In August I had a nocturnal interview with Alexandroff in the mountains
of Macedonia at a spot some distance from the Bulgarian frontier, where
we were surrounded by Komitajis armed to the teeth. I was anxious to
find out to what extent the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization was
in alliance with the Bolshevists, who had announced in their organ La
Federation Balkanique, which is published in Vienna, that the Macedonian
chiefs had signed a manifesto strongly supporting the policy of the Soviet
for the overthrow of all existing Balkan governments. It was reported that
two at least of the Macedonian Triumverate, Alexandroff and
Protogueroff, had denounced this manifesto, referred to in The Times of
August 5 and 6, as a forgery, and the only means of obtaining definite
information on this point was to get it from Alexandroff himself.
In reply to my questions, the Macedonian leader said:- I declare that I did
not sign either the manifesto published in La Federation Balkanique and
attributed by that review to the Central Committee of the Macedonian
organization, nor have I signed any other similar document. If my
signature is at the bottom of this manifesto, it is false: Protogueroff also
affirms that he has not signed this manifesto. We have no desire to
struggle against European capitalism, which does not concern us. The
Organization has only one aim : the liberation of Macedonia. And as long
as I am alive, and as long as I am at the head of the Organizaion, I shall
not allow the Organization to fall away from this its fundamental and
only aim and to become an instrument for aims which are strange to it.
The Organization has nothing in common with Communism and Bolshevism.
I do not deny that the fact that the Bolshevists have several times tried to
win over the Organization, and on every occasion it is they who have
taken the initiative in negotiating. It was after an order received from
Moscow that the Bulgarian Communist Press ceased to attack us in 1922,
although we did not ask anyone to spare us the attacks of the Communist
papers.
In 1923, the Soviet agents again proposed to me to begin negotiations. I
then put the following conditions as an essential preliminary to
negotiations: The dissolution of Pandurski's Communist band, the
suppression of the Macedonian Communist paper Osvobojdenie, and the
dissolution of the Communist organization of Macedonian emigrants. My
ultimatum was accepted and fully executed in August, 1923, but in
September of the same year there was the rising of the Agrarians and
communists in Bulgaria and I then declared to the communists that I
considered that all risings and coups d'etat complicated the already difficult
situation in Bulgaria, and were injurious and inadmissible. In the name of
the Organization I informed the Communists that the independence of
Bulgaria was extremely dear to me and as a Communist coup d'etat would
threaten this independence, the Organization would be obliged to consider
every attempt to overthrough the existing Government and to substitute
for it a Government of Communists and Agrarians as a blow to the
independence of Bulgaria, and that consequently it would begin a direct
and pitiless struggle with the authors of such attempts, and would deal
with them as it deals with all its enemies. It will be understood that after
such a declaration negotiations could not be continued.
"Left" Elements
But I do not deny that in our Organization there are "Left" elements
who
invariably say that during five years we have not been able to obtain
anything from the League of Nations, Paris, or London, and that
consequently we must try to come to an agreement with Moscow. Under
the influence of the "Left," but, again, on the initiative of the Soviet
representatives in Vienna, negotiations were begun again in 1924. The
representatives of the Soviet of Moscow put as a condition for an
agreement with us the consent of the Organization to the "Sovietizing"
of Bulgaria and Macedonia. We replied that this condition was inacceptable
to us and negotiations ceased. Since then they have not again been
resumed.
In London I did not see Rakovski, and I did not sign any agreement with
him. Information concerning this agreement probably comes from the
same origin as the manifesto.
I repeat that, as long as I remain at the head of the Organization, the latter
will fight by all possible means against Bolshevism, which, in my opinion,
is greatly injurious to the national Macedonian movement. And again, a
few days ago I informed the Bulgarian Communists, in the name of the
Organization, that the Organization will not permit a Communist coup
d'etat in Bulgaria.
But I must say that the situation in Macedonia becomes intolerable. From
the Memorandum which the Organization will present to the League of
Nations in September, Europe will be able to convince itself that the
Serbian and Greek regimes are worse than was the Turkish. For the
Serbian and Greek regimes by their cruelty, illegality, and violence surpass
anything that can be imagined. As long as these continue and as long as
Macedonia is governed by barbarous methods, the Organization will not
desist from its armed struggle; on the contrary its struggle will be
increased. But we shall willingly put aside our arms and begin a political
and cultural existence as soon as the necessary conditions for free political
and cultural development are guaranteed to the Macedonian population.
Conditions Demanded
Our requests are very modest. We do not want the dissolution of
Yugoslavia; on the contrary, we desire that Yugoslavia becomes a Federal,
free and strong State. And in the name of the organization I formally
declare that the organization will cease its armed struggle if the following
conditions are fulfilled :
- The dissolution of subsidized official Serbian bands of Stoyan Micheff,
Zikleff, and other traitors throughout Macedonia and the prosecution of
the members of these bands for the crimes which they have committed
(rape, assassination, and brigandage).
- The application of the clauses included in the Peace Treaty for the
defence of the rights of National Minorities under the control of the
League of Nations and under the guarantee of the Great Powers.
- An amnesty of all arrested Macedonians and the permission to return
to Macedonia to refugees and emigres also under the control of the League
of Nations and the guarantee of the Great Powers.
- The liberty of elections in the Skupshtina and the granting to the
Macedonians of the right to form legal political parties.
These are our fundamental requests, and if our demands are executed in a
strict, loyal, and honest manner, we engage ourselves to put aside our arms
and to cease our armed struggle.
We also insist in the same way as other people included in Yugoslavia on
the reconstruction of Yugoslavia into a federal state in which Macedonia
would enter as a member of the Federation on equal rights with the other
members of the Yugoslav Federation. Taking into consideration the
inevitable decomposition in the near future of Greece we ask the
incorporation into the Autonomous Macedonia of the Macedonian
territory which is now under the Greek dominion. When all the
abovementioned conditions are sincerly and honestly executed the part of
Macedonia which is in the hands of Bulgaria must also be incorporated
into the Autonomous Macedonia. I am convinced that it is only in this
way and acting as I have indicated that it will be possible to avoid
Bolshevism in the Balkan peninsula, that peace will be ensured in the
Balkans, and that a strong and durable Yugoslavia will be created. The
duty of the Western European democracies, in which we still have faith,
is to save Macedonia from death and the Macedonian population from
destruction, or, which is the same thing, from Bolshevism.