Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-10

for az look from the bishops balcony
over the plain Of Araxes 1 see high up in
air a CLEAN OF snow and higher stin the
blue dome Of mist that covers Ararat, and
straight behind Ararat lies Lake Van, the
last puddle of the deluge.
Turkish Armenia f. Deserted.
They come continually. They come by
thousands year, and for twelve years
past they have been coming. The migra-
ton is so rapid that the fertile valleys OF
Turkish Armenia are returning to desert
because so few are left to cultivate them.
The destltution IL so furnishing that for
the land itself, as we'll as for his people.
the bishop calls for Christian governor
general for the circle from Erzeroum to
Bitlis, or at least governor responsible
to the powers, such as the Lebanon and
Crete have won and Macedonia claims in
vain. In a few years the whole Of that
part Of Asia will be depopulated and the
Kurds themselves will suffer want, being
deprived OF their natural prey.
Already the thing has gone so far that
the aged Katholikos, for his part, despairs
Of any such scheme. thinking II useless
to urge the fulhllment OF pledges upon a
world which is either inattentive or. like
Germany, openly hostile. Yet the bishop
has not given up hope, though he fully
shares the natural detestation Of Germany
which one finds among all the Christian
peoples Of the Near East
I Playing Into Russians Hands.
Over the Russian frontier these refugees
in tags of pink and blue are far from y sl-
come, Russia refuses them citizenship.
Even those who fed from the great
slaughter OF ten years ago have still to
walt ten years before they claim such poor
rights as Russians have.
The land is already filled up by Armenian
and Tartar villages in deadly neighbor-
hood. The attempts to edge the Tartars
out have led to massacres hardly below
the Kurd's in feroclty.
The wretched people are crammed into
the towns as day laborers to struggle with
misery as best they can. The Armenians
in the city Of Tifiis alone have increased
by 10000, l believe, within two years, GER
tainly in three; and 1t is the same in Baku
and other places Of the southeast Caucasus
But neither in towns are they welcomed
The fires and bloodshed of T1his, Balu
Shousha, Elissavetpol and NakhitcheXan
tell their tale. So does Erivan here.
1.-THE strife between Tartars and Armen-
ians will not be renewed" says the bishop
Both sides now recognize that they are
only playing into the hands of the Russian
| bureaucrats. whom both equally detest"
1t is a sanguine hope. Hardly a month
has gone since the streets of Erivan were
again a tumult of conflict.
Church All but Helpless
The church. which is this peculiar peo-
| pies only bond of nationality except theil
| language, helps the refugees all it can
For ten years past there has ben special
fund for their assistance. But the losses
Of the church nave lately been incaicuiable
1t is over three years now since, by
Plehve's order. Prince Golitzin robbed II
| of G6O00,000. Last year, under Russia's
new policy of befriending the Armenians as
a check upon Georgia. this capital was re-
stored, but for two years the Russian off,
Gals had played with the income and In
their merrimer' had kept for themselves
! ESQ out of every s100.
| Lands and investments have been giver
back in such a chaos Of corruption anc
mismanagement that for many years they
will not recover, and the strain upon this
bishops and the other advisers Of the katho
| likos, who are still almost the only guides
and protectors OF the scattered people
has become almost intolerable. 1t is th'
same wherever the Russian government
lays it's hand; corruption, incapacity anc
ruin are it's marks.
Bat even the bishop does not dream o.
restored Armenian independence. 1t Is 30
years since Armenia ceased to be a nation
and now, even under the form Of autonomy
which Is the chief aim OF Georgians and
Tatars alike, the Armenlans scattered VI
and down in towns and villages would b
swamped by the other two races.
The Tatars accuse them of scheming t
obtain for their own the great district from
Koura to Araxes, Caspian streams. But
have never heard an Armenian admit an
such intention and glance at a map which
marks Tatar and Armenian lands in diff
ferent colors shows how far off any realiza
ton must be.
Politics Is the Root.
All the highest Armenians l have seen
from the Katholikos downward, hav'
agreed that in politics their future Is EN-
tirely bound up with the general cause o
Russian freedom, and that for themselve
they mean to devote all their energy ant
wealth to the intellectual advancement o
their people and to gaining prosperity b!
trade or agriculture.
They are not popular. When 1 asked tn
mayor of an ancient German colony nea
here what was the real cause OF the diff
ference between Tatars and Armenians h
replied:
1.-THE difference is that Tatars rob an
Armenians swindle."
That expresses the common judgment 4
brief But they are a cleverlsh people
with something of Jewish vitality, and the
have the commercial qualities from whic
sharp practice is not excluded.
Do you remember about three years ag
the strange outbreak and murders anon
Armenians in Peckham? I am CONSTANT
reminded OF 1t here, for It arose betwee
the two factions that now divide tn
younger Armenian spirits with dead
hatred and in reality threatens to sc
aside the innmemorial control OF, the church
They are the factions of the Bell and tn
Flag, or the Social Democrats and the Ma
. tionallst Democrats. At present the Flat
If not more powerful, is at least the NOR
; active.
! 1t is they who have organized the fghf
ing volunteer forces here and in Tifis an
J Baku. And at the national council hel
here last August they secured a majorit
for their sweeping program Of land natior
: alization; general education the eight hou
day and the management of church propert
by elected laymen.
The clergy, merchants and lawyers VII
belonged 10 the marty before have natul