New-York tribune., 1906-01-19
PLEA FOR ARMENIANS.
Prominent Europeans Send a Pet'-
ton to the President.

| washington Jan 1S.-European sfatesrnen'
educators publicists and citizens have joined III
a petition tc President Roosevelt to endeaVor'
in the interests of humanity and civi'zatioh' oS
such means as may seem proper to hirfi' 10 pllils
| about the concert of the powers OF EUROPE win
the view of securing for the subjects OF tue o''o
man Empire that condition OF pubic peace ana
order of which the absence has already drawn
down upon that empire so many disasters men
acing 1t with the catastrophe of its total ami
hilation."
The appeal was presented to President Roose-
velt to-day by James B. Reynolds, OF New
York The petition was prepared by NJ. Berthe
lot, formerly Senator and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Of France, end is signed by scores of
public men OF every country in Europe
The President made response to the appeal.
but promised Mr. Reynolds to give 1t the most
| careful consideration, expressing his apprecia-
ton OF the honor done him as President and to
America in having the petition presented to him.
The text of the petition follows:
To the President OF the United States.
Sir: We take the liberty Of addressing our
selves to you and of invoking, in favor of a
generous cause. the high moral and political in
1uence which you possess as chief of the great
Republic of the United States, and OF the per
sonal authority which you have acquired through
Your constant efforts to maintain or to restore
peace between nations
We do not doubt that, like ourselves. you are
profoundly moved by the tragic fate of the Ar
menan people, whose origin is the same our
own, and who have played important part in
the development of civilization since ancient
times, This people is now reduced to despair
and threatened with destruction through the
cruelty and violence inflicted upon them with
impunity by the barbarous Mussulman tribes
surrounding them, who for more than ten years
have sought their determination
The testimony of Europeans and Americans
who inhab1t or who pass through these unhappy
regions and the official reports of the diplomatic
agents accredited to them are unanimous upon
the matter, and bear witness to the most de-
finite and heartrending details. There does not
at this moment exist for the Armenian people
security either for possessions. for life or for
the honor OF man, woman or child perpetually
threatened they are by pillage, outrage and
massacre at the hands of the organized briganGs
who infest Asia
1t is a disgrace for Europe and. may add,
for America, TO permit the continuance of such
a condition of crime and anarchy which, let it
be remembered, involves our own fellow coun-
trymen- More than one European and American
has been plundered illtreated and murdered by
Hamtdtan, Kurdish or Tartar bands. In the re-
gions abandoned to the brutal ferocity of these
hordes of brigands chronic danger threatens
alike the material interests of commerce and
industry and human life, to whatever nation the
inhabitants may belong.
These, sir, are our reasons for addressing you
with the entreaty that you will approach, by
such means and in such measure as may seem
proper to you, and the authorized exponent
OF the opinion of civilized nations. the govern
ments in whose territories these scenes Of saw
agery take place
We venture to hope that your expression of
| sympathy will be favoraply received by the
Car of Russia who has 50 emphdticay pro-
claimed his humanitarian intentions and ex-
pressed his desire to have them sanctioned by
| international agreement. We appeal to YOU TO
take steps 20 bring about the concert of the
powers of Europe, with the view Of securing for
the subjects of the Ottoman Empire that condi-
tfon Of public peace and order of which the alb
sence has already drawn down upon shat en-
pire many disasters, aleancing it with the
catastrophe of its total annihation.
n re- iI1c cad
that do not appeal in vain to you i'll the
name of outraged humanity. BY such means
our common humanity will incur yet another
An explanatory letter from Mr Reynolds ac-
companied the petition.