and the only means, therefore, of establishing it is to carry on their repression at the same time as the application of the reforms. This can only be done by gendarmes commanded by foreign officers. || There is at this moment in my office a Bulgarian who is going from Consulate to Consulate with a Petition to the effect that no band existed in Vrondou (Brodi), and that the burning of eleven houses and nine barns by the troops on the plea of dislodging agitators who were not there was an act of pure malevolence, which caused the village a loss of 2000l. It is not denied, however, that while the troops did not fire on any native, nor any native on the troops, yet the latter lost two killed. The difficulty is ingeniously explained away by one of my colleagues, who says that while the troops were blazing away at empty houses, a couple of Mauser bullets found their billet across the intervening walls in two of their own comrades. || The mere presence of an European officer of gendarmerie will do more than anything else to inspire the populations with confidence in the proposed reforms and in the intention to exterminate the bands and to break the fetters of the terrorism which now binds them. I cannot, therefore, insist too strongly or too often on the absojute necessity of immediately dispatching to Macedonia the foreign gendarmerie officers, as they are enrolled, without waiting for the formation of the whole corps. Alfred Biliotti.

Nr. 13238. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Petersburg an den Minister des Ausw. Unterredung mit Lamsdorff über die Haltung der bulgarischen Regierung.

St. Petersburgh, March 18, 1903. (March 23.)

My Lord, I asked Count Lamsdorff to-day what news he had from Constantinople and the Turkish vilayets, and whether he was satisfied that serious steps were being taken to give effect to the recommendations of the Powers. || He replied that he was satisfied by the reports which he had received, both from the Russian Embassy in Constantinople and from the Russian Consulates in the vilayets, that as much progress as was possible in the time had been made. || The Porte seemed to be earnestly proceeding with the suggested reforms. || I asked him whether he was equally satisfied that the Bulgarian authorities would be able to stop the passage of the bands across the frontier. || He replied that he was inclined to think that the Bulgarians greatly exaggerated the difficulty of the task set them, which was quite within their power; the Macedonian origin of officials which had been put forward as one of the diffi

culties was in many cases assumed, and he did not seem to think that Prince Ferdinand or the Bulgarian Government were incurring any too serious risk in carrying out the measures of repression and prevention which had been pressed upon them. Charles S. Scott.

Nr. 13239. TÜRKEI. Der Botschafter in London an den englischen Minister des Ausw. Drohungen der bulgarischen Revolutionäre.

Ambassade Impériale de Turquie, Londres, le 24 Mars, 1903. (March 25.) Musurus Pacha présente ses compliments au Marquis de Lansdowne, et a l'honneur de porter à la connaissance de sa Seigneurie que, d'après des renseignements parvenus au Commissariat Impérial à Sophia, le révolutionnaire Bulgare Sarafoff aurait écrit à un de ses amis se trouvant en cette ville que, dans le cas où le Comité Révolutionnaire fonctionnant en Bulgarie serait supprimé, il chercherait à assassiner un des Consuls de France, d'Angleterre, ou d'Allemagne à Salonique, afin d'attirer l'attention de l'Europe. || Ce fait constituant une nouvelle preuve des projets odieux nourris par les agitateurs Bulgares, Musurus Pacha a cru bien faire de communiquer ce qui précède à sa Seigneurie.

Nr. 13240. GROSSBRITANNIEN. - Der Gesandte in Belgrad an den Minister des Ausw. Die Serbische Regierung verspricht eine ruhige Haltung.

Belgrade, March 19, 1903. (March 30.)

My Lord, || M. Lozanitch in course of conversation to-day, spoke with satisfaction of the terms of your Lordship's statement in the House of Lords respecting the Austro-Russian plan of reforms in Macedonia, saying that it showed a feeling of sympathy with the Balkan States. He went on to say that the news he continued to receive was far from satisfactory, mentioning the case which he had heard of only this morning of a Servian priest who had been murdered at a village named Verdan, near Monastir. These outrages, he said, were undoubtedly committed by the bands from Bulgaria, who murdered those among the Christians who refused to take up arms against the Turks, thus rendering their position a very perilous one. He was not satisfied he said, with the action of the Turkish gendarmerie, who had grown careless in their protection of the Christians, and he anticipated some difficulty in reconstructing it on a satisfactory basis, mentioning that he had heard that the Sultan had

shown a preference for Scandinavian officers. || His Excellency took credit for the patient and correct attitude of Servia, which, he said, was entirely out of deference to the wishes of the Great Powers. They were continually, he said, being asked by those of Servian origin inhabiting Macedonia for advice as to what course they should adopt under these trying circumstances, and his invariable answer out of deference to the Powers was that that they should remain passive. This, he said, should greatly facilitate the work of pacification in Macedonia, because if those of Servian origin were to adopt a different attitude, and openly take the side of the Bulgarian insurgents, the issue would be very different. It was impossible, however, to convince others that Servia did not entertain aggressive intentions, and it was only quite recently at the Court dinner that the Turkish Minister asked him if they had not sent troops to the frontier, to which he gave his word of honour that they had not, and called the Minister of War to corroborate him. His Excellency is fully conscious of the advantages of peace at a moment when the commerce, and notably the exports of the country, are showing a satisfactory increase. G. F. Bonham.

Nr. 13241. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Konstantinopel an die englischen Konsuln in der Türkei. Instruktion, die Ausführung der Reformen zu unterstützen*).

Constantinople, March 21, 1903.

