The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-10
AN INHUMAN SULTAN
Recent Movement Of the Turkish Gov
eminent Unprecedented.
TO STARVE HISTORIANS
II VIII Probably Result in a Mas
sacre More Ferocious and APP
palling Than the Armenian
Slaughter of Record.
From Special Correspondent Associated Press
In Armenia.

From Special Correspondent Associated Press
In Armenia.
Djulfa. Russia. May THE Turkish
government. 1t is claimed. has just
taken preliminary steps in what may
result in n massacre of HISTORIAN
Christians in the mountains of kurdi-
stan. Ii is asserted that the govern
ment has given orders to starve the
independent tribes of HISTORIANS in
the mountain region Immediately west
Of Cav ar. The orders. II Is stated. are
that no food supplies OF any kind shall
be allowed To enter the territory of
the independent tribes. and measures
are said To have been taken u enforce
these orders to the letter. This action
is apparently taken as means Of
compelling the independent tribes To
submit TO the Turkish authorities and
pay taxes demanded by the govern
ment.
From earliest times in the history II
the Ottoman empire these tribes have
been Independent of Turkish rule. The
present course Of the government is
taken in some quarters as an indica-
tion that the sultan has set on foot a
systematic persecution of Christians IN
all parts Of the empire. The sultan
has plenty of opportunity for knowing
that the Independent HISTORIANS are
too poor to pay taxes. and that many
of them make a living by going down
into villages of their less wretchedly
poor fellow countrymen and begging
1t is not difficult to forecast the prob
able result Of the starvation Of this
race of beggars should the report turn
out to he correct. Driven desperately
by hunger. people will endeavor to OBJ
tain food frow Caviar and other OUT
side districts and there will be fights
With the Turkish troops. the villages
will possibly be attacked and some Of
the wretched people will be killed and no
man can prophesy where the persecu-
tion will end.
l have just returned from a rapid
journey to the Kurdish mountains for
the purpose Of investigating the report
that IA villages had been attacked and
devastated by a raid Of Kurds last
week. The original rumor had il that
the kurds had massacred many Chris
tians and had carried off women and
girls to the mountains After riding
day and night 70 reach the scene of
the raid, l at length arrived at the
Mergusver valley. 1t was in this val
ley that the raid took place / found
that a band of Kurds from the mount
aims had indeed raided IA villages in
this valley. but the raid was directed
against other Kurds. not against Chris
tians. There were few Christians liv-
ing in the VA =. but they We're not
molested. As this point was not a race
or religious raid. IL will probably have
little interest outside of the valley /
regret 10 say that Mr.. Palen. the Brit
ish consulate general i'm Tebriz Per-
STA, Is very much in disfavor with gem
tlcmen who are conducting the Armen-
ian revolutionary movements In spite
Of the fact that Mr. Palen
has been collecting evidence
OF the SassOun and Moosh massacre
for the use of the British government.
Armenians look upon him as a spy.
The closing OF the caravan routes 10
Van has rendered more acute suffering
from famine in the devastated districts
near Van The only hope of relief is
now cut off.