The record-union., 1896-01-04
SITUATION IN ASIA MINOR.
Food and Clothing Being Issued to
Thousands of Destitute People.
Twenty-Four Villages on the Plain of
Ezeroum Devastated and the
Population Destitute.

CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 21.-The
United Press is able to furnish the fol-
lowing, which gives the situation ia the
various provinces of Turkey, and also
an account of what is being done for the
relief of the destitute Armenians:
In the city of Trebizond, DIR. Parma
lee and Mr.. Crawford are issuing food
and clothing to about 5000 destitute
persons. Many refugees have come in
from the region of Baiburt and ERIN
gan. About 5000 of these have crowded
over into Russia, where they can be
secure from the sword at least
In the city of Erzeroum the wretched
people have been held in hopes of re-
eeiving back their plundered goods for
some time since the massacre, only to
be disappointed Nothing of any value
is to be found. The villages of the pro-
vince are so stripped that about half of
the population is destitute. Twenty
four villages on the plain of Erzeroum
have been devastated. In Erzingan,
| thousands of men, women and children
wander about the streets in hunger and
misery. The offer is constantly held be-
fore them that if they will become Mo
hammedans that they will be fed from
lAlS OOQll5 VI IliC ou1Ldlf-
The villages of Pakrich, Abousdajh,
Hassan, Armeda, Gassna, Khuruakef,
Zimara, Pingian, Arver and others have
been pillaged. Many people are wan
dering in the mountains without food
At Baiburt numbers of women and
children almost without clothing and in
the most awful misery, are constantly
coming into the city, to beg aims among
its ruined houses.
In the city of Erzeroum w. N. Cham
bers and his wife are doing what they
can to relieve the destitute and care for
the sick with funds furnished by the
Duke of Westminster's committee in
London.
Hardly village in the province of
Bitlis escaped pillage.
In the Boulanik district of this prov
ince thirty eight villages have been
sacked.
AS many as $4,000 refugees have
rushed into Van and are there house
less and without food. The robbers
have gathered up the whole supply of
the country supplies, and, aided by the
officials are holding it for a rise in
prices from the misery of the people
and the benevolence of the aid funds
DIR. Grace Kimball and other mem
bers of the American mission are work
ing in the most prudent way to aid the
sufferers.
The whole district of Sivas is given
over to indescribable misery, and If
immediate relief is not SEPT famine will
destroy those who have escaped the
massacre.
In the city OK Sivas the Rev. Mr..
Perry and his wife and Miss Brewer of
the American mission are trying to re-
lieve distress, as it becomes more safe
to go on the streets of the city
Arabekir, in the province of Harpoot,
was pilIaged by the Moslem inhabit-
ants The Moslems continued their work
during ten fearful days. About 1000
Christians of all denominations were
killed, and every Christian house in the
city was stripped of its contents. Over
1000 houses were burned Efforts are
being made to get money relief to these
people, but the difficulties are very
great in view of the notion among the
Turks that money sent to Armenians is
fair plunder.
Twenty-seyen towns and villages in
the province of Diarbekir have been
sacked.
Dr. Andrus OF the American mission
at Mardin has been supplied with
small amount of money for the relief of
the starving by giving work to the re-
fIIsreaS who have gone To Mardin