The papers of Tuesday published .a statement from the Turkish
Embassy about the allegations of ill-treatment suffered by the Bulgarians in Macedonia. " All such reports," it says, "are absolutely groundless." The policy of the Turkish Government, it is explained, is threefold : in respect of churches, of "bands," and of arms. The policy as to churches is to band the church in each village over to the majority, and build a new one at the expense of the Government for the minority. As the centre of dispute in each village—viz., the church—need no longer be regarded as an excuse for contention, it is to the interest of the inhabitants to help the authorities to suppress the " bands." The bands, in fact, have no raison cr etre, and the villagers themselves are the first to denounce them. Thirdly, it is asserted that for the sake of maintaining peace in European Turkey all the civil inhabitants are being disarmed,—Mussulmans as well as Christians. A pertinent comment on the statement that the "almost complete pacification of Albania" has been obtained is the fact that a state of siege has been proclaimed at Scutari. We do not doubt that the intentions of the Govern- ment in Macedonia are good, but we fear that the present unrest is a serious symptom which cannot be explained away. The papers of Friday published a statement from the Bul- garian Legation that the statement of the Turkish Embassy is inaccurate, and that the Bulgars of Macedonia are being treated with much harshness.
