Mr. Kennard to Sir Austen Chamberlain.— (Received April 26).

(No. 154.)

Sir, Belgrade, April21, 1926.

I HAVE the honour to enclose herewith copy of a report which has been prepared by Mr. Gallop, third secretary of this Legation, as a result of a recent visit to Serbian Macedonia.

• 2. Mr. Gallop's observations, confirm other reports which have been furnished during the past year, and tend to show that while the Serbian Administration in Macedonia may leave much to be desired, there is no great discontent with the present regime and that the chief grievances of the present time are of an economic nature.

• 3. I have the honour to request that in accordance with the instructions governing journeys taken on the public service, I may be authorised to refund to Mr. Gallop the expenses incurred by him on this journey.

I have, &c.

H. W. KENNARD.

Enclosure in No. 1.

Conditions in Macedonia.

Introduction.

• 1. The following notes have been compiled as the result of a seven days’ tour in Macedonia. The original plan was to travel from Skoplje to Obrid via Gradsko and Bitolj, returning via Debar, Gostivar and Tetovo. There was no time to visit Kosovo to study the “katchak” or colonisation questions, or Stip to examine conditions on the Bulgarian frontier. Unfortunately, too, the collapse of the road between Debar and Gostivar rendered a return from Ohrid by that route impossible, and after a flying visit to Tetovo we proceeded to Bitolj and Ohrid, and retraced our steps to Skoplje.

General Remarks.

• 2. The most striking thing to one familiar with North Serbia, who has been accustomed to hear Macedonia described as Southern Serbia and its inhabitants as Serbs, was the complete difference of atmosphere which was noticeable almost as soon as we had crossed the pre-1913 frontier some miles south of Vranje. One felt as though one had entered a foreign country. Officials and officers from North Serbia seemed to feel this too, and I noticed especially in the cafes and hotels of Skoplje that they formed groups by themselves and mixed little with the Macedo-Slavs. Those of the latter that I met were equally insistent in calling themselves neither Serbs nor Bulgars, but Macedonians.