New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-11
THE DOOM OF ZE1TOUN.
INDICATIONS That 1T IS NOT LONG TO
BE POSTPONED.
THE APPOINTMENT OF MosLEM GOVERNOR IN
DEFIANCE OF THE REFORM BLL-PER-
MUCOUS ACTIVITY OF THE
pI-NTCyIACISTS

Constantnople April IL
Information received from Zetoun from many
different sources indicates that the situation IN
that unhappy town is of the utmost gravity
Letters from Marash dispatches from the Con-
sui at Zeitoun and the rumors current among
the people all unite In depicting the condit'oh
Of the Zeitouns pitiable In the extreme ana
all express the fear that some terrible punish
rnent is vet to be inflicted upon the heroic little
city for it's stubborn resistance Of last fall ana
winter. In spite Of the aid that has been gen.
erousy given by the English Consul and the
Red Cross agents. the inhabitants are still al
most naked and in a state bordering upon
starvation Typhoid fever and dysentery have
ragged In the town ever since the siege, and IN
the absence of physicians and medical supplies
have wrought awful havoc. The survivors are de-
scribed as being little more than living skeletons
moving about among the ruins OF their city. Even
spring with its mder weather, only ailays 20
a limited extent the sufferings Of the people, Tor
the hare mountain Sides that at best AFFORD
but scanty crops will yield nothing Tor months
to come In times Of peace the men OF Ieitoun
are carriers and carriers. not farmers and under
the present conditions their business is' OF
course wholly interrupted In the nrst place
there is no business In the country; trade ID
dead. and secondly no Zeitounli could venture
dered by the enraged Mahometan population.
There ia no security for life outside the limits
Of the cities In Asia Minor. The Christian
peasantry does not dare venture into the fields
n SOW the crops for fear Of the Moslems, whose
lust for blood is not yet satisfied.
Rut this Is not the worst Of the situation at
Zeitoun: starvation Is more or less famllar
visitor In the hut Of every Armenian peasant De-
tween the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
The most serious fear is that bloody reVenge
Is to be taken on Zeitoun for It's rebellion. ms
Turkish army, numbering still many thousahoS'
Is encamped near the city. and threats arc
openly made that Zeitoun Is going 10 suHer'
The Porte has already openly violated one OF tho
EXPRESS stipuations Of the Reform Dill py APP
nointine Moslem Governor Of Zetoun, instead
of a Christian. The Embassies here at once pro-
tested as is the way Of Embassies. and the
Porte replied that it only temporary meas
ure and that the provisions Of the Reform Dill
would later be complied with The Embassies
meekly accepted the explanation. and Moslem
| is Governor Of Zeitoun Mr.. Barnham, an Eng
Iish Consul Is however at Zeitoun. ana MS
nresence Is undoubtedly delaying the execution
Of the plans Of the Porte. But even II the oay
Of revenge is put off for one month or Two
months. the ultimate fate Of the city Is oeyond
doubt II the Turkish Government are lett !"
control Of Zeitoun after the present agi'auon
has subsidized. 1t is doomed city The GOVERN
ment that annihilated the villages OF Sassoua
will not tolerate Zetoun. Quarantine taxes anu
IN, nrsonment are weapons no less effective tnan
powder when used by skful HANDS
From all parts Of the country come disturoing
renorts of a renewal Of agitation on the part Oh
| the Huntcha gists It seems that these uneasy
| sculs not content with the amount OF Armenian
! blood already shed are planning what tney Term
great rising the latter part or May IL Is sich-
ening to think Of what will happen If their plans
| are executed The guilty leaders, VINO are
craven towards at heart, VIII escape ",.nou 49,
| wound while the innocent people VIII be muir
| dered and their villages burned. Tne huntcna-
| gtst programme in Turkey up to the present has
! been colossal failure, and no respeGtaoie man nan
| in the Empire either Armenian or Frank. mas
any sympathy with the movement IL is poliey
| of blackma and cowardce, entitled 10 no SUP
! mort whatsoever. The American missionaries All
| ihrough Asia Minor regard the Huntchagists as
| worse enemies than the Government, whch IS
| a strong statement The latest story. ana one
| which illustrates the Wild nature OF the hunt
chap,st claims Is that 12,OOO men are now IN
| cyprus awaiting opportunity to descend upon
the coast Of Cilcia and stir up general re-.
! hellion The strange fact Is that many OF the
| moor people here believe 1t and have great nope
u The Patriarch Of the Armenans still holds his
nosition in spite of all his enemies Botn Porte
| and Huntchagist have failed to conquer MIN,
and it is possible that he may still outriae IN, me
efforts to dslodge him. however, and. II popular
report be true they have used every weapon
/ that ingenuity could devise. An incident that
occurr ed a few days ago illustrates the spirit OF
.he man An influential Armenian. a favorite
and tool OF the Government, was urging upon
the Patriarch the advantages Of resignng, ana
insnuated that the sultan would pay nleiily lv ,
| his resignation Lifting his eyes to the mans
| face the preate said: "Sir. you forget that you
are speaking to man Of God" The words
Summarize all that can be said of the Patriarch
VIeanwhile the Government continue to white
wash the outside of the sepulchre with great
show OF industry The daily papers herald the
! cbareed with the consideration of every magma
HE subject from reforms in Asia Minor to re-
forms in dress The Turks have grasped clearly
he idea that the chief business of a commission
is ~ sit AMI as sitting is strong point with
the average pacha. commissions are many and
| popular.