HOPE FOR MACEDONIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13639, 6 July 1908, Page 3

HOPE FOR MACEDONIA.

Macedonia, known as the " cock-pit of the Turk," is a country where Christians light and kill each other and the Turk eggs them on, watches them, and smiles. Sir Edward Grey, British Minister for Foreign Affairs, remarked in a- recent despatch, after speaking of " outrages committed by Turkish troops and officials," that " the strife between the different nationalities and the outrages committed by armed bands have made life and property in Macedonia more insecure than ever, and have been accompanied by revolting crimes." This state of affairs is encouraged by Hilmi Pasha, the representative of the Sultan in Macedonia, of whom the London Daily New? says:—"Hilmi Pasha we know! A clever man, an astute diplomatist, an aich-burcaucra>, he lias presided now for live years over the comedy of reform. He came with a record its a safe Palace .man. He it, was who drove the Arabs of .Yemen into revolt,by his centralising policy. In Macedonia he has'been the faithful tool of the Mamidian policy. He it is who has dune the work of inflaming the feud of Greeks and Bulgarians. he it is who has reduced the European officers to nullities; Again and again, even the Austrian and Russian agents have complained of the veiled obstruction which the whole work of reform encountered. joilmi Pasha, was the instrument of that obstruction." At this present moment the Engl eh Foreign Minister and the Bussian Foreign Minister, Mr lsvolsky, are enteiing upon negotiations which may result in such reforms as will bring to Masedonia peace and fiscal solvency, for the Macedonian budget has an annual delicit of £300,000, and the people are crushed with taxation. \et nothing can be done without consent of the Powers, and Austria, fur one, has just formulated a- scheme for railroad conncc'ion with .Salonica. Sir Edward Grey suggeststhe appointment of a governor who shall be independent of the Porte, the levying of a' gendarmerie to keep the peace; and a diminution of (he Turkish forces, who do more harm than good, for the tranquillity and comfort of Christian Macedonians and other inhabitants of the country. The main point in Sir Edward's scheme, however, is that, the taxes shall be held up and local expenses paid beforo the tiibuuie to Lonstantinople or the military expenses are met. The London Saturday Beview says:—"Every one who knows the situation knows well that the second point most strongly urged by .Sir Edward o.rey in his reply to the Bussian proposals is also urgent, and mischievous retention in Macedonia- of a military force vastly in excess of the needs of the province. Tin's may seem paradoxical when the an archy and disorder prevailing are considered, but the truth is that energetic action on the part of the troops i:> hardly ever allowed. They impoverish the country, for they live on it while they do nothing to check the mutual massacre of Greeks and Slavs." The organ of the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office, the i remdenblalt (Vienna), speaks in a fair and kindly tone on the British Minister's proposal, but doubts its exact practicality. "We meet here," remarks this organ, '' a new and very moderate British scheme, which may facilitate negotiations between the Powers." it is admitted by paper tha- the proposal to diminish the number of J-tir-kish troops "is administrative and not political." To quote the words of this article:—"The English Minister's object is to set in order the Macedonian budget as a, necessary condition of carrying on reforms. These reforms are to have the first, mortgage on the Macedonian revenues, and Turkish tribute and military expenses only a second mortgage." Vet the Fremdenblatt somewhat lalteringly concludes :'—" The Porte, it is true, promised to make good the Macedonian deficit. But the Port* may claim that this promise was made on condition that jOrder had been previously established in the country, and until this is accomplished a sufficient number of troops mus*- be on hand to keep peace and guarantee the completion of reforms. How the Porte can accept a new arrangement of the budget at variance -with this view is not told us in the British note." The Vienna Zeit, which expresses widely held views, and in this case probably .speaks with authority, declares that England and Kussia may just as well'be allowed a free hand in the matter and .adds: —"For us Austrians there is. not* much prospect of advantage or peculiar satisfaction in this new turn in Macedonian affairs. But we have learned in course of time to be very modest, and ought to feel grateful if the present negotiations conclude with the avoidance of international friction and the maintenance of peace." The same semi-indifference to the action of England aud Kussia is shown by the leading French paper, the Telnps (Paris), which remarks that recently " the question of Macedonia, was discussed by a. listless chamber" and that " Parliament, if it does not actually ignore Macedonia, takes absolutely no. interest in it." "We should therefore avotd putting ourselves forward uselessly in the matter, and above all should run no risk of breaking the accord of the Powers, upon which We count in many ways for support in pursuing out ends."