Sir, || You have learnt that His Majesty's Government have declared their readiness to give a general support to the scheme of reforms in the administration of the disturbed provinces of European Turkey prepared by the Governments of Austria-Hungary and Russia and adopted by the Sultan as supplementary to the measures which His Imperial Majesty had already instituted for the amelioration of the condition of the population in these regions, and I hope shortly to be able to send you the regulations for the effective application of these reforms which have been prepared by the Sublime Porte. || In the meantime, I have to instruct you to watch carefully the way in which these reforms are carried out by the local authorities, and to co-operate as far as you can with your Austrian and Russian colleagues, and also with the other foreign Consular officers, with a view to joint representations to the Inspector-General and the Valis when required. || You will be good enough

*) Die englische Regierung billigte die Instruktion am 2. April. Red.

to report to me as occasion requires such observations as you may have to make, whether in regard to their effective application or in respect to other points which you think may contribute to the pacification of the country and the well-being of its inhabitants, in which His Majesty's Government take so deep an interest. N. R. O'Conor.

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Nr. 13242. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Botschafter in Konstantinopel an den Minister des Ausw. Überschickt einen Auszug aus Konsularberichten. Aufstände stehen in Mazedonien bevor.

Constantinople, March 25, 1903. (March 30.)

There is very little doubt that there will be an insurrection this spring, but it is not likely that it will be general. There will be encounters along the frontier, a more determined effort in centres such as Stroumnitsa and Kilkish, and spasmodic efforts elsewhere. The bands intended to force all able-bodied men to join them to produce a semblance of rising, but this will be merely leading a host of unwilling victims to the slaughter," and make them more easy to exterminate. The real danger is that the Committee may provoke a panic. The Vali has been warned by Sir A. Biliotti of this danger. He has since heard that when a foreign war ship appears in port the Bulgars have arranged to rush to the shore shouting that massacres have begun, which would produce a very appreciable panic. | Moslems are exasperated in consequence of a series of murders reported by an agent sent for that purpose by Sir A. Biliotti as having occurred during the last four months to the number of eight. The Turks are, however, considered to be too cowed to retaliate. A Kaïmakam of Doiran, a converted Jew, is said to be the only exception. || In Doiran everything is quiet, and the Committees are not established. In Stroumnitsa the situation is graver, and the bands bolder; the peasants are provisioning refugees. In Yenijé the bands exist in the north-east under Apostoli, Arghyri, and Yovan. In Gevgeli the bands are also active; at Diavato a Bulgar villager was killed. In Vodena two new bands have appeared under Lazo and Gotsé. The bands find excuse for extortion in administering ecclesiastical affairs. The Christian part of the gendarmerie is being filled with spies. | On the 19th ultimo there was a fight at Tchiltik (Yenijé Vardar); one Bulgar was killed. Another on the 17th at Radovishté, when three were killed; another with the same band at Petroff Bairie, in Malesh, where of twelve Bulgars killed, one wore the uniform of a Lieutenant and six that of regulars in the Bulgarian army; one Turk was killed and five wounded.

On the 25th a fight at Vrendose led to the burning of twelve houses and a loss of three on each side. The priest of Paleo Khori was murdered. The amnesty clause of the reforms causes general dissatisfaction to Moslems and Christians. Macedonian Bulgars are being sent back to their villages from other parts of the Empire. The release of prisoners should be postponed, or they should be rationed for some time afterwards. The appointment of foreign gendarmerie officers is advisable. || At Uskub, on the 14th February, a meeting was held between the Turkish authorities and Albanian Notables, and a mass meeting of Albanians at Lucca on the same day, in which the reforms were discussed, and the latter meeting declared against them. | Sir A. Biliotti, reporting on the complaints of the Dibra masons, confirms the reports of extortion by the Malessors, or Latini, of that locality. || The amnesty is not to apply to those implicated in charges of murder; consequently, only 123 of the 242 in the local prisons were released. Hilmi Pasha says 1000 persons have been released in all. Mr. Fontana and Mr. Pissurica doubt the wisdom of the measure. A fight occurred on the 2nd instant at Liuboina, and a Captain and three soldiers killed, with three Bulgars. Another Papa Nicholas was murdered at Virbeni and a Papa Dimitri at Assar Bey. Monastir will be the most disturbed district this summer. The reforms cause great satisfaction among the population, except the Komitajis shared by the Bulgars in trade. They fear that they may be carried out in an inefficient and half-hearted manner, or not at all. The appointment of foreign gendarmerie officers is advisable. The band of Arghyri has been extorting money in Griva (Yenijé); to stop this requires soldiers, and not gendarmes. Sir A. Biliotti reports that threats have been used against Mr. Pissurica, honorary Dragoman at Monastir, by the bands, and that he has apprehensions of danger to Mr. Theodorides at Serres. || The amnesty has been a failure, as it has increased the boldness of the bands. The amnestied persons have been extorting money. The bands will do their best to maintain disorder and to oppose the reforms. The Committees may have a political object, but they are largely composed of brigands. Had their object been the amelioration of the Christians' condition they would have pursued it by persuasion, and not by murder; they must be exterminated before order can be restored. This can only be done by gendarmes, with foreign officers. A fight occurred at Boemitza (Gevgeli) on the 8th with the band of Apostoli, who lost his brother and three others -one a prisoner; three villagers were killed and two Turks. Another fight occurred at Orman Chiftlik, near Melnik, with the „Vrondou" band; one was killed and one wounded on each side.