The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-12-17

ilatemont from tho American
Board Of Foreign l-ission3.
AN INTERROGATION NECESSARY.

AN INTERROGATION NECESSARY.
II should he Conducted. However. by Rep
resentativos of Foreign Governments, as
Turkish Investigators Would Probably
Not be Impartial.
Boston, Dec. 17.-The American board
Of commissioners, for foreign missions
! more than any other missionary organiza-
tion in America, ccntralizes its work in
| behalf of Armonians in Asiatic Turkey.
Its western Turkey mission began in 1919,
its eastern Turkey began in 1896, and its
central Turkey mission in 1877 These
three missions comprise 10 stations, PCS out
stations, A missionaries, 1 medical mission
ary in eastern Turkey, 42 married women
| and 73 unmarried women; in fact it en-
ploys 79l native laborers. These occupy
300 places for stated preaching and secure
average congregations of 3O,747 persons
| The sabbath schools number 20, ,464. The
adhercnts ar" estimated at 46, ,S64. There
| ar 112 churches with membership Of H.,
4S1, of whom 49S were received within u
year.
The educational work is extensive.
There are theological schools 20 theo-
logical students, 81 college, high and
boarding schools for boys, containing ,343
pupils; 90 college, high and boarding
schools for girls, containing l,l3l pupils.
There are 373 common schools, containing
Is, 1893 pupils. There are / ,b6l Others under
instructions. The grand total of persons
under Instructions consist of 1886 per
sons. This contributions Of the natives
last year 30 the board amounted to S34, 759.
These facts do not include the work in
European Turkey. Numerous inquiries
has Induced this conservative OrganiZa-
tiou to furnish the following statement
relating TO affairs in Turkey"
I'VE are not unconcerned about the re-
ports Of the massacre in eastern Turkey.
The position of the III missionaries of the
American board within the Turkish en-
pira is an extremely dclicate one. Sympa-
thiz ng deeply on the one side with all who
arJ suffering by reason of poverty, opprcs-
sion and misrule, they have yet been loyal
to the government under which they have
lived, and have never countenanccd sudi
tion or rebellion. 1t Is not necessary for
our missionaries, after these scores of years
of devoted labor for the native races of
Turkey, to prove their sympathy with the
suffering and oppressed by joining others
who, at a safe distance from the scene of
danger, are passing vigorous resolutions
In condemnation of the wrongs inflicted
1t is incXpedient for US to present "a full
statement Of all we hear and believe
"Some things we may properly say TO
the full investigation of the alleged atroc-
titles, which we trust will be made by the
Representatives of both our government
and of the European powers. In the Sas
soun region, south of Moush Plain, there
are, or recently We're, many villages in
habitod 10y Armenans. These people were
systematically robbed of their hocks by
Kurds, and in the latter part of the sum
mer the Armanians pursued the robbers
in the endeavor TO recover their property.
In the fight which onsued dozen Of these
Kurds were killed, among whom were
some who We're enrolled as Turkish sol
diors.
"When information was given that the
Armenians had killed some of the sultan's
troops, the charge Of rebellion was made
and orders wero sent to put down the in
suITeCtion. The result was that these law
less and uncontrolled soldiers made indis-
criminate slaughter of the people who had
sought to defend their property. In the
horrible massacre which followed thou
sand We're slain, some state 5000, others
10000. The "details of this wretched affair
are'not ob5ainablo even by those near the
scene. They win never be obtained unless
foreign governments insist upon Il thor
ough investigation conducted by foreign
ers. The poor people are in terror and
dare not state the truth unless under pro-
lection,
"Though our missionaries in eastern
Turkey are often upon the Moush Plain,
where there are many OUT stations in
which the evangelical work is conducted
by Them yet Uhhir work has not extended
into this Sassoun district, and hence they
have had no direct reports from the scene
Of the massacre.
Papers from COnstantinople, printed
in that city and entirely under the control
Of the Turkish censOrs of the press. an
nOunce that the sultan has sent one of his
imperial guards to the city of Erzingan.
in eastern Turkey, to carry decoration to
Zekki Pasha, the commander of the Fourth
army corps, which is located there. Zekki
Pasha is the military commander who led
the troops against the defenseless villages
in the SassOun region at the time of the
massacre. Another envoy carries four
banners from the sultan to the four lead
ing Kurdish chiefs who were associated
with the military commander in the re-
ported massacre, and who probably were
the instigatOrs Of il.
after the sultan has thus approved of
the action of his troops and of the Kurds
it will be impossible for any commission
appointed by the Turkish government to
investigate the outrage and bring any re
port that reflects on either the Kurds or
the army BY this act the sultan seems
to assume all the responsibility of what
has been done"
The Armenians Fought BraveIy.
TTLIs, Russian Iranscaucasia, Dec. II
A letter which appears in paper here
states that for nineteen days the residents
of Armenian villages where the recent
| outrnges were perpetrated fought against
the kurds, The Armenians lost only ten
/ IL. ....I.. III L L =