Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-12
CLARA BARTON REPORTS
In q Private Letter She Tells of the Work
of Relief.
Medical Aid and Food for the Desti-
tute and Seed for
Farmers.

Miss Clara Barton, in q letter dated May
%, writes from Constantinople to Mr.. Hit,
chairman Of the House committee on for
eign affairs. In the course Of the letter she
says:
1T affords me qualification. now, after
the lapse Of four months, to be able to say
to you as a member of the honorable body
which has been more or less disturbed over
the Armenian question that although ]
came with much hesitation, 1 believe, after
all. our coming was not a mistake. No I'M
pleasant relations have grown out of 1T.
There is. and has been throughout. a per-
feet and cordial understanding between my
self and the government here.
The Government Friendly.
From the first was entirely frank with
It, and on no occasion has it been other
wise with me. The agents whom 1 desired
to have go to the interior have not only
been permitted to go. but escorts have been
granted wherever required. They have had
entire supervision of our own distributions,
which have been mainly in material. using
money only in the purchase of such things
as were required among the people.
The local officials whom they have met
nave usually shown entire cordiaiity, but If
any hesitation on their part has been mani
tested, 1t was at once removed by a word
OF mine to the porte, which has requested
me to give 1t such notice.
1T has also asked of me to have informa
ton given wherever my officers found the
people afraid to go to their fields to work.
through danger from the surrounding
tribes. which are still very unsettled. /
have invariably given this information, and
guards have been sent for the safety Of the
farmers.
Five expeditions have been sent out,
three OF which are distributing seed, farm
ing ana mechanical implements and cattie
IN the vilayet Of Harpoot, where some
three hundred towns ana villages are utter
ly destitute
Medical Aid.
Two. or in reality three, medical detach-
ments have been sent out by me and are
at work among what were two months ago
the terrible contagious diseases of smallpox.
yphus, typhoid and dysentery of Zeitoun
ana Marash, which l an glad to report as
nearly overcome. From a hundred deaths
DAY, or more, taking place at that time
our physician in charge reports YESTERDAY.
ny telegram: Sickness nearly overcome;
only lew new cases A more recent nj.
TACK mas broken out to the north, at Arab.
XII, but has Immediately been taken in
liano by our own DR.. Hubbell, with physi-
sams anu nurses, who. after only -four
Gays. telegrsphs: All doing splendid work
levers diminishing We have never taken
upon ourselves largely the feeding of these
people, but have left that to the brave and
paieHt missionaries who had 1t in hand
before we came, and who must hold to i,
after we are gone. We have made a spe-
cialty of controlling and stamping out CON
tagion, work which there was no one else
to take up, and If left to itself was to run
riot, so far as we could see through all
Asia Minor. We have placed doctors
enough there, drawing them from Syria
and Constantinople, and holding them TN.
DER contract and pay, to meet and over
come, as we believe, any contagion that
may arise-even cholera.
Seed Distribution.
Our other object has been the distribu.
ton Of seed, farming utensils and cattle, in
order to get food growing to such an extern,
as to render these people, at least in a
measure, self supporting, and thus relieve
| them Of the starvation which will face
them another winter and relieve the world
as Well Of this great drain upon its sympa.
thies and it's charities
Il am happy to state that both Of these
are In fair way of accomplishment, and
my faithful assistants and myself look
| anxiously for the day when, our task &C.
complished we can return to our home
quietly as We left, having done no harm nor
given offense to any.
Il have the honor to be, very respectfully
yours, CLARA BARTON"