OCR Text |
Show oo WHERE LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING. The tremendous struggle that has been going on in the Balkan states for several hundreds years, between Christian and Mohammedan, is referred re-ferred to in the last number of the Christian Herald which describes present-day conditions as follows: The Albanian nation has a re-mnrkable re-mnrkable history. The oldest race tn Europe, once a world-empire undor Alexander the Great, recipients of the Gospel from the apostle Paul, its people have been the defenders of that faith against Mohammedanism in a lone and desperate struggle lasting over fifty years, while Christian Europe Eur-ope remained supine and Indifferent Four hundred and thirty-five years under Turkey have reduced Albania to a condition of poverty and wretchedness wretch-edness scnrcely to be conceived, and probably unparalleled in any other nation. The country, by nature rich in resources, has been turned back to wilderness. The population, wasted by war and famine, disease and emigration emi-gration through persecution, has been thus reduced by more than hair. The nation is without railroads, wagon roads, factories, modern agriculture, national schools, literature, or the common comforts and necessities of civilized life. Now, by the decision of the European Euro-pean Powers, a million and a quarter Albanians, together with their territory terri-tory comprising at least a third of the whole, have been divided among Servia, Montenegro and Greece, where the above processes of forcible assimilation assimi-lation are still being carried on. The rest of Albania, now free, but surrounded sur-rounded with enemies, overrun with refugees who have sought asylum there, in her helplessness and dire extremity Is appealing for help. -nn |