PART OF THE BOOK “SELECTED PAPERS FOR MACEDONIA”
BY SLAVÉ KATIN
Newspapers of the Macedonian emigrants in USA and Canada are of special interest and are of great significance. Their history and development are quite turbulent and very interesting. They were of special importance and played a huge role in the information activities of the Macedonians in their new environment.
The development of the newspapers before the Second World War coincides with the development of the Macedonian emigrants in USA and Canada. Basically it overlapped with the development of events in the Balkans, but even more so, it depended on the development of events surrounding Macedonia. The majority of emigrants had been forced, for economic and political reasons, to leave their native hearth in search of peace, tranquility, and material security. However, even there they were followed by the unscrupulous Bulgarian, Greek, and Serbian, propaganda, misleading them and causing division and discord among them. This can be seen regarding their newspapers, where due to the deficiency of their own newspapers they read Bulgarian, Serbian, Greek, English, and other newspapers.
Printing of the newspapers as papers of the Bulgarians and Macedonians in America was for the reason that prior to the Second World War, according to American laws, clubs, societies, and other forms of organization and activity could only be based on, and developed by those nationalities that were constituted as states.
To the American administration at the time it was much more important what country the people came from rather than what nationality they belonged to. To them information in passports regarding national belonging was decisive. In this context we need add the large and extremely unscrupulous Greek, Serbian, and especially Bulgarian propaganda. It was very wisely spread not going without consequences among the Macedonian emigrants by misleading them and causing division, discord, and other negative consequences among the Macedonians on the North American Continent and beyond that. Even today the Bulgarian, Greek, and Serbian propaganda are still strong. However, they are only supported by a certain number of Macedonians which unfortunately are good servants, but bad masters.
The newspapers of the Macedonian emigrants in USA and Canada prior to the Second World War were shared with the Bulgarian emigrants, which included the following:
BORBA (Battle)
The first newspaper in USA that treated the Macedonian issue was the “Borba” newspaper which began to be published in January 1902. This was the first newspaper of the Macedonian and Bulgarian emigrants in America. Till its eighth edition it was a means of the Macedonian – Odrinsociety, but was later taken into the hands of the Bulgarians. In fact, until the eighth edition the “Borba” newspaper treats the Macedonian issue with its essential thesis being the autonomy of Macedonia. After this edition there was a dominance of topics relating to Bulgaria. It came out in 15 editions of which the last is dated 15 October 1902.
MAKEDONIJA (Macedonia)
The first edition of this newspaper was published on 7 December 1907, and the last in August 1910 in Granite City as an organ of the emigrants in America. It was published by the “Makedonija” society.
NARODEN GLAS (People’s Voice)
The “Naroden glas” daily newspaper (1907 – 1944) is one of the largest joint newspapers of the Macedonian and Bulgarian emigrants in USA. Till 1913, i.e. till its sixth Anniversary, it came out once, and then twice a week, until it became a daily newspaper published in Granite City and printed in its own printing office.
MAKEDONSKA TRIBUNA (Macedonian Tribune)
After the First World War there was more intensive emigration from Macedonia throughout the world, and so national organizations and societies were established. As a result of this in 1922 these societies united into the Soyuz of the Macedonian Political (Patriotic) Organizations in USA and Canada known as MPO.
The “Makedonska Tribuna” newspaper was an organ of the Soyuz of the Macedonian Political Organizations in USA and Canada and appeared in Indianapolis. At first it served the interests of the revolutionary movement of the Macedonian people, but later supported the Bulgarian assimilatory and denationalizing policy in Macedonia and throughout the world.
“Makedonska tribuna” as an organ of the MPO came out continually, once a month, starting 10 February 1927. From its beginning till the 1990’s it was published in Bulgarian, whereas presently it is published in English with a certain number of articles in Bulgarian, and Macedonian from time to time.
This newspaper has the longest history of publishing in the Diaspora. During its history of 75 years it has played a significant role in the affirmation of the aims and interests of the MPO organization and of the Bulgarian propaganda. Despite the fact that the paper carries the attribute “Macedonian” it is nevertheless a far cry from the Macedonian truth. Because of this only a certain category read this newspaper and it is not popular among the Macedonian emigrants who came to USA and Canada after the Second World War.
MAKEDONIJA (Macedonia)
This newspaper was devoted to the Macedonian liberation and independence movement. Its first edition was published in 1923; it came out once a month in English, and was published by the Central Committee of the Macedonian political organizations in USA and Canada.
MAKEDONSKI BJULETIN (Macedonian Bulletin)
The first and only edition of this paper was issued on 1 March 1930 in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, published by the Macedonian initiative committee. Its motto was: For a free Macedonia within a Balkan Federation.
MAKEDONSKI BILTEN (Macedonian Bulletin)
“Makedonski bilten” appeared in USA in March 1930 and only three issues were published. The newspaper was an organ of the Initiative Committee of the VMRO (united) organizations. The aim of “Makedonski bilten” was to inform the emigrants of the Macedonian issue from VMRO’s point of view. This attitude was particularly stressed in the appeal to the Macedonian emigrants which appealed that they fight against the supremacists and called upon the Macedonians for an uncompromising struggle against the fratricides and their servants.
BALKANSKO ZDRUZENIE (Balkan Association)
After establishing the Initiative Committee of the independent progressive groups, in April 1931 they held the First Congress of all the progressive Macedonian groups that united in the Macedonian People’s Soyuz. As a result of the awakening of the Macedonian consciousness, on 1 June 1931 the “Balkansko zdruzenie” newspaper appeared as an organ of the Macedonian People’s Soyuz in America whose seat was in Detroit, as a continuation of “Makedonski bilten.” It was published till 1934.
SOZNANIE (Realization / knowledge)
The first Macedonian independent progressive groups in Canada and USA, and later in Australia, began forming between the two World Wars as part of the Macedonian national soyuz whose long lasting and fruitful progress was expressed through the “Soznanie” newspaper. This newspaper was an organ of the Bulgarian branch of the Communist party in USA, and it also included Macedonian progressive emigrants. It appeared in Detroit on 15 December 1932 and came out every Friday in 2,000 copies. Printing stopped on 29 October 1937, and it was replaced by the “Narodna Volja” (People’s Will) newspaper as an expression of the progressive Bulgarian and Macedonian emigrants in USA and Canada.
NARODNA VOLJA (People,s Will)
The first edition of this newspaper was published in Detroit in 1938. It was published once a week in the Cyrillic alphabet with a large part of the materials being published in the regular articles in English. After the constitution of the People’s Republic of Macedonia numerous texts were published in the Macedonian literary tongue. The “Narodna Volja” newspaper was published as an organ of the MANS till 1944, usually consisting of six pages and a total of 127 editions.
NOVO VREME (New Age)
The “Novo vreme” newspaper was published in Toronto at the time of the foundation of the Macedonian – Canadian People’s Soyuz (Makedonsko-kanadski naroden sojuz – MKNS) as its organ. The contents of this newspaper were identical to the contents of the “Narodna volja” newspaper. The aims and objectives of the MANS in USA were also identical to the aims and objectives of MKNS in Canada.
To be continued
BY DUSHAN RISTEVSKI-MAKEDON
