THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1908. THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9165, 13 August 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1908. THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION.

A cablegram from Constantinople this morning states that the Bulgarian Committee is dissatisfied with the re-establishment of the Turkish Constitution, and has recommended acts of violence in Macedonia. Judging by this information there are further troublesome times ahead for Macedonia. The Macedonian question has been before the Powers for some considerable time now, and it is hard to say when the matter will be finally disposed of. Under the heading, "What is to become of Macedonia?" the German newspaper "Vossische Zeitung," publishes the report of a conversation which purports to represent the views of a diplomatist who is described as being exceptionally well acquainted with the Near East and its affairs. The Berlin journal's authority prefaced his remarks by declaring that tho recent meeting between King Edward and the Czar at Reval signified "nothing; less than nothing," and was merely a "piece of bluff." Great Britain and Russia might come to an agreement with regard to their action in Macedonia, but no sensible person believed that they would "turn Macedonia upside down or show their

teeth to the other four signatory Powers or do anything for the sake of Macedonia which might provoke war." The Reval meeting was simply a "bluff at the expense of Germany," and the German public had been taken in by it. as a matter of fact, Great Britain and Russia were practically powerlesa in the Near East, and the only tangible result ot the Reval meeting would be a flood of reports, protocols, and telegrams. A few insignificant "reforms" would be proposed and perhaps carried out. It might even be possible that Hilmi Pa3ha would be superseded by a new Inspector-Gen-eral with a fictional increase of authority, but in this event Hilmi Pasha would become the next Grand Vizier and would act as the Sultan's adviser in all questions of Macedonian policy. In the opinion of this authority, the Macedonian problem was completely misunderstood by the European Powers, who continually attempted to exert pressure in Constantinople instead of at Athens, Sofia and Belgrade. The reforms which had so tar been introduced were practically worthless, and the Sultan, whose efforts were seconded by Hilmi Pasha and other powerful Turkish influences, was always in a position to prevent the reforms from being practically executed. The ' diplomatist then went on to develop the following extraordinary views. The solution of the problem, he said, would be a war between Turkey and Bulgaria, which in his opinion was inevitable. A Turco-Bulgarian war would effectually clear the air, since all the Balkan States would become involved in the conflict and the subsequent re-adjustment would ensure the supremacy of the strongest State. But a war of this kind could only achieve its purpose if the European Powers agreed not to intervene and if the Powera were sincere in their desire that conditions in Turkey should be improved. They could not object to the action of the Balkan States if they chose to settle their differences among themselves in a way which, if drastic, was, after all, the shortest and most satisfactory. The Powers might, indeed, form a "committee of supervision" in order to prevent excesses on the part of the combatants, but the Macedmian question would only cease to exist on the day of the decisive encounter between the Turks and the Bulgarians and their allies. ' This view of the situation can hardly \ be called pacific or calculated to ■ promote a hopeful spirit in the deliberations of the Powers.