Smyrna times., 1896-01-22
TURKEY AND THE RED CROSS.

The refusal of the Turkish Govern
ment to permit the entrance of the Red
Cross workers into Armenia should be
the signal for demand by the whole
civilized world that the Powers which
have undertaken to see reforms in
Armenia carried out shall no longer be
false to their duty. That demand
should be made so strong and so clear
that the treaty Powers will no longer
dare to play with the subject, as they
have been doing for months. Behind
all the evasions of diplomatic language
and professions that the Porte is able
and willing to care for its own people il
must now be apparent that the Sultan
has not the slightest intention of doing
justice to the Armenians, and does not
mean that any Christians whose testi-
mony will be unquestioningly received
by Europe and America shall discover
the real situation.
Hitherto the general conviction of
Armenia's wrongs has been somewhat
tempered by the plea of the Turks that
the Armenians were turbulent people.
given to stirring up trouble, and that
the movement against them was for
the restoration of peace. Little as this
was accepted as anything more than a
lame excuse, nevertheless it did serve
as a pretext for indifference. and for |
sneers at the reports of Outrages as the |
tales of sentimental missionaries and |
the Outglvings of mendacious revolu-
tionists. 1t was easy for nations and
people who might find action against
Turkey Improbable and embarrassing
to feel sorry for the Armenians and at
the same time to concede the force of
the Moslem contention that the Gov.
ernment ought not to be held RESPONSE
bic for excesses committed by troops in
their zeal to put down rebellion and re
store order. But it cannot be possible
that any portion of the Christian World
can remain Indifferent to this inhuman
rebuff to charitable efforts and this
violation of the spirit of the Geneva
Convention. Under the Red Cross
Treaty, as modified by the American
amendments, the functions of the Or
ganlzation extend to the relief of GEN
eral suffering from fire, pestilence.
famine or other afliction, as well as to
the suecor Of those engaged in war.
Turkey is one of the parties to that
agreement, and is under every obliga-
Jlon to promote rather than hinder all
efforts to aid sufferers
within the Ottoman dominions. The {
Red Cross is an international organiza-
lon and, if the work undertaken bv I
Miss Barton were done as provided by i
he treaty through the international l.
Committee, no reproach could be Y
brought by the Turks that the distribu- a
ion among its subjects was by ''any t
oreign society" The Red Cross work \
carefully organized to avoid anv 1
flashing of national feelings, and there t,
no reason to doubt that the assist Ii
nee offered by America would have a
'een given with the due regard to pre- h
edents which would have left the Turk Z
10 reasonable ground for complaint. I
But he is not seeking reasonable fl
round for complaint. He is seeking b
o guard his dearly loved right to muir Il
er and maltreat Christians. His ex- ii
lusion of the Red Cross workers from
is territories is nothing more nor less
han notice to the world that he is en- A
aged in war of determination. His p
ght is not only upon men whom he Of
leases to regard as enemies of his ~
government, but upon women and re
hildren as well. They are naked and os
tarving, exposed without shelter to the &C
of winter in a severe climate. pl
hey are reduced to the utmost misery. r.
ct the Sultan forbids them clothing
nd snatches the bread from their
louths. This is the attitude of one of !.
le members Of the Geneva Convention =
ward the relief of suffering. No pol =.
les, no bond holdings, no information a.
lealousies, no fears about recasting
le map of Europe can obscure this 'o
mple issue between civilization and
lyagery. The Porte's Reputation of
hat the nations Of the world have -
greed to be humane obligation of all M
EN- In peace or war is a direct affront H
every one Of the forty nations which ST
lpport the Red Cross work Europe i.
ust compel Turkey to allow the work Ia
charity to go on within its borders
: else confes that it is no longer I
nit for obedience 70 the simplest die use
ties of humanity. cIi csgIii