bandes Bulgares, entre autres la bande d'Arghyre, originaire du village Sechevo, près de Guevguéli; celle de Savvas, originaire de la ville de Guevguéli; et encore

la bande de Delio Kylitzli, originaire du village Bogdantsa. Comme lieux principaux de ces bandes servent les villages Bogdantsa, Guirtsista, Diabato, et Stoyacovo, de cette zone, où elles trouvent toujours un refuge. Il paraît que plusieurs Turcs du village Bogdantsa se seraient entendus avec les bandes auxquelles ils servent comme recéleurs. Ces bandes visitent dans ces endroits surtout les maisons de Patriarchistes, d'où elles prennent des vivres mème par force en disant qu'elles ne travaillent pas ici pour les intérêts Bulgares, mais exclusivement pour la liberté de la Macédoine. Avant quelques jours ces bandes ont appelé les gens du pays inscrits déjà dans les rangs des bandes, et vingt-sept jeunes gens du village Bogdantsa se sont rendus à cet appel, mais de ces vingt-sept jeunes gens on a gardé seulement sept, et les autres ont été renvoyés chez eux. En même temps les bandes avaient enlevé par force deux jeunes frères du village Guirtsista, mais le père de ces jeunes hommes s'est rendu auprès du commandant de la bande, qui les laissa s'en aller. || Les Bulgares préparent un mouvement dans cette zone, mais pas avec activité; il paraît qu'ils n'ont pas assez d'armes, et encore qu'ils veulent tromper les autorités Turques. Les Bulgares pensaient qu'après les désordres dans le Vilayet de Monastir, les autorités Turques auraient concentré des grandes forces militaires à Monastir en dégarnissant de troupes ces contrées-ci, qui paraissent tranquilles, et ils veulent profiter Les Bulgares d'un pareil moment pour commencer le mouvement ici. comptaient commencer le mouvement ici dans une dizaine de jours, mais il paraît que l'appel de nouveaux réservistes Tures les décourage. || La population Turque de Doiran est fort agitée, et elle s'est décidée, en cas de troubles, de se débarrasser des Bulgares de la ville en les massacrant tous. D'après de nouvelles venant de Strumnitza, ce caza est encore tranquille, malgré la présence de deux bandes Bulgares, dont l'une est commandée par un certain Rizoff. Des bandes Bulgares ont mis le feu aux céréales des Turcs aux villages de Malesch, et elles ont brûlé plusieurs moulins Tures.

VII.

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

Salonica, August 16, 1903.

reported Sir, || Although confirmation has been received of the news in my despatch of the 13th instant that there had been fighting at Goumenja, little is known of the details of the affair except that the

Turkish authorities claim to have repelled an insurgent attack, and that the Exarchist Bulgarian inhabitants of Goumenja, who are reported to have acted in concert with the bands, are believed to have been severely handled. A battalion of troops on the way from Uskub to Monastir was stopped at Goumenja, on an urgent request of the authorities there for reinforcements, but has, I believe, been sent forward to its original destination. The only other recent sign of actively aggressive tactics on the part of the insurgents in this vilayet has been an attack made on the night of the 14th on a train conveying four battalions of troops from the north. An insurgent band killed or put to flight the guard at the Vardar bridge between Keuprulu and Zelenico, and then proceeded to place dynamite on the bridge before the arrival of the train. The engine-driver, not seeing the signal light of the bridge guard, stopped the train before the bridge, and the insurgents, disappointed in their attempt to destroy the train with the bridge, threw a hand bomb which struck the last truck and killed a couple of soldiers, and then retired. A large quantity of dynamite was found on the bridge. || The railway authorities expect that during the next few days, as there will be no moon, attacks on the railway line will be more frequent. || These, however, are isolated instances, and it is clear that the signal has not yet been given, as in Monastir, for the general outbreak in this vilayet. But there is abundant evidence that such a movement is in preparation, and may be expected to occur at any moment. Large bands have made their appearance, some of them within a few miles of Salonica, and it is believed that they actually meditate an armed demonstration against Salonica, probably in concert with accomplices within the city, who are said to be provided with dynamite and might create a diversion by throwing bombs in the Turkish quarter, and thus provoke reprisals and massacre. The attention of the military authorities appears to be entirely occupied with the Monastir insurrection, to combat which the city and province of Salonica have been largely denuded of regular troops, and there is as yet no sign of the arrival of the promised reinforcements from Anatolia. The Vali, Hassan Fehmi Pasha, continues to be active and vigilant, and shows himself calin and confident in the face of increasing difficulties. But the Mushir commanding this army corps is old, and so broken in health as to be quite unequal to the requirements of his position. R. W. Graves.

