LEST THEY FORGET.

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1915, Page 8

LEST THEY FORGET.

BULGAKS REMINDED. WHAT HUNS DID IN ’O3. VON GOEBEN’S ATROCITIES. A roving Englishman writes the follow, ing to the Times : in a recent discussion in the House of Lords upon the massacres and outrages now being perpetrated by Turks upon the Christian races in Asia Minor, Lord Crewe is reported to have said : “Wholesale massacre and deportation have been carried out under the guise of necessity for the evacuation of certain districts. *lt is also true that the crimes have not been challenged by German officials, whose presence and influence might have mitigated the sufferings of the people, but have been n curse to the people. These officials have shown a cynical disregard of the country and its inhabitants.” May I point out that this is by no means the first occasion upon which German officials have aided and abetted the Turks in similar abominations? From personal experience I could quote several instances, but will confine myself to one. In September, ISO 3, the Bulgarian population of Macedonia, after a long spell of acute suffering, rose in revolt against the Turks. Being admirably organised and bravely led, the comitadjis, or members of the Bulgarian Committee, obtained, at first, considerable success. 1 myself witnessed several small encounters in which bands of 20 to 30 Bulgars came off distinctly best against whole Turkish companies, or battalions, supported by guns. The revolt began to assume most seriaus proportions. The Sultan, Abdul Hamid, became very much alarmed. Telegrams poured out from the Palace. The whole Turkish array was mobilised. The local Commander-in-Chief, Omer Rushdi Pasha, was hastily “ungummed.” The local Governor-General quite obvious.y lost his nerve and head. The inspector of the European Brovinees, Hiim Pasha, hurried to replace him, but failed to restore either confidence or order. The record of Bulgarian successes increased from day to day. At tins critical moment the German Emperor stepped in to save the situation, serving in the Great General Start' at Berlin was a Prussian officer, Captain von Goeben, who, under De Wet, had fought against us throughout the South African War, and who therefore had first-hand knowledge of Lord Kitchener’s system of “drives.” Drives, said the Emperor to the Sultan, might solve the Macedonian problem. Von Goeben, accordingly, was, despatched at once to the Turkish army headquarters at Monastic, where, for all practical purposes, he assumed complete command. Drives were duly organised, the Turkish soldiery being strengthened by Arnauts, or Albanian bashi-bazouks, and the riff-raff of the Turkish towns. Von Goeben was successful. Failing to catch the comitadjis, who remained in the forests and hills, lie arranged to round up their less mobile relatives and friends instead, Villages were destroyed wholesale, Old men, women and children Were mercilessly slaughtered in the most disgusting manner. Following in von Goeben’s tracks, I found, for instance, Bulgarian children mutilated or half-burnt but living, and on more than one occasion Bulgarian women who had been partially skinned alive—“the stockings taken off, ' os the Arnauts- used to say. I saw other and worse sights, which cannot be described in print. In this manner and by these .means “normal” conditions were |vent®lv restored. Incidentally, Major von Goeoen, prompted for his gallant deeds, committed suicide a few years 'later while in' prison waiting trial on a charge of murdering his own commanding officer in bed.