Translation:From Bitola. Interview with a member of the Committee.

by Stamatis Stamatiou

In Bitola I had the …happiness and the honour to acquaint myself with a Bulgarized Macedonian teacher, a member of the committee, named Karev.

I got to know this man fortuitously at the hotel “Monastirion” or “Otel Monastir” as it is called in Bitola. At the beginning, this gentleman appeared very cautious towards me, however, after an introduction by a Greek from Krusovo, named Papagkoudas, he did not face any difficulty to tell me, after having cast around him some suspicious glances, that he is pro-Bulgarian and a member of the committee.

Are you a Macedonian? I ask him.

Yes.

And, consequently, a Greek.

This I do not know, he replies, I am Macedonian.

A direct descendant of Alexander the Great? I tell him ironically.

Yes.

And Alexander the Great, what was he, I pray you?

I don't know, but history says he was Greek.

Then, being his descendant, you are Greek as well.

He did not reply.

Then, I ask him again: why, since you are Greeks, do you want to liberate yourself via Bulgaria?

By "Bulgaria" what do you mean, the committee?

Yes.

Well, I respond that the committee is not Bulgarian and, second, that we seem leaning towards Bulgaria, because it is only she that appears eager to help us and we would accept Greece wholeheartedly, were she to do the same.

You see and examine only the surface of Bulgarian protection, Bulgaria does not want to liberate you from Turkish slavery, but to bring you under Bulgarian slavery.

Hm! If Bulgaria thinks of making us its province, it’s a miscalculation. Besides, we do not attend to what Bulgaria thinks, we only pay attention to the following “is our aim being fulfilled?” do we gain our freedom? Only this, we don’t care if Greece or Bulgaria liberates us, the only benefit that each has to gain is our gratitude.

Fine, and if you liberate yourselves, what do you want to become, autonomy [=an autonomous province]?

Yes, as in Switzerland, in which three difference races [sic] live in full concord and love.

Yes, but do you know that in this way the interests of the Panslavistic Society, of which the committee is a chapter, are being served?

How do we serve them?

Well, as you just confessed above, Macedonia is a Greek land, but, if every Greek land wants to become an autonomous polity, this results to the enfeeblement of Greece, a thing that the Panslavistic Society desires.

Why does it desire this?

To enslave one day both us and you and it wants to find us weak, to succeed in this with greater ease.

Karev appeared pensive for a moment. I was quick to interrupt the silence.

Why don't you want to unite with Greece?

Because, if Mora (Greece) takes [annexes] us, there will be one large state and, consequently, a monarchy. In this case, however, many harms will arise, first, the monarchy and all its consequences, and, second, Greece will force us to wage war against Bulgaria, which we do not want.

What want you?

He showed me my hat.

We want a republic.

Democracy and friendship with Bulgaria?

Not only with Bulgaria, but with anyone who helps us to become free.

Do you want to unite with Bulgaria?

No! No!

And the committee is teaching you so?

Yes.

Then, why doesn't this Committee, that cares so much for your independence, seek protection from Greece, which has more duties to liberate you, but rather seeks refuge to the barbarians?

I will answer at once: we are like a man who fell into the sea and is in danger to get drowned any moment now. Eh, please tell me, this man will catch whatever he finds in front of him at this moment to save himself, he will grab even a snake to save himself. This is how we are. Even if a Turk lends a rescue hand, we will grasp it with gratitude.

But, why do you murder Greek notables, priests and teachers, since you don’t turn yourselves against anyone in particular?

These are lies, the committee does not murder only Greeks, but also Bulgarians and Serbs and Turks and always whoever betrays it.

These are excuses for wrongdoing, you have wasted many Greek patriots because they did not give money to your committee.

These are inventions of you, the Greeks, just like the others.

What others?

Well, those about Thessaloniki, you planted people to do what they did to stigmatize the committee.

I could not help bursting into cracking laughter, which caused the curiosity of the shop-owner, Tasko Kvata, who approached me.

What is he saying to you? He asks me.

So and so.

Hm! How else would you tell he is a fat-headed Bulgarian, were he not a Bulgarian, he would not utter such words and, if anything, now that walls have ears.

Yes, yes, this is what I have been saying, Karev repeated, why should not everyone water a tree that burst out of the soil and sprout up, so that it grows?

And it is only Bulgaria watering this tree now, right?

Yes.

Yes! but do you know what kind of water Bulgaria waters it with? With the poison of anti-greek hatred.

Whatever it is this water, it cools us and made us turn our branches towards the place to which we confess that nothing connects us and leave you, with whom we have the same blood and history, this is in a way a protest against Greek indifference.

What you say are results of the Bulgarian water, for Greece never stopped supporting you with letters and arms.

Once again, Karev did not reply.

And now, after the last events, what do you plan to do? I ask him.

Nothing else, but continue fighting.

Yes, but don’t you know that fighting with daggers is a fight unbecoming to men and without honour?

This is irrelevant, as long as we succeed in our goal.

Do you approve murders?

When they happen for the sake of a people.

You are right, or, as they say in Greece, according to Mastroianni, Bulgaria and his lads.

Again, Karev did not reply, he merely got up and slowly headed to his room, while the rest of the hotel’s regulars commented his words in various ways.