Nr. 13279. TÜRKEI. Der Botschafter in London an den englischen Minister des Ausw. Protest gegen einen Be

richt der „Times" über eine Metzelei in Adrianopel.

Ambassade Impériale de Turquie, Londres, le 27 Août, 1903. Il est absolument faux qu'un massacre ait eu lieu à Andrinople, comme le disait le télégramme du correspondant du „Times" à Sophia dans le numéro de ce journal du 25 Août. L'ordre est parfait dans la ville d'Andrinople; ce sont plusieurs villages dépendant du district de Kirk-Kilissé qui ont été saccagés et incendiés par les bandes Bulgares. Les Comités révolutionnaires ont pour système d'imputer aux troupes Ottomanes et aux Musulmans leurs propres forfaits. | Il est pénible que le gros de la presse Anglaise, qui ouvre si largement ses colonnes aux récits calomnieux propagés par les Comités Bulgares sur le compte des soldats Ottomans et des Musulmans, fasse à peine mention des crimes et des souffrances auxquels les populations Musulmane et Grecque de la Roumélie sont en butte de la part des Bulgares. || Toutes les mesures militaires que comporte la situation ont été prises par le Gouvernement Impérial.

Anlage.

Extract from the „Times" of August 25, 1903.

A Revolution has been proclaimed throughout the Vilayet of Adrianople. The insurgents have cut all the telegraph wires between the city of Adrianople and the eastern parts of the vilayet. | It is reported that the Turks have massacred all the women and children in twentytwo villages in the districts of Florina and Monastir, and afterwards burned the villages. They were also said to have killed a number of prisoners whom they had taken. These reports have not been officially confirmed, but little doubt is entertained here regarding their accuracy. The streets of Kroushevo are said to be strewn with dead bodies, which the people are afraid to bury lest they should arouse the suspicions of the Turks.

Nr. 13280. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Der Botschafter in Peters

burg an den Minister des Ausw. Graf Lamsdorf will in Sofia ernste Vorstellungen erheben.

St. Petersburgh, August 27, 1903. (August 27.)

(Telegraphic.) || Yesterday I found Count Lamsdorff disposed to regard situation in Macedonia as more serious. In his opinion the Bulgarian

Government are not doing all that could be done to prevent the insurgents receiving assistance, and he thinks the time come when the strong warnings given by the Russian and Austrian Governments to Bulgaria should be seconded by the Representatives of the other Signatory Powers at Sophia.

Nr. 13281. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Petersburg. Antwort auf das vorige. Wünscht nähere Mitteilung über die russischen Absichten.

Foreign Office, August 30, 1903. (Telegraphic.) | His Majesty's Government desire to know as soon as possible the precise meaning of the phrase,,seconding the strong warnings given by the Russian and Austrian Governments to Bulgaria,“ which is used in Count Lamsdorff's communication conveyed in your Excellency's telegram of the 27th instant. || They have not failed to take opportunities of offering the Bulgarian Government good advice, and could repeat it once more; but the Russian Government may now mean more than this, and intend to suggest that the support of His Majesty's Government should involve a threat to join in coercive measures if the warnings are disregarded.

Nr. 13282. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Petersburg an den Minister des Ausw. Antwort auf das vorige.

St. Petersburgh, August 31, 1903. (August 31.) (Telegraphic) | There was nothing in the language of Count Lamsdorff to me or to my colleagues to indicate that coercive measures were contemplated against Bulgaria, but he thinks it desirable that the representations of the other Powers Signatory of the Treaty of Berlin should, like the Austrian and Russian Representatives, make it quite clear to Bulgarian Government that the Revolutionary Committees will not be protected against the consequences of their action, which aims at forcing foreign Powers to intervene. || The impression which his language gave me was that the Austrian and Russian Ambassadors were conferring with their colleagues with regard to the situation. || Count Lamsdorff is now at Peterhof with the Emperor, who leaves to-night.

Staatsarchiv LXX

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