The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-06
PETITION OF CREEKS
A PROTEST AGAINST ACCEPTANCE
 OF DECORATION.
The Decoratien in Question Is Thnt Which Was Conferred Upon Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Long
 worth By Sultan of

The pecoretsou in Question Is That
 Which Was Conferred Upon Mrs.
 Roosevelt and Mrs. Long-
 worth By Sultan of
 Turkey.
 Three hundred thousand Greeks. all residents of the United States. have petitioned President Roosevelt, through tn cir national organ, The Atlantis. Greek newspaper in New York, pro- testing against the acceptance by Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Longworth, of the decoration conferred on them by the Sultan of Turkey.
 The petition, is as follows: 'Mr. President:
 .In the name of three hundred thou sand Greek men. residents of the Unit ed States, we desire to enter protest against the acceptance by Mrs. Roose- welt and Mrs. Longworth of the decora- ton conferred on them by His Majesty, the Sultan of Turkey.
 eve protest, Mir. President. on the ground that such acceptance ie uncon- stitutional and contrary to the prtnci- pies which guided the sons of the Am- erican Revolution. and who. in the fear of God and in the name of Justice. Li- berty and the Pursuit of Happiness, framed the Declaration of Indepen- den.
 we protest that the acceptance of such decoration will simply tend to convey the impression that in this Land of Liberty the gifts of the Sultan of Turkey are welcomed and cheerful ly accepted
 ''It is unnecessary, MT. President. to repeat that the tolerance of the Bloody Empire constitutes today more than ever an unstinted blot on civilization. The Sultan of Turkey rules by the bayonet and the musket. The throne of the Turkish Ruler stands on terror ism and oppression and the yoke IS fastened on the necks of the helpless Christian people and made tighter and tighter every day by the swath of the Nah edan yataghan.
 .we hope that you will not lose sight of the fact that the Crescent still super sedes the Holy Cross that the Sultan who now wishes to confer an honor on Mrs. Roosevelt. is the same Sultan whose barbarous hordes bestrfdes for centuries that beautiful land--the land in which civilization had it's cradle. You know that on every occasion the plood-thirsty and cruel khurds leave behind them thousands of mutilated corpses of helpless and innocent Chris tian women and children. You know that they create continuous state of terrorism and oppression followed by devastation and ruin.
 'It Is the same Sultan, Mir. Presi. dent, who has built pyramids from the mass of corpses of those poor Christ fans who fell in Macedonia and Epirus and Asia Minor, and Greece--the very same Sultan under whose despotisn the galIows have been kept busy all over his bloody Empire exterminating those noble heroes who sacrificed their lives for Freedom.
 ''It is the same Sultan, who is re- sponsible today for the blood that is being shed and the state of anarchy which exists in Macedonia and Epirus: the same Sultan who only a few days ago covered with Christian blood the little island of Samos.
 we ask you. Mir. President, we the Citizens, who hold you dear in our hearts. that you sh ould not allow this little double-faced dip- lomatie trinket to shine innocently on the breast of our First Lady of the Land.
 we appeal to you. MT. President. whose sterling qualities and square deal we had occasion to know. not to permit such a precedent to be estab lished. If you will only recall to Mrs. Roosevelt's mind the words from Mae beth:
 "Bleed-bleed--poor County!
 Great Tyranny Lay thou thy basis sure.
 For goodness dares not check thee..' we are sure that she will not turn H deaf ear to the voice of Justice.
 we beg to express to you. MT. Pres ident. our unalienable and sincere de- votion and have the honor to remain Sir
 "Very respectfully yours.
 Atlantis.
 Daily Greek newspaper.
 New York, June 30th, 1908.
 To Theodore Roosevelt.
 President, United States
 "Ovster Bay N Y