The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-24
From corresponaen, Of the Associated

=
V1t commissioners 10 investigate recent
olstufoances and take measures for quiet
lsg the country. oae groap Of commits
sioners went 70 Erzeroum and the other
entered the country at Sassoun and came
10 sigsas This commission from the inte-
nor did its work very rapidly. spending
only few days IN each Of the principal
cities on their route The day after their
arrival. when summoned, there appeared
before them a number OF leading men,
Mosieus and Christians. These were ad-
mjtsed 20 the presence OF The coruission-
ers separately. first the Moslerns, then the
Christians. The report says the commits
siouers said % the Moslems. I'VE did not
expect 50 much Of you, but a. you have
done II. never mind. Hencef0rth you must
Keep the peace" When the Christians
were admitted the commissioners received
them standing and at once began 10 read
an address reciting The benefits The Chris
tians had received during the reign Of
the beneficent sultan. Abdul Hamid Khan,
and the pertldious conduct Of the Arme-
mans who had started newspapers and
sent men 10 Washington City and Chica-
go 70 agitate and stir up the nations
against their government. In conclusion
the address said: Hereafter II either
Turks or Armenians stir up trouble there
wis be no more imprisonments. but the
death penalty VIII be visited upon such
0lfrNGfEr-
After the reading Of the address Abdul
Pasha began 10 address the Christians in
a much more violent strain. He said il the
Armenians should again begin TO agitate.
not even the name OF Armenia would be
allowed to remain. They would all be
biotted out. Drawing himself up 10 his
full height, and stretching out his arm
like a sword, he said What We gained
we gained with blood blood. blood"
G. "a Gaa In, he = ra-
vflayei. the commissioners spent all their
time IN Neseren and did not even visit the
city of Kharpoot. which was plundered and
burned. although IL is only two miles
from Meseren. No questions Were asked
of the Christians summoned before them.
When the commissioners had finished their
speeches they dismissed them.
Another fact Of interest is the sending
out Of officials TO enroll in the government
lists the names OF Christians who have
become Moslems. Muititudes have been
foreibly converted 20 islam. ] do not mean
simply that they have been obliged TO
choose between becoming Moslems and per-
tshs1g BY the sword. hut that they have
been bound or held while the rite Of cir
cumcisioa was performed without their
consent. ! know Of one case in which an
aged priest was tied 10 his Own door and
circumcised. while I'm other villages Chris
tians begged TO be killed. and their Turk
ish neighbors said TO them: NO. we want
you 20 till the fields. We viii make you
Moslems."
The government has said that these con-
versions were worth nothing. and that no
one would be forced 10 change hts religion.
but now government officials write the
names Of the new converts. while the
Turks drive them TO say they are Noslems
In the village of Sheikhaj the officials said
10 the Christians: Il write your names on
a separate list 10 satisfy the Turks there
is no force about IL" But one acquainted
with Turkish ways may expect 70 find
those Christians soon enrolled as Moslem
citizens
The carrying Of Of Christian girls and
women. too. stiIi continues. In the city OF
Palu Turks carry of girls keeps them for
"a few days and return them dishonored.
The Same IS done in many other places.
IN one OF the Arabekir villages eight girls
OF the place are imprisoned in Turkish
harems Their friends hear their cries,
bar can do nothing 10 help them.
The desiltution OF the Armenians beg
gars description. Men who were wealthy
IN October were begging for bread in No
vember. Villages were pillaged OF every
SCRAP of food and clothing. When the
piunderers could find nothing more 70 car
~ of the villagers returned and slfted the
dust 10 get therefrom a few kernels OF
wheat or harley. Doors and windows were
carried of. In many eases the timhers OF
the houses were pulled out ana carried of
Jars were broken. Everything Of value
which could not be carried away was
broken Windows. cupboaris and boxes
were smashed. The utmost pains were
taken 20 leave behind nothing OF value
And all this was done az time when win
ter was 50 close at hand as 10 make il
reasonably sure that cold and hunger
would destroy those whom the sword had
spared.
Wherever y0u 20 you meet want. pinched
faces and scanty garments. And YOU know
shat ulullitudes spend the long. cold nights
hliat4Ie,f together with nothing to Iie down
upon aud nothing 90 cover them OF
course disease sets in and carries them OF.
II % estimated there are between 81 0G0
ara fa0 0ss3 people in extreme destitutlon
Europe ana America are touched with
ca-,lrassfan. and funds are being gathered
far thp ~cIi<f Of the sufferers in every town
ana cltv n IS gar different with the Turk.
YTa views bis work with ccmplscency and
sssa NOT }ftr 10 gee it f0t@Ffere8 with The
geve~nr7enf has g@veu little aId occa-
.s..,egfv In many eases the allowance IS
,~a-vivth as mitch as is given 20 a Turk
iSh senasrTua or soldier ] hHrs seen thA
Nrraf given in several places. It rescrn-
Isles fte llrsseea cake use8 In Europe ard
a
allowance is seldom continued for any
length - time 4 large share - the gov
e-r-r, e7f's spproQTisfious fer rhe relief of
the destitute goes into she pockets of the
oficIals
Moreover. the TURKS are hostile to relief
vvork au5 oppose - in various ways n
ere city ~ paIu the TURKS said 90 The
s~rrtzrtauz- III cur beDcfrent sutra0
stshes s-cs1 IN have money 30 ts shtsrF -t-
Is aAae e. give s., but ha hss not seen af
"a 90 So aad uow yoH are receiving n7.rev
f~7sa ths English afl forming sr alliance
xrtfh them We v51l car v01 e~ n.
Ch-fst{an fn PaiH 8ares 80 receive ~ sfs-
spfr7fte funds 2 hauren - Snow that -fa
A a~-sar5an missionaries tired 60 ssnH mon
-. grte pafa. and it Vas refUTn~5 fo t-e-,
es...nt,s= 30 one IN pala fav-d 20 ra-4s,..
80 distribute ST. The 50 .ll. IS trs-r 1f ga.
,.vrn o. Ch1onroush.
n sgese 0f tae villages t'le FAX rsfr.~-
- took from the villages the s-tq-v
..f+s.rra faex had received ~ kRaa rt .-,
srvs Thev beat theEu to FXtcrt frogr ts4-n
,es ,s.sFsv ore pnoF FtiageT ssti- eThA
"a !. harz anf the neea 1s saft 50 ~e
gave iT gp.
49, e. fhe papers that th@ Re3 Gross
ts .a.,rst - take up this sork ~ reissf tsst
rvaa+4e fear that ths T7mAlsh govern
..o~t All exhAas1 An ita tactics to keep
s.ar,, fr,asss entering fbe c1FEntrF. II Rife vt-
.---s.s ssre.x sre ueut.ne the Aru2eaians s1n
- aylpx. TneD. Il they sscsesa IA enter