Lydia Dragomanova Chichmanova and Ekaterina Peneva Karavelova to Mary Ryott Sheepshanks, February 23, 1928

February 12, 1928

Sofia

Dear Miss Sheepshanks,

We are pleased to send you a report prepared by our Secretary for the Interior. It concerns the trial of Uzunov and some young Bulgarian Macedonians who were condemned because they dared to affirm their nationality.

To bring the truth about this trial to light more vividly, this report includes only the voices and testimonies of the Yugoslav and foreign press.

Our Committee kindly asks you to forward this report to all organs of public opinion: the League of Nations, the Peace Societies, and the press in general.

Our section never allows itself to interfere in the internal affairs of Yugoslavia. Here, it is a matter of minorities protected by treaties but whose fate lies at the mercy of the ill will of the governments of those states that do not wish to enforce the minority clauses. This is an ever-growing source of disorder, dissatisfaction, and suffering among these unfortunate Bulgarian populations.

During the month of January, our Section had the pleasure of receiving Miss Anderson (from the English Section), who made the best impression in our pacifist circles. She is extremely intelligent and is neither unfamiliar with nor uncomprehending of the affairs of the Near East. We hope she will continue to enlighten public opinion and our sections throughout the world about our suffering and our demands.

We also had a very interesting conference within our Section. Mr. Penakov spoke about the economic situation in Dobruja. You know that there is also a Bulgarian minority in this Romanian province, also at the mercy of foreign governments.

We ask you, dear Miss, to support us in our very difficult task. Do not forget that we are the only strongly and regularly organized section in the Balkan Peninsula, where the work is delicate but fruitful. Therefore, we again ask you not to forget to include in Pax and in your bulletins other information beyond that which comes from the Bulgarian Section of the I.S.F. or on matters about which we have been consulted. Otherwise, the life of our Section would be disturbed and perhaps even its very existence threatened.

Miss Anderson has been tasked by us to provide you with a report on this matter.

Please accept, dear Miss, our most cordial greetings.

THE PRESIDENT

KARAVELOVA.