The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-30
BLUEBooKs On ARMENIA.
Engiishmen Find the Turkish Govern
naent Permitted the Nas-acres.

raent Permitted the Naseacres.
London. Jan. 2s.-Blue books have been
issued containing all the official dispatches
relative to Armenia between july -, 1884,
and October i6, 1895. and the reports ot the
consular delegates attached To the Sas-
soun commission. The report gives the
history of the Armenian agitation tor nVe
wears and records the obstacles thrown
in the way of the commission by the Turk
ish delegates. II also acQuits the Armen-
ians of the charge brought against them
OF burning their own property 10 iuc'te an
outbreak among their people. adding that
the facts elected failed TO prove that the
Arnenians were In revolt, but show that
the agitator Murad instigated several Ar
menian outrages on kurds. The latter
then retalIated and the Armenians fed To
their villages. The conflicts between the
Armenians and Kurds followed, and the
government did nothing 10 arrive at
peaceful settlement or TO protect the wo-
men and children.
The report shows the number of killedha
been grossly exaggerated. but admits that.
owing 10 the absence Of registration, IL Is
impossible even approximately 10 nA the
number of victims. There is, however, ap-
pended 10 the report a tabulated list OF all
the evidence rendered TO the commission.
The six villages mentioned show total
OF 265 victims. These villages were all
burned and the inhabitants scattered.
The British delegate, Shipley, in MEM
orandum attached 20 the joint report, from
the evidence gathered by Consul Hamp-
son during his tour, estimates the total
number of victims in the SaSsoun district,
including deaths from starvation. at about
900 One Of the worst cases Of cold blood
ed cruelty. Delegate Shipley says. was the
murder of prisoners in the camp at
Ghaleguzan under a promise of safe con-
duet But the number Of those so muir
dered was only forty or fifty. and not hum
dreds as has been stated. Delegate Ship
ley, while ne admits that there were vio-
latlons Of women, asserts that the alleged
wholesale butchcry OF women was not con-
firmed. He points out that while an agi-
tation subversiVe Of the Ottoman author
ity had existed among the Armenians in
Turkey and abroad and had exasperatcd
the Turkish government, II must oe ad-
mitted that the government had failed in
its duty Of aff0rding protection 10 all
classes OF its subjects.
The report OF the consular delegate re-
cords the protest made by the delegates
against the intimidation of witnesses and
the suppression OF evidence BY govern
nent agents. and saws that attempts 10
remedy this condition or things were al
ways frultless. so that the elucidation OF
the truth was very difficult. Especially
on the question Of the violation OF women
did the Turks display the greatest repug-
nance at discovering the truth, only four
witnesses we're heard. The commission
refused TO hear more.
Mr.. Shipley further declares that the
Armeuians We're hunted like wild beasts.
ard II the slaughter was not greater it vas
solely owing 10 the vastness Of the noun
tain ranges. which facilitated the escape
OF the ArTnenians. lie was convinced that
the Turks aimed az the complete exte-rnin-
alton Of the Armeuians in the Ghalieeu-
Zan and Taiori districts He says that the
story q the torture Of the priest AZ Ghal-
leEEzan seems 20 have some fouuaat ton.
but the alleged faying Of the Armenian
Shero by Col. Tewfk is extremely doubt
full
Without desiring TO appear partial 20 the
ArmeniaDs. Mr. Shipiey emphasizes the
fact thar they We're exposed 70 the rapac-
fry q the government officials and 70 the
eyactiOns Of the kuris. who wouid have
burned their houses and stolen their cat
tie unless they had paid their demands.
Consul Hampson also attaches a report
OF the insdequacy Of and the obstacles 20
the distribution 81 relief Among the Of
fetal dispatches IS one from q " Hall
ward. the British vice consul at Van. writ
ten in November. 1884, which describes
horrible hutCheTy by the Kur1s a Sas-
SCUM. when mer were burned alive a
GhallegglZan priest was tossed on nayon-
cts and sixty girls were driven % A church
and the soldiers then ordered 70 . Ispose of
them as they liked and then 20 massacre
them sr. Shipley doubts this story