The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-29
From the Boston Globe.

@HE Balkan peninsula and Asiatic
 (CD Turkey continue to be the scene
 of the war, riot and pillage- The latest reports concerning massacres or Armenians and the destruction of whole villages cause thrill of horror through out the civilized world. The one thing of tremendous interest tn the united States is the protection of the lives and property of all Americans who are in the localities where these atrocities are being committed. The recent dispatch of war vessels to the scenes Of the conflicts Is to be commended, and 1t ,s hoped that they will arrive in sea- son to accomplish their humane mis- sion.
 The history of Turkish atrocities dur ing the last quarter of century Is re- called by the present critical condition of affairs. Acts similar to those that oc- cured when Russia was fighting the Sul- tan are transpiring. melted possibly thls time bv the so-called constitutionalists. who have already invested Constantf- nople.
 Wars waged by the Turks in the past furnish an illustration of the terrible manner in which these people fight.
 Tn 1877 occurred one of Russia's i'm nortant wars, in which she seemed once more on the point of gaining Constan- tinople. the goal toward which she has been aiming ever since Ivan III we'd ded the banished heiress of It's ancient emperors
 The Turks had been guilty of ter rjbIe atrocities against their Chrlst1an subjects in Bulgaria and the regions along the Danube. The horrors reached such a pitch of unspeakable barbarity that the powers of Europe woke up and protested in a body. The Turks ignored the protest, and Russia, proclaiming her self the protector of all eastern Chris tians, declared war against Turkey In April, 1871
 Being fully prepared, the Russian army lost no time in crossing the Danube, and It's 100000 men easily swept away all opposition until they reached the Balkan mountains, that great natural barrier which separates the Turkey pe- ninsula into a northern and southern half. Here Osman Pasha, the Sultan's abiest general, threw himself with a formid- able army into the strong fortress Of Pleyna. and for several months checked the Russian advance. The siege was | conducted with heroic valor upon both | sides Again and again the most des- | perate assaults of the Russians were re- | pelled until finally starvation conquered | the garrison, and Osman Pasha surren- l dered his sword The Czar Alexander | nersonally returned the weapon to its | owner. as a token of respect for gall | lant foe.
 | Then. though 1t was midwinter and hitter cold. the Grand Duke Nicholas led the Russian forces across the heights of the Balkans The Moslems took to | flight and did not rally until they reached | Constantinople. The Russians marched unopposed through region of horror which grew more sckening as they ad- vanced.
 It seems that the moment the Turk | ish troops withdrew, the downtrodden Bulgarian peasants rose in body against their Mahometan superiors and slew l them without mercy. Every atrocity the | Christians had once suffered they now retaliated on their oppressors. The Rus sians tried in vain to check the bar barity. Such Turks as could escape fled for their lives and the race prac- tically disappeared from Bulgaria When, however, the Russians reached | Constantinople, they found not only the Sultan's troops confronting them, put l also a British fleet anchored off the city. This was a distinct threat Of war 1 80 Russia and Turkey signed a treaty of peace in March, 1878; and in June of the same year the celebrated congress of Berlin gathered all the diplomats of Europe to settle the affairs of the Sultan,
 "the sick man of Europe"
 Again. In 1884, there was serious trou-
 ble in Armenia. A disturbance of some
 nature occurring in Turkish Armenia dur
 ing the late weeks of summer or early
 part of autumn, gave occasion for what was claimed to have been more horrible