The Sore Spot of Europe (1920)

[TrueMacedonian]

http://books.google.com/books?id=jv4...e&lr=&as_brr=3

[TrueMacedonian]

Who was this Arthur Bullard?



http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=MC008&kw=

Born in Missouri in 1879, Bullard graduated from the Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ and attended Hamilton College for two years. He subsequently worked as a probation officer in New York City, during which time he wrote several essays on criminology. His work as a foreign correspondent for various american and european journals, which began in 1904, was highlighted by editorships with THE OUTLOOK (1914) and OUR WORLD (1922-1924). Like his press writings (sometimes published under the pseudonym “Albert Edwards”) his later novels, travel books, and political volumes drew on his travels through Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, North Africa, and Central America. Bullard was also a statesman. He served on the Committee on Public Information's divisions in Washington, Western Russia, and Siberia from 1917 to 1919, was chief of the Russian Division of the Department of State from 1919 to 1921, worked for John W. Davis during his presidential campaign in 1924, and was a representative of the League of Nations Non-Partisan Association in Geneva. He died in Geneva on September 10, 1929.

[TrueMacedonian]

So from the text above we gather the following;

1) Bulgarians as well as Serbs and modern "greeks" were colonizers of Macedonia.
2) Athens, Belgrade, and Sofia also wanted an independent Macedonia as well as a federation of balkan states.
3) Macedonians only called themselves 'bulgarians' due to present day politics rather than ethnologically or culturally.
4) Macedonians far outnumbered the "greek" speakers in Macedonia.
5) "Greek" speakers and those who spoke both languages were thinly scattered in Macedonia (which destroys the myth that there was any large ethnic "greek" majority in Macedonia).
6) Bullard states that they were talking about an independent Macedonia for a 100 years. This article was published in 1920. So if we go by his word in 1820 there were plans of an independent Macedonia then.

There are so many good points in the article above. Bullard was keenly aware of what was happening in the balkans. I do not agree with his sentiments that the so-called "greeks" ruled over Macedonia at one time. However his sentiments on Macedonia are very revealing during his time.

[Pelister]

The comment about the official propoganda coming from Belgrade and Athens, is interesting.

Interesting read. Nice find. TM.

[Soldier of Macedon]

A few things stand out for me in these works, and they are repeatedly cited by several authors that wrote on the topic:

1.Bulgar, Serb and Greek state propaganda was psychotically at work to claim the Macedonian population for this or that group.

2. The best solution was always for Macedonia to be a united state and either as a constituent member of a federation or as a autonomous protectorate with the aim of independence.

3. The overwhelming majority of Macedonians spoke the Slavic dialects of Macedonia, hence the Macedonian language.

[Pelister]

He writes about "the talk" in the balkans of Macedonia becoming either independant and/or part of a federation.

The question has been considered, by the British, and rejected, by the British.

I think John Balfour (a Jew), who talked about the creation of a homeland for the Jews, was also the one who rejected a homeland for the Macedonians. (see A.Rossos, British foriegn office and Macedonian nationalism).

[Daskalot]

Originally Posted by Soldier of Macedon

A few things stand out for me in these works, and they are repeatedly cited by several authors that wrote on the topic:

1.Bulgar, Serb and Greek state propaganda was psychotically at work to claim the Macedonian population for this or that group.

2. The best solution was always for Macedonia to be a united state and either as a constituent member of a federation or as a autonomous protectorate with the aim of independence.

3. The overwhelming majority of Macedonians spoke the Slavic dialects of Macedonia, hence the Macedonian language.

This is correct, these 3 points have been repeated before.

Thank you TM for providing this source!

[TrueMacedonian]

Bump. I like this old post.