KURIER ON THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION (1318)

KURIER ON THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION (1318)

November 14th/21st 1904

1. The Macedonians and their Benefactors

If the Macedonian Question were settled in such a manner that would not leave traces of national and state aspirations in the Balkan Peninsula, it would promote the unification in a political whole of all the Balkan peoples and states; on the other hand, if it left traces of them, this would divide them entirely; in other words, Macedonia is a spring that moves the Balkan states and peoples towards friendship or hostility...

2. Autonomous Macedonia and the Balkan Alliance...

We, the Macedonians, appeal to Bulgaria and Serbia, and especially to Russia and the other Great Powers, all together to help improve the already unbearable state of affairs by introducing full political and economic autonomy of Macedonia, Southern Thrace, Old Serbia, Epir-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the guarantee of the Great Powers.

“Kurier” (Sofia) 13 (14. XI. 1904, p. 1); 14 (21. XI.1904).

(1318) The Kurier (Courier) journal, which was published in Sofia and edited by the well known Macedonian public figure, Stefan Jakimov - Dedov, defended the interests of the Macedonian cause. In several articles printed in 1904 there are interesting views about the Macedonian question and the autonomy of Macedonia. We quote extracts from two of these articles.

(Pages 497-497, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)

ALLEN UPWARD ON THE MACEDONIANS AND THE MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE (1325)

1907-1908

The Macedonian, Villages

...I asked him (1326) what language they spoke, and my Greek interpreter carelessly rendered the answer Vulgare. The man himself had said Makedonski. (1327) I drew attention to this word and the witness explained that he did not consider the rural dialect used in Macedonia the same as Bulgarian, and refused to call it by that name. It was Macedonian, (1328) a word to which he gave the Slav form of Makedonski, (1329) but which I was to hear farther north in the Greek form of Makedonike. (l330) And so the “Bulgarophone” villagers (1331) are no longer willing to admit that they speak Bulgarian. They have coined a new term of their own accord, and henceforth their dialect, until they have got rid of it, is to be known as “Macedonian.” (1332) My Athenian friends were delighted when I told them of this on my return. It should give even greater pleasure to those Bulgarian agents who are so anxious to see the Macedonians thought that they are Macedonians. (1333)

Allen Upward, The East End of Europe. London, 1908, pp. 204-205.

(1325) Following the Ilinden Uprising, Macedonia was visited by a large number of European and American journalists and writers. The British were most numerous among them. After their return to Great Britain, they gave interpretations of the situation in Macedonia and the position of the Macedonian people. Most impressive were the recollections of Allen Upward from Macedonia prior to 1908. We give an excerpt from them.

(1326) This refers to the villager whom the writer addressed.

(1327) i.e. Macedonian.

(1328) i.e. Macedonian in origin.

(1329) i.e. the Macedonian language.

(1330) i.e. “Makedonikos”

(1331) The Greeks used the terms “Bulgarophones” or “Slavophones” for the Macedonians. (Lazo Mojsov, Okolu prashanjeto na Makedonskoto Natsionalno Malchestvo vo Grtsija, Skopje, 1954, p. 68)

(1332) i.e. Macedonian in origin.

(1333) Id.

(Page 506, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I).

AUGUSTE BOPPE TO MAURICE ROUVIER (1352)

August 10th, 1905

Therapia, August 10th, l905.

The reports I received from Macedonia during last month are unanimous in the claim that the situation within the country is far from improving. The antagonism among the various Christian peoples is increasing every day and their regrettable effects are only enhanced with the ever greater boldness of the bands. Notably that of Sandanski, (1353) the watchword of which is “Macedonia to the Macedonians”, (1354) is active in the Pirin region (1355) and is gaining strength all the time. Its leader organizes shooting practice in the mountains, in which the inhabitants of the surrounding villages take part. In a circular letter addressed to the villagers, Sandanski stresses that in view of the fact that the Turkish army has begun to get accustomed to the mountains and become bolder, it is necessary to take measures of greater precaution than seemed to be needed before. Accordingly, the villages are to organize posts from which the coming of the soldiers can be observed and the bands informed of it. Those who do not respond to these instructions are to be severely punished. The bands of Andon and Stojanov were sent by the Committee to destroy that of Sandanski. (1356) But they sometimes join their enemies to fight against the Turkish army, which do not even manage to upset them seriously. The Serbian bands, of which nothing has been heard for some time, penetrated Albania towards the end of the month of June. Finally, the Greek committees, for their part, have doubled their boldness. A few days ago they delivered me a letter addressed to the inhabitants of the villages in the surroundings of Solun by some leader of a Greek band, who, on threat of death, ordered them to subordinate themselves to the Patriarchate and declare themselves as Greeks in the census lists. We may also note a distressing increase of murders committed by the Greek bands in the Bitola vilayet. Confronted with this rise in the activity of the revolutionaries of all kinds, the Ottoman authorities are powerless. The soldiers, who always arrive too late to intervene, sometimes add their own actions to those of the outlaws, whom they are unable to defeat. The peaceful population of Macedonia is thus mercilessly exposed to the outlawed bands of

professionals, headed by political agitators who have only one aim -the increase of disturbances and insecurity in order to bring about the intervention of Europe and the dismembering of the country in conformity with their national programmes. The Moslem villages, which the military have succeeded in protecting up to now, are no longer protected from assassinations by the komitadjis; some of the villages have decided to defend themselves alone, and thus only add to the anarchy. One may realize that in this deplorable situation the Macedonians are little occupied with the reforms announced by the Powers. (1357)

No one can see a possible solution to this situation, the change of which is desired by the whole of the local population, but such a change that would exclusively be in favour of each group separately.

Boppe

Documents Diplomatiques, Affaires de Macedoine 1903-1905, pp. 190-191.

(1352) This diplomatic report by August Boppe, charge d’affaires of France in Constantinople, addressed to Maurice Rouvier, President of the Ministerial Council and Minister for Foreign Affairs, comments on the situation in Macedonia and the activity of the propagandist bands there. The activity of Jane Sandanski and his propagating of the slogan “Macedonia to the Macedonians” is especially emphasized. We quote the integral text of the document.

(1353) Jane Sandanski.

(1354) In the original: “Celle de Sandansky notamment, dont la devise est la Macedoine aux Macedoniens...” (Documents Diplomatiques. Affaires de Macedoine 1903-1905. Paris, 1905, p. 190).

(1355) In the original: “...la region de Perin ..” (Documents Diplomatiques, p. 190).

(1356) This relates to the attempt by the united Vrhovist bands to organize a campaign against J. Sandanski. But on April 7th, 1905,

near the village Kasina, they were ambushed by Jane Sandanski and defeated.

(1357) In the original: “...On peut penser que dans cette lamentable situation, les Macedoniens se preoccupent bien peu des reformes annoncees par les Puissances.” (Document Diplomatiques, p. 191). This refers to the financial reforms prepared by the Great Powers.

(Pages 523-524, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)