Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-30

| chiefs levied blackmail upon Armenian
villages for their protection-that is, they
| assessed tribute upon the habtants in
/ exchange for which they protected them
against other kurds Those who paid
| this tribute were safe; those who did not
| were never secure, either in life or prop
erty or in their families.
Armenians Migrate.
Fifty or sixty years ago the Armeni-
| ans began to emigrate. Thousands have
gone to Constantinople and other Cities
| others to Europe and America. There are
many thousands in the United States as
you know,
Those who had seen the world natural
| " realized the unfortunate situation in
| which their ellow-countrymen were liv-
selves, and began to devise means for
| their relief. They organized societies.
they collected funds. they published
newspapers: denounced the iniquities and
eean, asaipF the Turkish govern
AS soon as the government learned of
this movement. instead of relieving the op-
preston, it bore down on the Armenans
more heavily than before. The situation
was aggravated because the Turks had
discovered a pretext for their cruelty in
these patriotic movements.
"All mail matter was opened. Every
pressed and destroyed Even the Bible
was mutilated by tearing out the leaves
that bore the name of Macedonia. and
every geography and atlas had the name
Armenia obliterated.'
DR.. Crawford showed me a copy of an
English classical dictionary in which the
text under the word Armenia" had been
cut out.
1T was proclaimed that the Turkish
government intended to wipe Armenia
from the map of the world The very
name was accursed to the Turks he con-
tinued.
But the innocent people at home were
compelled to suffer for the offenses of the
Armenians abroad Whenever any man
received a letter or newspaper contain
ing sentiments unfriendly to the Turkish
government he was cast into prison and
often his property was confiscated
Series of Massacres.
This vas 1oing on for many years un-
| til, in September. 1885, society of young
Armenians in Constantinople marched in
procession to the sublime ports and pre-
| sented petition begging for justice and
protection for their people at home.
The Turkish government chose to in
| terpret this exercise of the right of petit
ton as an instruction. The soldiers at
tackled the procession. Several Armenians
| were killed, many were wounded, others
were LHroWH INTO prison ana every one
who could be seized was maltreated.
This incident was followed by many
| murders and raids in Armenian towns and
villages. Hundreds of innocent people
were slaughtered on the pretext that they
were involved in conspiracy against the
government.
About thirty days later a government
official who had been notorious for his
| cruelties was shot at near Erzerum. Of
course the Armenians were charged with
| the responsibility.
LIBERALIZATION was ordered. The Gov
| ernor of Trebizond received instructions
from Constantinope to turn the rabble
loose upon the Armenian population of
this city.
AT II o'clock on the morning of Octo-
Der 8, 1895, bugle was blown at the bar
racks. This was the signal for slaughter.
Every Armenian that could he reached
was murdered in cold blood. Six hundred
bodies were carried off in garbage carts
btand buried i'm ditch outside the city.
AT :: O'Clock that afternoon the bueie
blew again. Az that signal the mob be
gan to loot the houses and shops of Ar
menans and did not stop until dark.
All Over Armenia.
This performance was repeated in all
the towns and villages of Armenia. 1t is
estimated that between fifty and hun
died thousand men, women and children
were slaughtered simply because they
were Christians and because some of their
felloW-countrymen had attempted to Or
ganiZe conspiracy against the govern
ment with the hope of relieving their dis
tress and protecting them from persecu-
ton.
There Is no way of telling how many
were killed. but We know that forty
thousand children were left orphans. More
than six thousand fatherless and mother
less little ones were gathered into our
| own Armenian orphanages Altogether a
million dollars from England and Amer
| lea was distributed for the relief of the
| sufferers.
rs the hatred of the Turk for the Ar
| meniaps due exclusively to religious ia
| naticism?' l asked.
| BY no means. said DIR. Crawford.
| The Armenian is a keen business mar
| and the Turk is not. The Armenian is
thrifty and gets ahead. or at least he
would do SO II the government would
permit him.
| HE is charged with usury. When he
loans money he collects his interest and
| his principal, and is usually strict about
| it, which makes him unpopular.
| Baron Rcthschild once said that If all
the Jews and all the Armenians were
put upon a desert island together the
| Armenians would have all the money of
both before they were rescued. But they
are equally successful in the professions
are eminent as doctors, lawyers. ensi-
neers and especially gifted in oratory
| Successful men are often compelled to
| suffer from the Jealousy of those who are
| unsuccessful That is one of the chief
| causes of the persecution of the Arme-
mans in Turkey, as 1t has been of the
persecution of the Jews in Russia
| The Present Situatior