The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-10
Copyrighted 1895 by the Associated Press

From the Special Correspondent of the
Associated Press in Armenia.
Djulfa, Russia. May THE Turkish
government. il is claimed. has just taken
the preliminary steps In what may result
in a massacre OF HISTORIAN Christians in
the mountains Of Kur1istan- II is assert
cd that the government has given orders
TO starye the independent tribes of Mes
iorians in that mountain region imne-
dately west Of Caviar. which may be de-
scribed as laying about midway between
Mosul and Lake Van. about fifty miles
west OF the Persian frontier. The orders.
il is stated, are that no food supplies OF
any kind shall be allowed 20 enter the ter
ritory OF the independent tribes, and
measures are said TO have been taken 10
enforce these orders 70 the letter. This
action Is apparently taken as means OF
compelling the independent tribes 10 sub
nit 10 the Turkish authorities and TO pay
the taxes demanded by that government.
and ia regarded as the first serious at
tempt that the Turks have made 10 extort
taxes from the independent tribes. From
the earliest times in the history Of the
Ottoman empire these tribes have been IN
dependent of Turkish rule They have
maid no taxes and they have Acknowledged
no allegiance 10 the Turkish government.
The present course OF the government IS
taken i'm some quarters as an indication
that The sultan has set on foot a system
a,fr persecution or Christians in all parts
~ the er,pire The sultan has plenty ~
opportunitv FOR knowing that fhe inoe-
.au1euf HISTORIANS are too poor % paw
taxes. and that many ~ them make ? lF-
ing nv going down into the villages ~
their less wretche3lv poor fellow country
men and begging These Door creatures,
.--o~4ir- % the story are % - starved
because they vii not share Nth the sul-
tan 81 Turkey the scraps of bread. tne
refusa hts ~ meats and The odds ani
ends which they Obtain by begging Ineir
homes are IN wilderness of mountain
v.eta ans narrow rocky valleys where
nothing viii grow except fuft - broom
,.,-- hsr.a and there fu the creNires On fhe
,oets ~ fNa mountain sides. and few
-+o-ts = rrfliet fn casual sqaarF gari
- s-n IN fhe valleys r = r0f difhcIlt
- forecast tNe probable result of me s'ar-
,-.sf0- ef this race - NeEEars @h0lt1 INC
-ero-+ turn ont % he correct lriNNn Aes-
-r-,.a Nt burger The people WI enTeavo-
:, ,N.of. f,o4 from Gavar ard other out
"a. afat-f--s a-g there vii - sights vifh
.s- --,~srfsh t-oors fhe villages VII - az
,-4 sra zo~,r - re wrrfchef people
-su - kinas ara ro man can prophecy
-rhs-s he persecution WiN "nf
= have fus- rerurnef from Ta9'd
,-..--r.- - TO Kurdish mountains FOR the
.--.-sa - i-ves- iEafirg fhe reGo~r that
s.-..-.-, ,.iiIarar had hesr atta~ket AM
,-.s+..s.s bv rad - kurds last Veek
-~,. original r-rrno- had = that tne kur'is
r,z -,aSs4~raf rrauv Christians and ha1
-.--s.9 ~ women and girls 20 the noun
.,t-s Afre~ riding dsv and night ~
-a,..h he S-rre 81 the raid. ] AZ iene-ih
s--f~s.4 a. The MerEIiver valley which
49, 7sl.s re bottom of hat beneath
r..-a -roun-aius covered from base 20
...-,--s. vs}rh almost unbroken expanse@
- s7,vr Il vas IN this valley that The
- -ook place II IS said a band ~
E--~ss from the mountains had indeed
-,t5s4 fourteen villages in this valley.
80. .Aa raid was directed against other
L-.,-Fe a,s not against Christians. There
-, a faw HISTORIAN Christians living
IN -be valley. but they we're not naolested
in any way ,.-,-.,
4 thfs vas not a raCe o. religious raid.
q, -rflt .,-oasahly have little interesf out
"a. - 'Ne valley. I regrrt - say that
IT. pa+on The British consulate general
- -ra..~5r Persia is very much in dis
go -vf+h the gentlemen who are con
7rr+f-g ne Armenian evolutionary
-.,-.v,arts In spite a the fact that Ar-
Te.-o. Aas heeu collecting evidence % tn4
s.ss,u~ and Noosh massacre for ths -"
- -sa british government. the AT-7A-
7tsrs look ur.on him a. a sPy- They may
70 % the length of doing him faoaiiy
harm.
The closing OF tbs caravan routes 70