Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-07
REFORM FOR ARMENIA,
Mr.. Gladstone Forcibly Dwells Upor
Its Necessity.

Mr.. Gladstone Eorcibly Dwells Upon
Its Necessity.
The town hall at Chester, Eng, was
packed with people yesterday, the audi
ence including numbers Of Armenians, in
anticipation Of hearing Mr.. Gladstone
speak upon the Armenian question.
Among those present were the bishop OF
Ripon and Messrs. d. r. Clifford and
Robert E. Pain Of the American Peace So
ciety. The audience rose with yocifcrous
cheering when Mr.. and Mrs. Gladstone, the
Duke Of Westminster, the bishop OF
Chester and the mayor Of Chester entered
the hall. The distinguished visitors were
conducted to seats on the platform, end
the cheering did not subside until the
Duke of Westminster, the chairman of the
meeting, arose to speak.
The duke. after a few opening remarks,
read a letter from the Marquis of Sails
bury, the new premier, notifying the duke
that the sum of Fl, 600, which had been sub
scribed for the relief of the Armenians. had
been forwarded to the British ambassador
at Constantinople, Sir Phillip w. Currie.
who had been given full discretion as to
the manner in which the money was to be
distributed.
After the usual preliminaries Of such a
meeung had been concluded, MIR. Glad
stone rose amid an outburst of enthusiastic
applause. and addressing the audience. said
that the Armenian question was not a
party matter or a religious affair. Con-
tinuing. he said that the present situation
In Armenia resulted from intOlerably had
government, perhaps the worst on the face
Of the world (Applause.)
MT Gladstone then read resolution to
the effect that: This meeting expresses
its conviction that her majesty's govern
ment will have the cordial support of the
entire nation without distinction Of party
In any measures 1T may adopt IN order to
secure for the Armenians such reforms in
the administration of the province as to
provide effective guarantees for the safety
of life, honor, religion and property, and
that no reforms can be effected without
the continuous control of the European
powers"
Mr.. Gladstone then said that the resolu-
ton was moderate one, and expressed
rot only his own sentiments. but those of
their transa tlantic brethren, who felt even
more strongly than did those present that
the dispassionate inquiry which was made
after the Sassoun massacre showed that
the. powers of language did not suffice to
describe the statements which made the
blood run cold. cloud applause.)
The inquiry, he continued, had verified
all the sickenfng details not only of Euro
was doubiy entitled to credeu:e, as Amer
lea, politically, had no interest in the Lee
want.
This testimony. said Mr. Gladstone with
great energy. summed up into four words
was: "PIunder!. Murder! Rape! Torture!
But" added Mr.. Gladstone, ''plunder
and murder were the comparatively mild
side of the work OF the ravishar and tor
turer.
This is not the work of the dangerous
classes" continued Mr.. Gladstone, ''but of
the government of Constantinople and its
agents. and there Is not one of their deeds
for which the government is not respon-
sible. The Kurds, troops, police and tax
collectors entered into deadly competition
as to which should prove the most adept
in this horrible, Internal work" cloud and
continued applause)
But guiltier than they are the bigher
officials of the government 1t is not true
that the acts of the Turks were -eprisals
upon the Armenians for rebelling. On the
contrary the Turkish government disarmed
the Armenfans and then turned out upon
them the barbarians and villains masquer-
aiding as the sultan's cavalry.
IF there were the slightest foundation
for hopes of better government the Con-
stantinople authorities would have Eeen
eager to discover and punish the perpe-
traitors of these outrages; but the govern
ment only met the allegations made
against 1t with denial and falseh bod
weapons familiar to the Turks