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io 104
INTRIGUES AT SOFIA [chap.viii.
would not help the cause of our Balkan kinsmen in the
least
My arguments on the subject of the strength and
perfect equipment of the Turkish Army were received
by my Bulgarian listeners with a sceptical smile.
Gueshov assured me repeatedly that the Bulgarian
Headquarters Staff possessed quite different information
on the state of the Ottoman Army, information based
on systematic observation and absolutely reliable secret
intelligence. And that concerning our wise desire to
prevent a war in the Near East, the only way to attain
that would be for Russia and Europe to resume their
former course of action and their work of organisation
and autonomy in Macedonia ; in short that Europe must
at last renounce her illusions on the subject of a new
state of affairs in Turkey. I entirely shared this last
point of view, and I remember that after the second
massacre which took place in Macedonia, I made the
suggestion, in a dispatch to M. Sazonoff, that the
Powers should take Macedonian affairs in hand and
immediately send their consuls to Katchaneh and
Ishtib, to hold an inquiry on the massacres which had
taken place there, just as was done under the old
Turkish regime, which was exactly like the new one.
I also communicated my views to our Ambassador in
Constantinople. In St. Petersburg it was not thought
possible to carry out my idea. It is true that it would be
difficult to change our relations with Turkey all at once,
and to reconquer a position voluntarily abandoned by
European diplomacy nearly four years ago—four years
during which the Powers had vied with one another in
good behaviour towards the Young Turks and had
almost been obsequious to them. And even admitting
that we had decided to change our attitude towards
Turkey abruptly, should we have been followed along
this path by the other Powers, even those of the
Entente ?
M. de Giers was not long in replying to me from
Constantinople; and he persuaded me to warn the
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