Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-06
MARTYRS TO TURKS
Sufferings of AIbanianS Pass
Almost Beyond Belief.
TURKISH GENERAL BLAMED
Torgut Shevket Said to Be RESPONSE
BILE for Rapine, Murder
and Pillage.
TURKISH GENERAL BLAMED
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star
LONDON, August Especial investiga-
tors sent to the harassed region of AL
bania report a situation grave beyond
belief. They state that unless prompt
action is taken by some powerful Chris
tian nation whole tribes of intelligent,
peaceable, Industrious Albanians will
soon he exterminated.
They assert that women and children
are made to bear the brunt of Turkish
cruelty. and they picture a fever-infested
country, swarming with Turkish soldiers
whose prediction for rapine. murder
and dissertation compares favorably with
the tabled stories that are handed down
from the wars Of the Holy Land
Particularly do they censure Torgut
Shevket, the general in command of the
Turkish troops. Their reports state that
though Turkey has produced some un-
scrupulous and bloody generals. she has
never produced one more diabolically di-
rect In his application Of age-old Turkish
methods OF warfare than Torgut Shev-
ket" 1t is he. they claim, backed by the
vindictive cruelty shown by the Turks
in dealing with their opponents.
An Intelligent Race.
In order to appreciate the full sig
nificance of this historic tragedy that is
being enacted in the southeastern cor
ner of Europe it is necessary to realize
that the people whom Torgut Shevket is
ruthlessly destroying possess none of the
attributes either of Turks or of comic
opera brigands with which they are usu-
ally associated. They are a handsome
intelligent race, Catholic in religion and
in
though for centuries they have been SUBJ
ject to the brutal domination of the
Turks, they have never adopted the Turk
ish language or religion or method of
life.
The warfare which Torgut Shevket is
now conducting is one of concentration,
starvation. taxation. pillage. destruction
by fire and simple brutal butchery.
The Malssori, having demanded that
the Turkish promises made when the
Young Turks assumed power at Con-
stantinople should be fulfilled, Torgut
Shevket has replied by burning their VIII
lagos. driving them from the mountains,
taking possession of the mountain passes,
forcing them to remain during the hot, UNI
healthy summer in the lowlands where
their sheep and cattle will starve; shut
ting off all sources OF food supply, and
declaring all those who give them assist
ance to be rebels
Slain in Highlands.
Nearly one-half of the highland clans
have been accustomed from time imme-
mortal to descend every autumn with
their f1ocks and families into the Bregu-
malta and to winter there. But in June
great swarms of mosquitoes make this
lowland country uninha able and there
fore early in summer the highlanders re-
turn to the hills. Torgut Shevket, taking
advantage of this annual migration, pro-
ceeded to eXterminate those highlanderS
who remained in the hills through the
winter. Such as he could not catch he
drov@ over the border into Montenegro
Early in the spring he took possession of
the mountain passes through which the
emigrants expected to return to their
homes, anu he refused to let them go
low. malarial country, where they are
slaughtering their hocks, upon which they
are dependent for existence. but which are
insufficently supplied with food in the
low country. where both humans and
beasts alike are dying from fever caused
by drinking the foul water of the now
stagnant marshes.
Ibriham Effendi Kjori, superior Turk
ish official at Scutari. has publicly de-
clared that the Ottoman government in
tends to depOpulate the highlands in
order to bring in new settlers more in
sympathy with the Turkish government
and religion. This same Turkish official
adds calmly that the government intends
to let the Malissori die in the Bregu-
malta like swine in bog
Torgut Skevket appears to be near the
attainment of this object. Only the
united action of the Christian people of
Europe and the United States can pre-
vent him from DISCRIMINATING many thou
sands of Christians in northern Albania