The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-01-10
THE TURKS
Statement Of a Well Known span-
ish Scholar.
AMERICAN MISSIONARIES BLAMED

The Armenian Atrocities, He Declares
Have Been largely Exaggerated, and ths
rsachings Of Missisn,Ariss Led to Rsveits
Against the Lawful Authority.
LONDON. Jan. 10. Senior ximenes, = we'll
known Spanish traveller, has just returned
here after having comnleted q geographi-
cal mission for the Turkish governmcntin
Kurdistan and MesopotamiH, which lasted
from March to November last. This gem
tiepnan happened to be in the Armenian
province of Bitlio At the time of the al-
legged Sassoun disturbances, and he de-
clares that be neither saw nor heard any
thing to warrant the sensational stories
told of Kurdish atrocities.
Senior ximenes is disposed to lay much
Of tho blame for the disturbed condition
of Armenia on the A merican Methodist
missions in Asia Minor. He says that
they give the Armeniahs superficial edu-
cation out of all proportion to the needs Of
the community. Tho pupils of these mis-
sions, he adds, are never satisfied to return
20 their homes and work their land. They
continually speak of Al merican liberty. In
nearly every case, says Senior ximenes,
the Armenian agitators arc shown to have
been pupils of the Methodist missions.
Senior ximenes further declares that the
statements that women and children wero
tortured and outraged by either the Turk
Ish regulars or irregulars, are untrue, The
entire affair, the traveller insists, was linn
tied to u local disturbance which was lo-
cally suppressed.
After describing tho TROUBLES and fights
between Armcnians and Kurds early last
summer Senior XiTnends says that the Ar
mcnians gathered in Large numbers In the
valley Of Talarl, near Sassoun. At the ro-
quest OF the governor Of Bitlis orders were
sent to Zekki Pasha to mobilize troops and
restore order Consequently four bat
talions, about 1900 men. were sent to dis
perse them. When their surrender was
demanded the Armeni&ns, who numbered
5000, pelted tho troops with stones and
fred several shots at them. The latter re.
piled with volley.
The Armenians then fed and reasseni.
bied In q narrow valley where the pursu
ing troops overlook them. Tho Turkish
official In command, in conciliatory
speech, advised them TO disperse. Some
obeyed, but many refuaed to do so and the
troops fired second volley. In all 30t
Armenians were killed. This, according
TO Senor ximenes, was the only serious af
fray of the whole affair. Many prisoner
were taken 1t is true, but they were after
wards released.
The Armenians themselves, the traveller
claims, said that they had been deludet
BY an agitator nameh Bohazian, aliai
Momah a former pupil of an American
mission, and implicated In the disturb
ances of Koumkapo, for which he wa
condemned to penal sprvitude and late
pardoned by the sultan.
BOSTON, Jan. fo.-Spcretary James L
Barton, Of the American beard Of com
missioners for foreign missions, referring
20 the statement of Sehor Ximenes, said
"The statement OF Sonpr Ximones is upoI
she face Of it, the utterAnoe Of the Turkisl
government, and Is given out to stay tn
rising tide Of public opinion against tn
miarule Of tho Ottoman empire. Tn
American board of commissioners for for
eign missions state that all Of their school
are kept scrupulously free from politics o
syery kind. Students who have show
any tendency to revolt have been summs
riiy expelled 1t is not true, either, tina
the education is beyond the nseds Of th
country"