Mr. Forster's speech was much better in its tone on
the war than Lord teranville's. True, he admitted, and even maintained; what seems to us utterly false, that this is "an unjust and un- necessary war," but at least there was no cold lecturing of Russia for spending her blood and treasure on this great struggle ; and on the question of the atrocities Mr. Forster spoke out "I am not here to defend the Russians. I believe, with Earl Granville, that the charges against them of cruelty have been immensely exaggerated. But I am quite sure that it is impos- sible for you to your own minds to exaggerate the atrocious cruelty with which the Turks are carrying on this war wish I could read to you with safety to the writer a letter I have, in my pocket. It is impossible for me to do so, but you must take my word for it. I could satisfy any one who doubted my word upon it, if he would assure me that no harm should come
to the writer. I know one of the largest cities in Bulgaria, a city of more than 20,000 inhabitants, Eski-Saghra. I know that that city has been put to fire and sword and to outrage in the same way as a captured city used to be in former days after cap- ture by a forlorn-hope. You know the story that was told in excuse,—that there had been similar atrocities committed by the Bulgarians, in their first possession of the town. But I have in- formation upon which I can rely, and upon which I feel every reasonable man would rely, that this story is an invention. I know indirectly, from almost eye-witnesses, that this is an invention. I do not say that there was perfect order on the entry of the Bulgarians, and that there were not some people, put to death as spies and enemies, but that there was any out- rage in the slightest degree to compare to the Turkish devastation, or the representation of the Russian outrages, is untrue."
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