Come take a ride in Tito’s time Machine – Part 17 – Fear of a Balkan War
Risto Stefov
December 6, 2009
If we “must” believe that Josip Broz Tito (May 7, 1892 - May 4, 1980), the Yugoslav dictator, along with the Communists, “invented” the Macedonians then we must also believe that Tito possessed a “Time Machine” because in this series of articles we will show you that the Macedonians existed way before Tito’s time.
Anxious to avoid sleeping in, I set my alarm clock the previous evening to wake me up an hour earlier than usual. I wanted to be by the Delorean bright and early just in case TrueMacedonian decided to pay me a visit. But just as I arrived at the “secret spot” I noticed the Delorean was gone. It was not there and neither was anyone else for that matter. I began to wonder what could have happened. Could the team have left earlier than usual? Could the team have discovered that I was a stowaway and decided to find a new hiding place for launching the missions? How was I going to get in touch with TrueMacedonian when I did not even know where he lived?
I decided to hide in the bushes and lay in wait anyway, hoping that somehow things would return to normal and I would again be able to board the Delorean in the usual fashion and the team and I would again be traveling with Tito to secret missions.
Just as I sat there, preoccupied with my thoughts, I caught a glimpse of the Delorean appear and then disappear. The team must have returned from one mission and was off to the next, I thought to myself as I was overcome with excitement that all was not lost. But why must the Delorean return to the same time and space from one mission in order to go to the next mission? Could this spot be “ground zero” in space and time for the time-machine and it has to return here to recalibrate its instruments before going to another mission? I could only guess as to the reason for its return but I was happy to see it back.
Bored of waiting for the Delorean to return I decided to go home and come back later when the missions were over. I wanted to get in touch with TrueMacedonian and find out what was going on? Why did the team leave much earlier this morning? Was this going to be the new, permanent schedule or was this just for the day? I had to know.
I had just returned to my hiding place when I saw the Deloran suddenly appear out of nowhere. It was indeed startling to see.
Ah the team has returned, I thought to myself. And as the Delorean’s engines were shut down, I knew this was the last mission and the team would soon be going home. As I peeked through the brush I could see everyone come out of the car and slowly drift away towards the horizon. TrueMacedonian was the last to exit the car and as he did he flicked something over his head with his right thumb. I watched it land and bounce just behind the Delorean. It must be a message for me, I thought. I hope it’s newspaper clippings from today’s missions. I waited until everyone had disappeared behind the horizon before I came out of the bush and quickly picked up what looked like a paper ball of discarded trash. How clever I thought.
I was right, it was a ball of crumpled-up paper with three tightly packed pages. I anxiously and carefully unwrapped them and began to study them. The first one read;
“FEAR OF A BALKAN WAR
All the Powers working to bring about reforms peaceably.
Chief Feature of Innovation is a Governor for Macedonia with Independent Powers – Bulgaria ’s good faith doubted.
SOFIA , Bulgaria , Feb. 17. – The sobranje to-day, after a long and heated debate, adopted a resolution approving the action of the Government in suppressing the Macedonian committees.
In the course of the discussions the Premier, Dr. Daneff, made an impassionate appeal to the house to support the Government, saying that it was imperative to the welfare of Bulgaria at the present critical moment that the powers should remain without any doubt as to the Bulgarian Government’s intention to keep the people of Macedonia quiet and to help the powers in carrying out the scheme of pacification.
VIENNA , Feb. 17. – The Neue Freie Presse announces that the Austro-Russian note was today submitted to the cabinets of Berlin , Paris , London and Rome , and that it will be presented to the Porte on Feb. 19 unless the powers require a revision of it, in which case its presentation will be delayed until Feb. 21.
The reform proposals are chiefly of an administrative and financial nature, such as the Porte has heretofore promised but never executed. One new feature is the appointment of a Governor, not necessarily a Christian, who shall have authority to act without referring to the Porte in every contingency.
It is believed in diplomatic circles that the Porte will oppose the appointment of such a Governor, and it is seriously doubted whether the reforms will satisfy the Macedonians. The good faith of the Bulgarian Government in ordering the recent arrests of Macedonians is also questioned, in view of the fact that the most prominent revolutionists managed to escape.
A formidable outbreak in the early Spring is considered as by no means impossible. According to advices from Salonica, the German, British and Italian military attaches arrived in the city today from Constantinople .” (The New York Times, February 17, 1903)
The second one read;
“PLANS OF MACEDONIANS.
Correspondent comes into touch with the insurgent leader.
London Times – New York Times – Special Cablegram.
LONDON , Oct. 21. – After a long journey in the night a special correspondent of the Times in Macedonia has succeeded in getting into touch with the leader of the Macedonian Revolutionists.
