Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-28
RUSSIA'S GAME
Is to Secure Armenian Soil
Without the Armenians.
Latter Prefer SuItan's Rule to In
certainty of Cars Government.
Enatand's Weak Stand in Matter Sharply
Criticized by An Armenian.

London. No7. 27.-The United Press
representative at ConstantinopIe sends
the following report Of an interview with
AN Armenian OF high standing, who
speaks with authority for large section
Of the Armenian people.
"Russia would be glad" the gentleman
said. "to obtain the country known as
Armenia. but does not want the people
She treats the ArmeDians now in Russia
very well allows them religious liberty,
giving a position Of standing TO Ar
merlian Catholics, but this is for pur-
pose.
THE aims Of Russia are far reaching,
and she knows how to ply a waiting
game with all patience. Her purpose In
this manner is plain. She would have
the Armenians believe that what is row
done for their countrymen and the church
in Russia, would be continued in Turkish
Armenia. If Russia took over the prov
inces from Turkey.
She bids for the sympathy of Armen-
ians, hoping one day to be able to throw
her troops across this frontier and take
from Turkey the provinces nearest the
border. This could be accomplished best
by the connivance and assistance Of the
Armenans; chiefly by the latter asking
Russia to come to their assistance and re
lievc them from the expressions OF the
Turkish yoke.
Russia, the Armenians once in her
grasp would change her attitude What
has she has done to the Jews: Can any
one suppose that she would after little,
treat the Armenians differently? She
would begin shortly to proselytizc and
convert, and those who did not accept the
orthodox faith would be as wreUched
under the Russian as under the Turk.
The Armenians prefer the slavery Of the
present rule to that slavery of which they
know nothing.
Under Russia, of course, there would
he no massacres, AS Russia Is Christian,
but there are other methods of oppression
more terrible to the Armenian than the
mere killing of the body At all events,
under Turkey the religious practices of
the Armcnians are suffered. A change of
Sultans would do no good. Turkey is the
same under any ruler, and has been so for
centuries. A different ruler would erect
nothing.
What is wanted is change of prac-
tice, change in the management of the
empire. The Sultan should not be in
vested with the dual power Of the head of
the church and head Of the empire. He
should be king. not "a priest. A separate
person should he at the head of the church
and deal with all religious questions.
This would in IA large measure assist
toward the solution of the vexed ques-
ton
Lord Salisbury made powerful
speech in the House of Lords in favor of
the Armenian cause, and naturally the
Christian world waited to see him put his
words into effect, but what has England
done? Besides making a display of diplo-
macy which, instead of eliminating in
the expected victorious finish, had Il la
mcntable and feeble end, she has been de
| feated by the Sultan, yet she strs not
| at is impossible to understand her, I'M
| less one ascribes her conduct to desire to
checkmate Russia and not to assist Ar
menia in her trouble. This is doubtless
the solution Of her policy of words with
out action. She is afraid that Russia
Will get some advantage which she Will
not share Instead of Christian people
rising up in their might and asking that
massacrcs and outrages on another Chris
| tian people shall cease she, after a feeble
manifestation of opposition, silently ac-
quieSces in a continuation of the terrible
scenes.
In the trade of 1899 which the recent
II form circular tacitly admits has never
been enforced, by ordering its enforce
ment now is a paragraph which says that
when people are contented aud happy,
when justice is among them, they should
be faithful to their ruler and render him
all obedience, but when the same people
are denied justice and are oppressed, it l.
not only to be expected that they will
take arms against their oppressOrs, but
that such an act is iustifabe
Temperate Armenians do not Justify
their counttymen IN taking mp arms, but
tn acknowledge that terrible provoca-
ton has been given them, and refer to the
passage of the trade of 1889 as pleading
some thing in extcnuation of the act
The same Armeniaus plead that because II
few hundred hotheads have arisen In op-
position to the powers of authority, thou
sands of their countrymen ought not to
be ruthlessly slaughtered, and practically
a war of determination carried on.