The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-30
DISGRACE TO EUROPE
Hundreds of Armenians Strand
9 ed at Marseiles.
ALL ANXIOUS TO REACH AMERICA.


gotten That the People Escaped from
Turkey without Means and Are Now
Homeless and Hungry-PenDiiness I'm
fortunstes Actually Starving While
waiting for Help.
Marseilles, Sept. 30.-[Copyrighted
1896. by the Associated Press.l-There
exists a condition Of affairs in this city
which is a disgrace TO Europe and 10
the Armenian associations generally
throughout the world. Subsisting upcr
government. municipal or private char
ity here are 500 unfortunate Armen
ians. men. women and children. young
and old. healthy and sick. who have
succeeded in escaping from the bloody
massacres at Constantinople and who
were one and all buoyed up by the
hope on landing here of being able
eventually to reach the land Of free
dom. the United States. But weeks
have already elapsed and nothing def
inite appears TO have been done for
their relief, much less toward finding
them homes, by any Of the many asso-
Citations for the relief of the suffering
Armenians which have been organized
in England and America. These un-
fortunates, however, seem to be the
very class 10 which the hand of char
ity should be first extended. They are
homeless. nearly all are penniless.many
are enduring the pangs OF hunger, and
yet nobody seems willing to step In
and guide this band of refugees 10
some place where they can begin life
anew and under more promising cir
cumstances.
No Friends In the World.
Large amounts OF money have been
raised in the past for the destitute Ar
menians in Armenia, but the situation
of the latter Is not a whit worse than
that of the half-starving people here.
IL as bad The Armenians in Armenia
certainly had their co-religionists and
fellow countrymen TO fall back upon
but the poor people here seem to have
no friends In the wide world. yet they
are as honest and industrious a class as
you can find on the shores of the Medi-
terranean.
Some South American spectators, 1t
is true. taking advantage Of this de-
plorable situation. have prevailed upon
500 OF the refugees 10 allow themselves
TO be transported to the Argentine re-
public. there, In all probability, to
meet the fate OF thousands OF
the Hebrews OF Russia who. thanks to
the philanthropy OF the late Baron
Hirsch emigrated 10 South America,
only TO find themselves. figuratively
speaking. tossed from the frying pan
into the fire. II is true that the cli-
mate OF Argentina is said to be more
healthy than that of the regions the
poor Hebrews tried TO settle in. But
the end is likely TO be the same in
the case of the Armenian refugees, who
are not a class OF people likely to thrive
in roughly founded colonies.
Few Able TO Get Away
Only about eighteen Of the SEQ Ar
menians who reached here have as yet
been able to start for the United States.
These few smigrants are of the bet
ter elias Of Armenians: they are fairly
well equipped with funds and will prob
ably start for New York via Southamp-
ton But what is TO be done with the
remaining unfortunate Christians. fee
ing from blood stained Turkey who
are living on charity here with their
eyes turned longingly toward the Uni
ted States? IL would seem that these
poor people may be barred from
reaching the United States and they
may be forbidden 10 land there. even
II they succeed in obtaining transpor-
tation Surely. II there ever was a case
In which iron rules. necessary no doubt.
might be relaxed. il Is in the case or
these stricken people flying from the
prosecutions and butcheries that have
prevailed in their own land There Is
material here for the foundation Of a
strong American colony. and It would
appear that there must be some spot on
earth where these victims of the blood d.
thirstiness and misgovernment of ABB
dul Hamid. Sultan Of Turkey-who. ac-
cording to generally credited reports.
must have caused the massacre of some
so 0O0 Christians during the last few
years-Can earn an honest living.