Dur

posing than can be found in any city of 46,000 population in the United States, and it is the center of social life. ing the reign of Prince Alexander, a military barracks, public printing office, a technical school, a riding academy, and other creditable government buildings were erected. Several mosques have been converted into prisons, markets, warehouses, and arsenals. The largest, only a stone's throw from the palace, is now being fitted up for a national museum. There are two hotels with comfortable rooms and excellent tables; electric street cars run in every direction; the streets, public buildings, and houses of the rich are lighted with electricity, and other features of modern civilization are quite as advanced as may be found in any other city of Europe.

In the older quarters of the city are seen long rows of ancient wooden houses with latticed windows, and by that sign one may know the residence of a Turk, who thus shields the women of his family from the public gaze; but there are now comparatively few Moslems in Bulgaria, and they are leaving rapidly.

The Berlin conference told the people of Bulgaria that they might choose their own prince, and the National Assembly selected Prince Alexander of Hesse, a nephew of the Czar of Russia, a grandnephew of Kaiser Wilhelm the Great, and a brother-in-law of Queen Victoria's daughter Beatrice. He was a great faHe was a great favorite with everybody-brave, unselfish, patriotic, and ambitious to promote the welfare of the people, but too honest and candid to cope with the conspirators by whom he was surrounded. Russia was disappointed because the other powers had deprived her of the fruit of her victory over the Turks, and determined to obtain control of Bulgaria by intrigue. Anxious to preserve its independence, Alexander refused to comply with the Russian demands, encouraged the democratic spirit of the people, and assumed the leadership of the anti-Russian party.

The Russians retaliated by one of the most scandalous conspiracies since the days of the robber barons. The Prince of Bulgaria was kidnapped in his own palace by his own officers, driven over the mountains, and placed upon a Russian yacht in the Danube. European sentiment compelled his restoration and the Czar evaded responsibility, but not one of the Russian officials engaged in the plot was ever even reprimanded.

Alexander was enthusiastically welcomed by the people, but, with characteristic frankness telegraphed the Czar that he had received his crown from Russia and was ready to surrender it whenever demanded. The Czar compelled Alexander to abdicate, but not until after he had given him a pledge that the Bulgarians would be permitted to manage their own affairs without interference-a pledge that has been daily violated.

Alexander's successor and the present Prince of Bulgaria is Ferdinand of SaxeCoburg and Gotha, a grandson of Louis. Philippe of France, and a cousin of nearly every crowned head in Europe. Ferdinand is the opposite of Alexander in character, motives, and ambitions. He is selfish, fond of display, of extravagant habits, and the gratification of his own vanity is of greater importance to him than the progress and welfare of his people. For the first two or three years he got on without friction, but his queen, Marie Louise of Bourbon, yearned for the social recognition of the court at St Petersburg and was ambitious for her children. Through her influence he yielded to the demands of the Czar, and the active ruler of Bulgaria has since been the diplomatic agent of Russia at Sofia, now Mr Bakhmeteff, a diplomatist of great talent and long experience, who is well known in Washington, having married the daughter of the late General Edward F. Beale.

Stefan Stambuloff was the greatest man the Balkan States ever produced,

and was the Prime Minister of Bulgaria under Prince Alexander and Prince Ferdinand until the latter adopted a pro-Russian policy, when he retired and was succeeded by a man of Russian sympathies. He became the leader of a formidable anti-Russian party, until removed from the whirl of Bulgarian politics by assassination in July, 1895. The assassin was recognized as Michael Stavreff, a pro-Russian politician who was also accused of the murder in 1892 of Mr Vulkovich, a diplomatic agent of Bulgaria at Constantinople, second to Stambuloff in influence among the anti-Russian party. Until October last Stavreff was allowed to go unpunished, and was a familiar figure about the cafés of Sofia. He was pointed out to me and to every one as Stambuloff's assassin, and appeared to be proud of that notoriety.

In October, 1902, he was arrested, tried, convicted, sentenced to death for the two murders by order of Mr Ludskanoff, Minister of Interior and leader of the Russian sympathizers, who was banished by Stambuloff for treason. Immediately after the sentence of Stavreff, there appeared upon the streets facsimile copies of letters showing that Ludskanoff had employed him to commit the two murders, and similar facsimiles of other letters have appeared at frequent intervals since. It is the popular belief that Ludskanoff, fearing Stavreff's reckless tongue, attempted to put him out of the way, and that the latter's friends have disclosed the correspondence to involve the minister in the crime.

Stavreff has not been executed; the Prime Minister, Mr Karachoff, still permits Ludskanoff to remain in the cabinet; the government ignores the situation, and the friends of the minister claim that the general amnesty granted political exiles after Stambuloff's assassination was a full pardon for any crime in which he might have been involved before that date.

Stambuloff lacked polish and education; he was arbitrary and despotic, but his entire career is an example of unselfish integrity and patriotism. He lived and died for the independence of Bulgaria, and had the full confidence of Prince Alexander. Had those two men been permitted to carry out their plans, the country would have had peace, progress, and prosperity; but conspiracy triumphed, patriotism was repressed, and but for the strong hand of Russia its condition might have been worse than it is. The treasury is empty, the national credit is exhausted, and the hysterical emotions of sympathy that are stirred by the sufferings of their kinsmen across the border keep the people in continuous turmoil.

