TURKEY AND RUMANIA.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "Spacr1Tox."]
Srn,—Having had some experience of the Rumanian propa- ganda in the Vlach villages of Southern Macedonia (the Vlachs, Koutzo-Vlachs, or Aromouni, are of course closely allied to the Rumanians by race and language), I can fully confirm the views put forward in your issue of October 8th. The Rumanian schools, both those in the villages and those of higher grade in the towns, are undoubtedly a great aid towards cultural development and towards the stability of the Turkish Constitution. One other point needs greater emphasis than your correspondents gave it. I refer to the attitude of other nations, and in particular of the Greeks. The old practice of sending bands of hired bravoes under Greek officers into Macedonia to convert Vlachs, Bulgarians, and others to Hellenism has ceased, but it is a great mistake to imagine that the old policy has gone for good and all. Many of the Greek schools in Macedonia, which -from an educational point of view are pitiable, are centres of political intrigue directed against the Turkish Constitution and any attempt to pacify Macedonia. This summer there was a revival of Greek propaganda, and terrorism was once more employed. The procedure of the Patriarchate, as your corre- spondents rightly point out, is purely political, and a part of the same policy. The fact is, it is realised in Athens that if Macedonia is allowed to have peace, the futility of the Greek claims will be only too obvious. The idea which seems to prevail in certain quarters that Greece, by the with- drawal of the Cretan Deputies, has removed all just cause of dispute with Turkey is therefore far from being the case.—
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