Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-30
Powers Bound by Treaty to Protect
Armenians.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Referring to the opinion of Prof. F. r.
Sale of Louisville, KY. in your 18th in
slant issue: The Armenian hope probably
vain, as property rights are not involved,
war Is not likely to be declared" The
Armenian question is not properly right,
but treaty right. After the Russo-Turiish
war in 1878 in the treaty of the interna-
tional congress at Berlin, signed by all the
represents tives of the powers, the article
81 reads thus:
THE Sublime Porte engages to realize
without delay those Lmeliorations and re-
FERNS which local needs require in the
provinces inhabited by the Armenians, and
guarantee their security against Circassans
and the kurds. 1t undertakes to make
known from time to time the measures
taken with this object to the powers. who
Will watch ever their application" While
the conference in session in the ne
gotiation OF England with Turkey in the
article LIST reads His imperial majesty, the
sultan, promises to England to introduce
necessary reforms, agreed upon between the
two powers. into the government, and for
the protection of the Christian and other
subjects of the Porte in these territories
armenian provinces), and in order to en-
able England TO make necessary provision
for executing her engagement his imperial
majesty. the sultan. further consents to as
sing the Island of Cyprus. to be occupied
ard administered by England"
If the treaty right of the powers of hav-
ing extra guardships for the projection
OF their respective embassies and subjects
can be carried out with united action, why
CO mot the treaty right for the protection
of the ArmenianS, signed over seventeen
years ago by the same powers, be carried
cut with the same combined action, and
while necessary by force? Do the powers
respect their signatures? If so I should
judge all the treaty rights ought to be
viewed equally and not only the one of
Self-intereSt.
England has taken the responsibility Of
our protection and Introduction of reforms
in Armenia, for which she holds the Cy-
prus island. What has she done for us so
far? Nothing. While over thirty war YES
sells of the European powers were steaming
up and down the Sea of Archipelago and
the Bay of Salonica thousands and tens of
thousands of ArmenianS were slaughtered
and butchered, and still are, in all the
provinces of Armenia. and the sultan was
giving by autograph letter to Lord Sails
bury his word of honor that ''he will intro
drce reforms in Armenia" Today the word
reform in the article 81 of the Berlin
treaty is carried out by the word of honor
of the sultan, which reads: 'Wholcsale
slaughter and butchery," introduced in Ar
nienia.
The signatures of all the European powers
are stained with the blood of 100000 limo
cent ArmenianS of all ages and sexes, and
cries for justice. ArmerianS are slaughter
ed because they have preserved their Chris
tianity and would not embrace Mohamme-
danism. Let the Christian nations see tfat
all the Armenians are brave enough to die
as Christians rather than live as Moham-
medans May God have mercy on all Ar
menians. AVEDISS b. HERALD,
A naturalized American citizen of Armen-
ian birth,