Evening star., 1909-04-23
President Anxious About Mis-
sions in Asia Minor.
INQUIRY MADE TO LONDON
Information Asked as to Course
of Powers Under Berlin Treaty.
TAHoMA TO GO 70 LEvANT
Revenue Cutter to Be Communicated
With and Sent to Troubled
Coast.

VU06Js
Many dispatches have been received a.
the State Department from missionary in
terests and from Armenian societies
throughout the country asking for in.
formation regarding persons now in Asia
Minor in whom they are interested and
imploring the assistance OF the govern
ment to prevent massacre.
These have deeply disturbed Presiden,
Taft. who Is working with the State De-
partment in the effort to ameliorate the
desperate conditions existing.
The essential feature of an inquiry made
through the embassy at London regarding
compliance with the Berlin act is with a
view to ascertain what the governments
are doing under that act to check the
Armenian massacres.
According to article G1 of that treaty
Turkey undertook to make improvements
and reforms demanded by local require
ments IN the provinces inhabited by Ar
menians. and to guarantee their security
against Circassians and kurds. She
promised to make known periodically the
steps taken to that effect to the powers
who were given the privilege of superin-
tending their application.
The inquiries now addressed to London
are with view to obtain Information. 1t
any way as partaking of the nature of
q demand. The United States. not being
q signatory to the Berlin treaty, has no
rights under 1t.
In the same spirit of inquiry and with
the best interests of the suffering people
asked touching the reported dispatch of
vessels to the disturbed districts at Asia
Minor. and whether this government may
depend upon Great Britain doing all that
is feasible for the purpose OF saving life.
Tahoma to Visit Levant.
II conditions in the coast districts OF
Asia Minor continue serious. the revenue
cutter Tahoma will be sent there on heY
arriva at Gibraltar. Efforts are being
made to get in communication by wire
less telegraph with the TahOma, due
next Thursday at st. Michaels. In the
Azores. with view Of expediting her
progress.
The Tahoma is a vessel of 1000 tons
and carries an effective battery. She is
regarded as well adapted for service In
Turkish waters.
Recent dispatches from the United
States embassy at Constantinople reiter-
ate the former assurances that everything
possible is being done by the officials
there to guarantee the safety Of Ameri-
cans and American interests at Adana
and other disturbed places.
There Is a great scarcity of available
troops. The central government finds IL
difficult to supply a force in sufficient
number to maintain order.
The vice consul at Mersina has tele
Ito learn the situation affecting Americans
in those localities. Today he advised the
State Department of the receipt of thi!
dispatch from Adana:
Lee missionaries at Marash, safe. Mrs
Gould unknown.
+ He also says that Americans at Hadjir
say the situation is desperate. Press re-
ports of the deaths of d. M. Rogers ant
Henry Maurer are also confirmed, they
having been killed in the massacer al
Adana last Thursday.
Schools in Asia Minor.
Among the schools in Asiatic Turkey
with attendance ranging from 500 to 1860
under the control Of American missions.
may be mentioned the following more I'm
portant ones:
At Marsovan is located the Anatolian
College for Boys. a theological seminary,
a school for girls. an industrial school
Sives is the location of normal school,
q girls school. an industrial school and
several orphanages.
At Talas-C -Cosaria are schools for boys
and girls each, kindergarten and an or
phanage.
Erzaroum contains schools for boys and
girls and an orphanage.
Harput has the Euphrates College for
Boys. girls school, theological sem
mary. Industrial school, kindergarten and
|orphanages.
Marash has a theological seminary, a
girls college and an orphanage.
Van has boys school. girls school
and orphanage.
Bitlis Is the location of girls school
and an Orphanage.
Mardin has a theological seminary, q
boys school and girls school.
Aintab has the Central Turkey College.
a girls school. three primary schools and
an orphanage.
Ourfa has schools for girls and boys
and an orphanage.
Throughout this empire are located 1872
American religious educational and char
table institutions at which are schools
for one or both the sexes. theological
seminaries. Industrial schools. primary
schools and orphanages. In all these to
la greater or less extent is the English
language taught.
ming for quite number of years. A host
of the graduates are teaching small
schools In the villages. In most of thesa
village schools is English taught.
The graduates Of the theological semi
naries connected with the larger colleges
and the physicians for the medical col
lege at Beirut scattered throughout this
interior all speak English and in their
work among the people encourage the
study OF this language.
Consul Writes Of Famine.
The Department Of State is in re-
ceipt Of a dispatch dated February 81
last, from William w. Masterson, the
American consul at Harput, Turkey, in
which he states:
"A serious state of famine exists in
the two kazas of Arabkir and Eguin In
the vilayet of Mamouret-ulAziz, Turkey
These districts are in very mount ain
Gus region. AS a consequence but little
grain Is ever raised. The inhabitants
have heretofore depended on Sivas and
Harput for their grain.
But with a famine prevailing pretty
generally throughout the vilayet of Sivas
and there being not enough wheat to
more than feed the local population, the
people Of Arabkir and Eguin are practi-
cally deprived Of their food supplies.
Throughout the interior of Asia Minor
In many places there Is q great scarcity
of wheat Particularly is this true in the
country lying north Of Sivas. Also. there
is much suffering due to scarcity of pro-
duction In the region of Bitlis and Van
The local government has sent to
Arabkir the sum of 800 liras to be dis
| tributed among the poor in that district
and also a lot OF witat to be distributed
in Eguin. but this relief IS but temporary
and far from being sufficient
1t Is impossible for an outsider to have
good idea Of the suffering, even in this
district and city. whore there is supposed
to be enough wheat. and in any other
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