SISTER AUGUSTINE BEWICKE ON THE MACEDONIAN AUTONOMY (1475)

SISTER AUGUSTINE BEWICKE ON THE MACEDONIAN AUTONOMY (1475)

January 4th, 1919

Dear Sir,

Please excuse the liberty I take in writing to you, it is because the final settlement in the Balkans is of vital interest to the Catholic in these countries. - I have been 33 years on this Mission, the Uniate Catholic Mission, which at the beginning of the Second Balkan War counted about 10,000 Catholics. The Treaty of Bucharest, (1476) which divided Macedonia without any regard to justice, was the cause of these poor people being dispersed on account of their Slav language, which was forbidden in Churches and schools. - The Bishop (1477) had his residence in Solun, he has now been in exile more than three years, his priests are dispersed, his flock is indeed without pastors, nor do we have any hope of his return to any place under Greek or Serbian rule. - The Greeks will not admit the Slav language in Churches or schools; the inhabitants of Macedonia are in the great majority Slavs; they call themselves now Macedonians, and what they desire and what we ardently desire for them is autonomy under European control. - In whatever way Macedonia might be divided, the people would always be discontented, and would fight again as soon as possible. The only hope I can foresee is in a strong autonomy, which neither Greeks nor Bulgars nor Serbs would dare attack; then the Macedonians, who are really intelligent and docile when they are well treated, would peacefully develop this beautiful fertile country, and might learn to be civilized. - Surely Europe will not leave Macedonia under people whom the Macedonians hate, and whom they will continually fight. (1478) As the little Balkan states can never agree, but always fight for Macedonia, let none of them have it. - We might then have peace, the Catholics would again have heart, and all the years of hard work among them would not have been wasted. At present things look very black, especially where the Greeks get in, but it is God’s world, and one hopes and prays that He will bless all the efforts that are being made to save the Catholics.

Believe me, dear Sir, Sincerely yours, etc.

Sister Augustine, Sister of Charity

Public Record Office (London). -FO 608/44. Peace Conference. (British Delegation), 1919.

(1475) The First world imperialist war had catastrophic consequences for Macedonia. The partition of the country between the bourgeois Balkan monarchies, which took place as a result of the Balkan Wars, remained unchanged even after the end of the Great War. The Macedonian people, however, continued their struggle for independence and autonomy. This letter from the Catholic Sister of Charity, Augustine Bewicke, sent to Ian Malcolm, British diplomat, testifies to this desire of the oppressed Macedonian people. We cite the complete text of the letter. (1476) The Peace Treaty of Bucharest, signed on August 10th, 1913 between the Balkan states, partitioning Macedonia and other Balkan areas.

(1477) This relates to the Catholic Uniate Bishop.

(1478) This is the fervent belief of the writer of this letter.

(Pages 649-650, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)

TELEGRAM FROM THE MACEDONIAN POLITICAL ASSOCIATION “MACEDONIA TO THE MACEDONIANS” OF ZURICH TO GEORGES CLEMENCEAU (1479)

February 14th, 1919

Zurich, February 14th, 1919.

The Assembly of the Macedonian representatives away from their homes asks You to intervene at the Peace Conference so that the right of the Macedonians to self-government can be recognized following the example of all other peoples, thus confirming Your humane principles which will ensure peace in the Balkans and will contribute to the guarantees of universal peace.

Bojadziev, President of the Macedonian Association

PRO-FO 608/44

(1479) The Macedonian political association “Macedonia to the Macedonians” of Zurich was among the more active associations in Switzerland which supported the right solution for the Macedonian cause. On February 14th, 1919 it sent a telegram to the President of the French Government, Georges Clemenceau, and to P. E. Dutasta, Secretary General of the Paris Peace Conference, in defense of Macedonian rights. Here we quote the integral text of the telegram.

(Page 651, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)

MEMORANDUM BY JAMES BOURCHIER ON THE CONSTITUTION OF MACEDONIA (1480)

February 26th, 1919

London, February 26th, 1919.

(1) In the interests of justice and of the future peace of the Balkan Peninsula, it is necessary that the new frontiers of the Balkan States should be made to coincide so far as possible with the limits of nationalities.

(2) If in any instance this system of delimitation cannot be carried out, the principle that no Balkan people should be placed under the rule of another may still be maintained by according self-government to the population concerned.

(3) In the case of Macedonia the application of this principle is peculiarly desirable in view of the rival claims of neighbouring countries, which have been the cause of infinite misery to the population for nearly half a century. Under an autonomous government protected by the Powers, the population would be enabled to care for its own interests and to live and thrive without the molestation to which it has hitherto been subjected.

(4) If we accept the theory advanced by the Serbians and Greeks that the national conscience of the Macedonians is “fluid” and displays no partiality for any foreign propaganda, the natural conclusion is that they should govern themselves and that the principle “Macedonia for the Macedonians” should be adopted.

(5) The autonomous Macedonian State would extend from the Shar Mountains (the Serbian ethnical boundary) on the north, to the Aegean Sea on the south, and from the Bulgarian frontier on the east to the Albanian on the west. The southern frontier, extending from Lake Kostur to the mouth of the Vardar, would leave Verria to Greece, which would also retain Nigrita and the Chalcidice Peninsula.

(6) It would be desirable that the autonomous State should be policed by a Great Power, America for preference, during the earlier years of its existence.

(7) The renunciation by Serbia and Greece of the Macedonian territory they have occupied since 1913 would not be unreasonable in view of the great extension which these States will now receive.

(8) Solun, which is commercially inseparable from the interior, would naturally become the capital of the new State.

(9) The solution thus proposed would satisfy the widely-felt desire for autonomy which has existed in Macedonia and at Solun for many years past.

Unsigned (1481)