He was informed that it was the intention of the insurgents to carry on their guerrilla operations throughout the Winter so far as the climatic conditions will permit, in order to compel Turkey to keep a large army of pacification constantly under arms. The bands intend to make another desperate campaign in the Spring.
The sole hope of the revolutionary leaders is to prolong the present disturbed state of affairs in order to prove to Europe that Turkey , in spite the enormous forces employed to suppress the insurrection, is unable to settle the Macedonian question. They feel confident that the powers will then force the Porte to grant the autonomy demanded by them.
With regard to the atrocities perpetrated in Macedonia , the correspondent says, the insurgent leaders, who have no cause to love the Turks, do not endorse entirely the stories of vengeance perpetrated on innocent women and children that have been circulated by some hysterical correspondents. They say that the Turks massacre all male Macedonians suspected of sympathy with the insurrection and constantly fire on parties of refugees, but wholesale outrages on women and children have occurred only on occasions. The wholesale pillage and destruction of villages and massacres of the males have been the method pursued by the Turks in dealing with the insurrection.
The insurgent leaders have adopted a new policy in order to take from the Turks as far as possible any pretext for retribution of this sort. They have established food supplies in the mountains.” (The New York Times, October 21, 1903)
The third one read;
“WILL AID MACEDONIANS
Bulgarian Plan to Collect Funds for the Insurgents.
Government may be asked to intervene – Premier Petroff tells of his inspection of the frontier.
SOFIA , Bulgaria , Aug. 15. – An enthusiastic meeting of Macedonian sympathizers was held here this afternoon, at which resolutions were adopted in favor of agitating throughout the country in order to being pressure to bear upon the Bulgarian Government to intervene in Macedonia . A committee was appointed to collect money to aid the insurgents.
Premier Petroff has just returned from a visit to the Macedonian frontier where it touches the District of Dubnitza, and takes somewhat of an optimistic view of the situation in Macedonia . He believes the outbreak will be confined in the vilayet of Monastir, where the Turks probably will succeed in suppressing the insurrection. When interviewed today by a representative of the Associated Press he discussed the condition of affairs frankly and at length.
Regarding the reports that Bulgaria was responsible for the outbreak, he pointed out that the center of the disturbed area at present was nearly two-hundred miles from the Bulgarian frontier and was separated from it by a country largely inhabited by Turks. Consequently, he said. It was foolish to say that the movement was aided by bands from Bulgaria , and that it was equally unreasonable to suggest that the arms of the insurgents came from Bulgaria . As a matter of fact, he said, the guns used by the insurgents were all of French manufacture, and most of them had been bought from Turkish officers and men who, receive no pay, had resorted to sale of their guns and ammunition to obtain money.
The insurrection, he said, was entirely a national Macedonian movement organized by the Macedonian Internal Committee, which in itself was proof of the shocking condition of affairs due to the excesses of Turkish soldiers, who, on the pretext of searching for arms, entered Macedonian villages to plunder and destroy.
The situation in the unhappy villages, he said, was rendered more desperate by the refusal of the Turks to permit the unemployed to leave in order to secure work elsewhere. This goaded the population to the most desperate measures. Premier Petroff declared that the Bulgarian Government was doing its most to maintain peace.
‘Not only is the frontier guarded to prevent crossing of individual bands’ he said ‘but a rigid inspection also exists at interior points, and it is absolutely certain that no bands, large or small, are passing the frontier at this time. A few individuals may, of course, be crossing. Little excitement or enthusiasm is evident in Bulgaria now, but should the unexpected happen, and a massacre of Bulgarians occur, or should the movement assume alarming proportions, the population of Bulgaria would naturally become greatly excited, and while the Government is most anxious to maintain peace, it would, of course, be forced to consider Bulgarian population sentiment. Thus a most critical situation might arise. It appears now, however, as if the movement would be confined, notwithstanding the reports of its extension.’
M. Petroff says that the Turks are pouring overwhelming forces into Monastir, and that they are sufficient not only to suppress the present rising but to destroy the entire revolutionary movement, unless the Powers intervene to prevent Turkey from taking rigorous measures. Upon the whole, the Premier believes there is no immediate cause for alarm. On the contrary, he is of opinion that the situation will soon change for the better.” (The New York Times, August 15, 1903)
Satisfied that my day was not a total loss, I quickly returned home and set my alarm clock to wake me up even earlier than this morning. I was determined to be there tomorrow before Tito and the team.
To be continued.
Other articles by Risto Stefov:
http://www.maknews.com/html/articles.html#stefov
http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3446
Many thanks to TrueMacedonian from http://www.maknews.com/forum for his contribution to this article.