MACEDONIA

The Bulgarian atrocities have been repeated in Macedonia for over twentyfive years, and have grown worse and worse, until the country has been almost depopulated. Human life and property are held as worthless by the Turkish officials. No woman has been safe from their lust; no man has been allowed to save money or produce more than enough to supply his own wants. The Christian population have no standing in the courts, no remedy for injustice and extortion, and the world would be shocked if the truth were known; yet year after year the jealousy of the powers of Europe permit these conditions to continue.

An occasional insurrection or lawless incident in which foreigner has been the victim, like the kidnapping of Miss Stone, has attracted public attention, and remonstrances are frequently filed at the Sublime Porte by the European ambassadors, in which the Sultan is warned that anarchy and barbarity will not be tolerated longer and admonished to repent and reform. It must amuse His Majesty to read the signature of the German ambassador at the bottom of these notes, and we can imagine his

part of any of their sovereigns will provoke an even more emphatic remonstrance elsewhere for fear some commercial or political advantage may be gained; and when his situation becomes serious he grants another profitable concession to some German syndicate as an additional policy of insurance against intervention. Germany is more culpa

are trying to provoke it. What is known as the Macedonian Committee is an organization to which every Bulgarian belongs. Its headquarters are in one of the most conspicuous buildings. upon one of the most prominent streets of Sofia. Its meetings are public. It issues a weekly newspaper in which its purposes are announced and its plans

arise through collision between the Bulgarian patriots and the Turkish troops in Macedonia. They occur frequently. Scarcely a month passes without a battle on the border. If Bulgaria makes a complaint, Turkey replies that the government is trying to suppress brigandage. Some time, however, the Bulgarian people will not be satisfied with that answer. They will insist that their government demand reparation of Turkey and make a hostile demonstration that will attract the attention of Europe. This would have occurred long ago but for the inability of Bulgaria to raise funds to equip and pay an army, the indifference of Prince Ferdinand, and the lack of leadership.

In the meantime the Sultan is buying guns in anticipation of trouble. We often hear that the Sultan is insane, that he is suffering from a neurotic disease caused by insomnia, anxiety, and fear; yet no diplomatist of ancient or modern times has been more skillful or successful in playing upon the rivalries of his enemies.

Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria discussed. It is sustained and encouraged by the Bulgarian government and assisted by liberal contributions from Russia. The plot to kidnap Miss Stone was hatched in the Macedonian Committee, and her ransom, paid by the American people, was undoubtedly expended for arms and ammunition. The object was, first, to punish the American missionaries who had refused to contribute to the Macedonian cause; second, to attract the attention of the Christian world to the anarchy and barbarism that exist in Macedonia; and, third, to involve the United States government in hostilities with Turkey.

How long the powers of Europe will permit the Sultan to defy them is a question often asked, both in private and public, and never answered. It is probable that trouble will ultimately

SERVIA

The small but restless State of Servia obtained its independence from Turkey early in the nineteenth century, under the leadership of a nameless peasant. Because of his swarthy complexion and raven hair they called him Kara George, which means "Black George," and Karageorgeovitch is the name of his descendants. Milosh, a companion of Kara George in the fight for liberty, was a farm servant of a widow named Obren, whose name he adopted when he needed one, and Obrenovitch is the family name of the present king. feud between the two families began in 1817, when a Turkish pasha hired Milosh to assassinate his friend as he slept, and the history of Servia has since been a continuous duel between their descendants, encouraged by Turkey and Russia, which have been con

The

tending for the control of the Balkan Peninsula.

The present king, a repulsive degenerate, and his queen, Draga, are boycotted by all the courts of Europe because of their immorality. The Karageorgeovitch family are in exile, Peter, the head of the house, being engaged in scientific pursuits in Switzerland. King Alexander looks as if he had escaped from an asylum for the depraved, but has a vigorous constitution, and on occasions has shown great nerve and

King Alexander of Servia

power of command. Unfortunately he has inherited all the vices of his father, the late King Milan, who was the worst ruler Europe has seen for a generation. While getting his education in Paris he acquired habits which unfitted him. for the responsibility of governing a primitive and restless people like the Servians. He squandered the public. money and lost his private fortune at cards, and his wife, Natalie Keskho, daughter of a colonel in the Russian

army, was compelled to leave him and finally obtained a divorce. She now resides at Biarritz, very much respected and beloved, although she made herself unhappy and excited the hostility of the Servian politicians by her unconcealed Russian sympathies. The scandals of the Servian court furnished gossip for all Europe, until finally, enervated by dissipation and despised by all his subjects, Milan abdicated in favor of his young son, Alexander, and went to Vienna to die.

Alexander was a precocious prince, and when only fifteen years old fell under the fascination of Madam Draga Maschin, who had been a lady in waiting to his mother and is about ten years older than he. She is an ambitious, brilliant woman, gifted with considerable beauty and a charming manner. Madam Draga had more influence with the King than his parents, the ministry, and the court, and when he was seventeen persuaded him to marry her and assume the reins of government. From that time until now the Servian court has been the scene of a series of sensations which are likely to continue indefinitely.

The palace, in the center of the city, is a pretentious structure, which rises next to the public street without grounds, and was built by Milan, the gambler king, with an eye to entertaininent and display. Within is a series of magnificent apartments equal to those in the palaces at Berlin and Vienna, designed by a French architect, and furnished with an extravagance that threw the country almost into bankruptcy. The great drawing-room, in which the king received the officials, the diplomatic corps, and the public every Sunday morning, is one of the finest in the world.

You reach Servia by railroad through Hungary across a country that looks very much like Kansas and Nebraska. Servia is called a poor man's paradise,