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Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 50, 1 March 1905, Page 4

Tho news by cable on Monday of tho Turkish outrage in Macedonia, where vilInges wore sacked and committed to the flamos, and peaceful nnd unarmrd pcnsnnta wrro ci nelly butchered, bimrs out the gloomy anticipations of the bestinformed English pnpors to hand by tho lust mail. Four Turkish soldiers, it scorns, were killed by n Bulgnrian band. The Turks, instead of directing thoir nttonlion to tho armed adventurers, who wero allowed to escnpo, wreaked their vongennco on inoffensive villagers. Thirty-six nro said to hnvo been niassnrrpd, and thoso who know the methods of Turkish soldiery may fill in tho details of accompanying atrocities as they please— thoy aro not likoly lo err on tho side of excess. Tho Turk U ouly. await-

ing a convenient opportunity to delugo onco again with blood tho "infidel" provinces of tlio Balkans, nnd any excuse, or none, will fiprvo his purpose. Tho imminence of the danger wns pointed out ill strong terms in nn nrticlo published on tho 21 ht January by tho Spectator, a papor not of tho alarmist order, or ono that is likoly to attach weight to idlo rumour. After showing how completely tho so-called "scheme- of refoim" put forward, by Austria-Hungary and Russia hnd fnilcd, nnd how absolutely powerless tho resident "civil agents" of theso Powers had proved themselves, "surely," it said, "tho unhappy Much donianu may well draw the inference, cither that there is no Christendom, or that it rocognises itself as being, for practical purposes, a force inferior to that of Islam." In thnt case, they might either acquiesce in a rnlo which denied thorn overy civic or even human right, or revolt. "That many of them* will choose tho manlier alternative, nnd will throw in their lot with revolutionary adventurers from Bulgaria or elsewheroj may bo reckoned on ns inevitable. It is counted on with confidence by tho Ottoman Government, and they arc- preparing to swamp in blood tho rising for which their unremitting misgovernment has prepared." Tho present embarrassment of Russia, the only Power tho Turk seems to fear, is giving tho Moslem tyrnnt Iho opportunity he has long awaited. AustriaHungary has internal racial troubles onough of her own to occupy her attention, and her main desiro is to stand nsido. Germany, for reasons which can only bo inferred, has chosen rather to encourago than to chock tho misrule of the Turk, and all thnt can bo looked for from hor is to abstain from rendering him active assistance. France is in sympathy with tho hapless victims, but soems to hesitate at taking any action which might bo construed as injurious to tho prestige of her ally, Russia, in tho Near East. Tho Sultan knows only too well that a European "concert" is not to bo looked for. As tho Spectator urges, Britain, which is in a great degree responsible for the present arrangomoots, and for tho toleration of flagrant and continuous breaches of tho Treaty of Barlin, is> tht only Power in a position to tako effective action. In concert with Italy, nnd possibly with France also, sho might, it is suggested, insist on a new and effective- arrangemont which would avert tho threatened tragedy — otherwise, "tho spring and early summer may witness such an orgy of outrago -and slaughter in Macedonia as will cause oven tho lurid memories of Batak to pale."^ Fivo weeks have pasßcd sinco thoso words wore yvriMon; so far as our cnblo news has informed us, Britain has been faithful to "the policy of drift," and the Umpeakablo Turk will be free onco again to "stagger humanity" by turning some of earth's fairest regions into a terrestrial Inferno.