Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-04
SURVIVORS or SASSOUN
Refused 70 Accept Begrudged Aid
From the Unspeakable Turk.
The Distribution Of Contribu-
H.. k..tions From Abroad
nIndered In Every Possible Manner by Turkish
Government Officials.

NEW YORK. Sept. 4.-An idea OF Turkish
methods In dealing with prosecuted Ar
mcnians may be formed from tho follow
ing statement from responsible source
In Turkey. The communication has Just
been received by prominent gentleman
In this city:s
Some eight months ago movement
was made on the part Of the Turks to send
aid to tho victims OF their barbarity mt
Sassoun. A gift OF f20O0 was reported.
and a committee organized TO see 10 It's
distribution. Small sums were offered TO
the people on condition that they would
sign receipts In the nature OF thanks for
the generosity thus manifested, at the
same time certifying that IL was not the
soldiers OF stho sultan who injured them,
but oply a liCt!e row had occurred between
them and the Kurds
Naturally, they declined tho proffered
aid on such conditions. In the meantime,
truer pity had moved the hearts Of Eng
lish men and women to collect for their
fellow Christians some efficient aid.
When the government learned OF this,
and that agents were coming to distribute
this money, they began to say that II
these people will not accept our aid, why
should we allow others to come In and
help them2 Influential friends Of the peo-
pie finally persuaded the government to
modify their demands to the extent OF ac-
ceptipg similar receipt Of funds received,
and then the people were with difficulty
persuaded to receive the proffered aid.
However, the amount that they have
been called upon to receipt for up to the
present time, has not been sufficient to
prove burdensome. OF tho $4,000 only f400
has yet materialized, and as mejiles
(nearly f2) day goes for salaries OF the
commission, some idea may be obtained
as how much the people are likely to
realize.
When agents were appointed by the
British ambassador to distribute the funds
from abroad, 1t was with some difficulty
that permission WAS secured for them to
enter the devastated region, where some
5000 survivors had already gone to SOW
their fields with sort of millet that ma
lures In few weeks from the time IL is
sown, oxen having been generously loaned
them by the poor villagers OF the Moorish
plain.
Offensive Espionage.
The services OF the existing Turkish
committee were generously (O offered to
distribute these contributions, but finally
this point was apparently waived, and
they were allowed to locate themselves at
the villages Of Semal. The Turkish gov
ernment repeatedly placed obstacles In
their way and prevented them from re-
constructing their ruined buildings. At
the same time the men sent ostensibly as
their guard constantly exercised the most
annoying espionage, listening to every
word they said, and reporting to the gov
ernment an exaggerated statement of all
that was done.
Under these circumstances, the British
representatives made vigorous protests tC
the government and the questions at
issue were referred to the central authori
ties. AS a temporary measure, so that the
poor people might not remain entirely
hungry, it was arranged that the agents
might, for the present distribute food
only 1t must be in the presence and under
the inspection Of representative of the
eyOyarpmaut