Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1905 — ANOTHER WAR IN THE SPRING. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER WAR IN THE SPRING.

Macedonia to Fight Turkey with Arms Paid for by Mies Stone’s Ransom. Advices received in Washington make it certain that as soon as the snow melts in the Balkan mountains there is certain to be war and destruction. The restraining hand of Russia, which has prevented hostilities between Bulgaria and Turkey, is no longer forceful, and the attempt* which have been made by the Austrian and Russian ambassadors at Constantinople to induce the Sultan to behave properly have accomplished nothing. The revolutionary element in Macedonia ha* obtained funds in some manner, and is said to be well supplied with arms and ammunition, while the Bulgarian government has been preparing for war all winter, and is likely to provoke an invasion by the Turks, which has been prevented by Russian influence for the past three years. Being no longer in a position to intervene with arms, Russia will not have so much influence. To understand the situatiqp it is necessary to go back three years to the time when Miss Stone, the American missionary, was a prisoner of the socalled bandits—really a band of conspirators representing the Macedonian committee, which exists for the purpose of emancipating Macedonia from Turkish rule, has its headquarters at Sophia, Bulgaria, and spent her ransom for gun* and powder. This committee is very much like the junta that encouraged and directed the revolution in Cuba from 189(5 to 1898. It collects funds, buys arms and ammunition, and equips insurrectionary parties which invade Macedonia to take revenge upon the Turkish officials for their cruelties to the people. The Bulgarian government sympathizes with the committee; almost every man, woman and child in the kingdom belongs to it, and contributes money for revolutionary purposes as a sacred duty. Up to this time Turkey has not attacked Bulgaria because of fear of Russia, although the Sultan has had great provocation in the encouragement and assistance which the Bulgarians have given to the revolutionists across the border.