You can contact the author at rstefov@hotmail.com
Risto Stefov
December 6, 2009
If we “must” believe that Josip Broz Tito (May 7, 1892 - May 4, 1980), the Yugoslav dictator, along with the Communists, “invented” the Macedonians then we must also believe that Tito possessed a “Time Machine” because in this series of articles we will show you that the Macedonians existed way before Tito’s time.
Anxious to avoid sleeping in, I set my alarm clock the previous evening to wake me up an hour earlier than usual. I wanted to be by the Delorean bright and early just in case TrueMacedonian decided to pay me a visit. But just as I arrived at the “secret spot” I noticed the Delorean was gone. It was not there and neither was anyone else for that matter. I began to wonder what could have happened. Could the team have left earlier than usual? Could the team have discovered that I was a stowaway and decided to find a new hiding place for launching the missions? How was I going to get in touch with TrueMacedonian when I did not even know where he lived?
I decided to hide in the bushes and lay in wait anyway, hoping that somehow things would return to normal and I would again be able to board the Delorean in the usual fashion and the team and I would again be traveling with Tito to secret missions.
Just as I sat there, preoccupied with my thoughts, I caught a glimpse of the Delorean appear and then disappear. The team must have returned from one mission and was off to the next, I thought to myself as I was overcome with excitement that all was not lost. But why must the Delorean return to the same time and space from one mission in order to go to the next mission? Could this spot be “ground zero” in space and time for the time-machine and it has to return here to recalibrate its instruments before going to another mission? I could only guess as to the reason for its return but I was happy to see it back.
Bored of waiting for the Delorean to return I decided to go home and come back later when the missions were over. I wanted to get in touch with TrueMacedonian and find out what was going on? Why did the team leave much earlier this morning? Was this going to be the new, permanent schedule or was this just for the day? I had to know.
I had just returned to my hiding place when I saw the Deloran suddenly appear out of nowhere. It was indeed startling to see.
Ah the team has returned, I thought to myself. And as the Delorean’s engines were shut down, I knew this was the last mission and the team would soon be going home. As I peeked through the brush I could see everyone come out of the car and slowly drift away towards the horizon. TrueMacedonian was the last to exit the car and as he did he flicked something over his head with his right thumb. I watched it land and bounce just behind the Delorean. It must be a message for me, I thought. I hope it’s newspaper clippings from today’s missions. I waited until everyone had disappeared behind the horizon before I came out of the bush and quickly picked up what looked like a paper ball of discarded trash. How clever I thought.
I was right, it was a ball of crumpled-up paper with three tightly packed pages. I anxiously and carefully unwrapped them and began to study them. The first one read;
“FEAR OF A BALKAN WAR
All the Powers working to bring about reforms peaceably.
Chief Feature of Innovation is a Governor for Macedonia with Independent Powers – Bulgaria ’s good faith doubted.
SOFIA , Bulgaria , Feb. 17. – The sobranje to-day, after a long and heated debate, adopted a resolution approving the action of the Government in suppressing the Macedonian committees.
In the course of the discussions the Premier, Dr. Daneff, made an impassionate appeal to the house to support the Government, saying that it was imperative to the welfare of Bulgaria at the present critical moment that the powers should remain without any doubt as to the Bulgarian Government’s intention to keep the people of Macedonia quiet and to help the powers in carrying out the scheme of pacification.
VIENNA , Feb. 17. – The Neue Freie Presse announces that the Austro-Russian note was today submitted to the cabinets of Berlin , Paris , London and Rome , and that it will be presented to the Porte on Feb. 19 unless the powers require a revision of it, in which case its presentation will be delayed until Feb. 21.
The reform proposals are chiefly of an administrative and financial nature, such as the Porte has heretofore promised but never executed. One new feature is the appointment of a Governor, not necessarily a Christian, who shall have authority to act without referring to the Porte in every contingency.
It is believed in diplomatic circles that the Porte will oppose the appointment of such a Governor, and it is seriously doubted whether the reforms will satisfy the Macedonians. The good faith of the Bulgarian Government in ordering the recent arrests of Macedonians is also questioned, in view of the fact that the most prominent revolutionists managed to escape.
A formidable outbreak in the early Spring is considered as by no means impossible. According to advices from Salonica, the German, British and Italian military attaches arrived in the city today from Constantinople .” (The New York Times, February 17, 1903)
The second one read;
“PLANS OF MACEDONIANS.
Correspondent comes into touch with the insurgent leader.
London Times – New York Times – Special Cablegram.
LONDON , Oct. 21. – After a long journey in the night a special correspondent of the Times in Macedonia has succeeded in getting into touch with the leader of the Macedonian Revolutionists.
