Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-14
SLAP In THE FACE.
Given by the Turk to Armenia's
American Friends.
WILL HAVE NO RED CROSS AIMS.
Sultan Prohibits the Distribution Of Money
Raised In Foreign Countries at Ant. .Tur-
kish Meetings by Any Societies in His
Doninions and Declares He Il Relieving
Distres.-How lie Il Doing It-New
Phase Of the Venezuela Case.

Distress-How lie Il Doing It-New
Phase Of the Venezuela Case.
WASHINGTON, Jan. I3.-The Turkish le-
CATION gave out yesterday afternoon the
following official communication: "The
imperial government will not permit any
distribution among its subjects in its own
territory by any foreign society or individ.
uals, however respectable the same may
be tns for instance, the Red Cross society,"
Of money collected abroad. Such inter
ference no independent government has
ever allowed, especially when the collec-
tions are made on the strength Of speeches
delivered in public meetings by irrecon-
cilable enemies Of the Turkish race and
religion, and on the basis Of false accusa.
tions that Turkey rcpudiates. Besides.
the sublime porte Is mindful OF the true
interests Of its subjects, and distin guish.
ing between the real state of things and
the calumnies and wild exaggerations Of
interested or fanatical parties WILL as it
has done heretofore, under its own lcgiti.
mate control, alleviate the wants Of
all Turkish subjects living in certain
provinces, irrespective of creed or race.
This Il One of the ''CaIumnies."
Apropos Of the foregoing the following
letter has been received at New York by
the American Board, dated Harpoot,
Dec. s, 1896: I'VE have no definite news
of Choonkoosh, except that it is said that
the destruction was not as great as in
Chermoog. Palic and its villages suffered
greatly. The dead amounted to so or
Il, o' women nhu siris
'''i w i'"'o oech carried OH by thc
Nurus. n letter which 1 saw yesterday
estimated that :, O0) had been killed 1t
Is said that tbrce.fourths of the Armenian
houses have been burned, and of all of the
shops only fifteen wcre left Tins we
have horror upon horror ond tbe rocor5
will cont,nue tbrouob ,bo ,rbo,o ,,.;r.o,.
b,a ,h, ,,,,,,I., a.. -.
-, ~. e',i '',no "crii'or' h"u
L,,, ,i,a.. -. .'.,, "ei. no' purheu,
i;vss -. - pi"nuou anu lne Pcop,c
,ha,. .,1,.,l .', NJ so'c oo',ui'ioh INA,
ioi''''i'''""S'
,,r, W. ,"' A"." SPens H.
ihey nave performed thc rites which
Hia.c 'nem such' ana they are Obliged to
go 10 the church. which has become
mosque, ahq the iniinann Is teaching
'ncIh 'heir prayers. n TURK IN Mezret
oiCupics 'hc fro'estant parsonage and
c,a'ihs ie rs MS own The church and
cnnpci are IN runs. In lchme the Turks
s'n,i Una. c'eryoouy mas accepted their
,a''h anu ! near .has 'he Use oi Armenian
Is prohibitcd. An Armenian woman was
to nave boon carried OF, but two Turks
quarrelcd over her and she escaped TO
Mexerch In the garb Of Turkish woman.
" system OF relief has been organized.
They pretend to give ten days provisions
ana It amounts To from 40 to 100 drachms
day Tor a person. When the ten days is
up thcrc Is no more bread forthcoming
ana yet the report will 20 abroad that tho
needy arc cared for.
More Cruel Than the sarncens.
"Mondlay. Dee o, was very sad doy.
Six hundred and eight were killed and
wounded In Choonkoosh. and iG5 houses
burned The survivors became Moslcms.
Tho pastors family escaped from tho
burning bousc and 4. follnvcd tbcu %