The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-09-15
A. WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

,s-argh camps of myriads Of starv-
w chinese. in the great famine of
10 Years ago. But no experience
have ever undergone has been SO
a.nressing as a visit to Adana, the
go .a.sr n the Armenian massacres Of
roar and a half ago. Throughout
No investigations in Turkey, Adana
~ kept arising as specter.
Now have seen what remains to
I. sssn Of that holocaust of blood and
a. and uillage. The heart of the
~ 4 still In ruins. People are only
sogtnn,ng to rebuild. Widows and
ornhans bulk largely in the popula-
Nh "A measure Of self support is
coming through the picking of the
cotton crop, at which family may
arm as much as rs cents day. 1t
seemed to me, as walked about the
streets Of the city, and had pointed
out TO me individuals as well as
neighborhoods which had been re-
snousible for share Of the five thou
sand deaths, as IL there were Gym
Ical leer upon the faces Of the Turks
who watched the stranger pass.
A Pail Upon the Country.
came down through Asia Minor to
adana and two days back In the
Taurus mountains I was told that
sHere the massacres began" The
Christians were harried through
many villages and into Adana and
Tarsus. The whole region ran blood.
One cannot enter into conversation
with group of people without quick
" hearing echoes of those awful days.
Glanced to meet six prisoners just
out of jail, where they had been i'm
prisoned since the massacres, because
they had defended their village
against the Turks who assaulted it.
Some of the stories of the defense
Of Individual homes and village COM
munities are thrilling to the last de-
gree One English speaking young
man told me quietly when / ques-
toned him that he had not been in
ldana at the time, but in a nearby
village which had successfully resist
ed the attacks of the Moslems. At
the last attack, when the Turkish
soldiers and the fanatics came upon
them, the men of the village moved
in body outside the walls, to make
there last stand for their homes
and loved ones; for they knew If the
butchers got within the gates, all
would be over.
The massacre swept like a forest
fire over all this beautiful region. 1t
gives visitor a creepy feeling to
have a resident point out to him, here
and there, an individual who led in
the attacks upon the Christians. The
real leaders in the massacre were
never punished. To the credit of
the young Turks, be it said, they
hanged fifty-six unimportant persons
whom they held responsible. On the
spot find an ominous questioning as
70 whether the party in power has not
Been obliged to make terms with the
dictionaries.
unaVenged Americans.
II comes as surprise to learn that
nobody has been punished for the
cold-blooded murders of Rogers and
Maurer, the two Americans who were
snot down while engaged in carrying
water to extinguish a fire. The very
names OF the murderers are men
uoned here. It would seemsas If the
simplest kind Of detective work on
me part of the government could find
ae culprits. saw the, exact place
VI tne tragedy. The men were shot
nom a window that was pointed out
= me while they were engaged in a
SOrk OF mercy. 1t was not random
VANS from a distance-the nature of
sle street precludes that-but we'll
ailieo Shots from the home of a we'll
auOwn citizen, occupied at the time
y turkish neighbors. Trowbridge,
, ~ tnlrd American, escaped only by
ia.lng on his face.
M mere arises an important question.
ue safety Of all other Americans in
s,. ey Is endangered by the immu-
NJ ny Oh the murderers of Rogers and
s,s aurer' The fanatics have not been
Nv 70 spread the news that two for
~saers had been killed and nobody
iEu.lsned' If this may be done with
,.punity once, why not again? Amer
rn, aS IN this part of the world are
ss e perturbed over the situation,
nss 'ney point to the well-known
ase OF Great Britain in following to
IA p,tter end whosoever sheds Brit
s - blood, The deepest instinct of
s, s,onaiity calls for the protection of
g.. ns abroad. The department of
S a,e has fled a caveat with the
l.aa AlSn government, SO that the way
.st open to demand the punishment
ser e Offenders and indemnity to the
s,a ,nes OF the slain. 1t is true that
mn, NJ" persons of no consequence were
S oaned for the murders of fifteen
b sss Christians; but nobody has
6ss.s punished specifically for the
~ Vi the murdered Americans.
au pS Reason for the Massaeres.
Ba nnen the hive is full we gather
Mo,a honey" is the way one Turk is
mae .sa as having explained the Adana
ssacfe, and thoaa +h.+ bovo ora-