He was informed that it was the intention of the insurgents to carry on their guerrilla operations throughout the Winter so far as the climatic conditions will permit, in order to compel Turkey to keep a large army of pacification constantly under arms. The bands intend to make another desperate campaign in the Spring.
The sole hope of the revolutionary leaders is to prolong the present disturbed state of affairs in order to prove to Europe that Turkey , in spite the enormous forces employed to suppress the insurrection, is unable to settle the Macedonian question. They feel confident that the powers will then force the Porte to grant the autonomy demanded by them.
With regard to the atrocities perpetrated in Macedonia , the correspondent says, the insurgent leaders, who have no cause to love the Turks, do not endorse entirely the stories of vengeance perpetrated on innocent women and children that have been circulated by some hysterical correspondents. They say that the Turks massacre all male Macedonians suspected of sympathy with the insurrection and constantly fire on parties of refugees, but wholesale outrages on women and children have occurred only on occasions. The wholesale pillage and destruction of villages and massacres of the males have been the method pursued by the Turks in dealing with the insurrection.
The insurgent leaders have adopted a new policy in order to take from the Turks as far as possible any pretext for retribution of this sort. They have established food supplies in the mountains.” (The New York Times, October 21, 1903)
The third one read;
“WILL AID MACEDONIANS
Bulgarian Plan to Collect Funds for the Insurgents.
Government may be asked to intervene – Premier Petroff tells of his inspection of the frontier.
SOFIA , Bulgaria , Aug. 15. – An enthusiastic meeting of Macedonian sympathizers was held here this afternoon, at which resolutions were adopted in favor of agitating throughout the country in order to being pressure to bear upon the Bulgarian Government to intervene in Macedonia . A committee was appointed to collect money to aid the insurgents.
Premier Petroff has just returned from a visit to the Macedonian frontier where it touches the District of Dubnitza, and takes somewhat of an optimistic view of the situation in Macedonia . He believes the outbreak will be confined in the vilayet of Monastir, where the Turks probably will succeed in suppressing the insurrection. When interviewed today by a representative of the Associated Press he discussed the condition of affairs frankly and at length.
Regarding the reports that Bulgaria was responsible for the outbreak, he pointed out that the center of the disturbed area at present was nearly two-hundred miles from the Bulgarian frontier and was separated from it by a country largely inhabited by Turks. Consequently, he said. It was foolish to say that the movement was aided by bands from Bulgaria , and that it was equally unreasonable to suggest that the arms of the insurgents came from Bulgaria . As a matter of fact, he said, the guns used by the insurgents were all of French manufacture, and most of them had been bought from Turkish officers and men who, receive no pay, had resorted to sale of their guns and ammunition to obtain money.
The insurrection, he said, was entirely a national Macedonian movement organized by the Macedonian Internal Committee, which in itself was proof of the shocking condition of affairs due to the excesses of Turkish soldiers, who, on the pretext of searching for arms, entered Macedonian villages to plunder and destroy.
The situation in the unhappy villages, he said, was rendered more desperate by the refusal of the Turks to permit the unemployed to leave in order to secure work elsewhere. This goaded the population to the most desperate measures. Premier Petroff declared that the Bulgarian Government was doing its most to maintain peace.
‘Not only is the frontier guarded to prevent crossing of individual bands’ he said ‘but a rigid inspection also exists at interior points, and it is absolutely certain that no bands, large or small, are passing the frontier at this time. A few individuals may, of course, be crossing. Little excitement or enthusiasm is evident in Bulgaria now, but should the unexpected happen, and a massacre of Bulgarians occur, or should the movement assume alarming proportions, the population of Bulgaria would naturally become greatly excited, and while the Government is most anxious to maintain peace, it would, of course, be forced to consider Bulgarian population sentiment. Thus a most critical situation might arise. It appears now, however, as if the movement would be confined, notwithstanding the reports of its extension.’
M. Petroff says that the Turks are pouring overwhelming forces into Monastir, and that they are sufficient not only to suppress the present rising but to destroy the entire revolutionary movement, unless the Powers intervene to prevent Turkey from taking rigorous measures. Upon the whole, the Premier believes there is no immediate cause for alarm. On the contrary, he is of opinion that the situation will soon change for the better.” (The New York Times, August 15, 1903)
Satisfied that my day was not a total loss, I quickly returned home and set my alarm clock to wake me up even earlier than this morning. I was determined to be there tomorrow before Tito and the team.
To be continued.
Other articles by Risto Stefov:
http://www.maknews.com/html/articles.html#stefov
http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3446
Many thanks to TrueMacedonian from http://www.maknews.com/forum for his contribution to this article.
You can contact the author at rstefov@hotmail.com
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