The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-09-10

IUULflI ! ] III
CHURCH /
Nation Without a Country
Swallowed In MaeIstronl
otstIs War.
WASHINGTON, Sept. -"swai.
lowed up In the maelstrbm. Of the
southern Caucasus, which Is now
afame with the strife Of the Turks
and the Russians, and near the meet
ing point Of Persia, Russia and
Turkey. is situated the most treasur-
ed and sacred possession Of the Ar
menianf nation, q nation without a
country and with the longest record
OF braYery-bo borne suffering Of any
people. and this possession Is the
monastery and cathedral Of Echmiad-
Gin, the Holy See OF Armenian
Christians, the heart Of the Arme.
MAN nation and the source Of that
strength which has held together and
guided the Armenians through cen-
turtles Of persecution. warfare and
massacre" begins bulletin issued
today by the National Geographic
Society.
Seat Of Catholicus.
"Echmiadzin is the seat of the
Catholicus. or prlmate, of the Gre
gorian Armenian church, the sus-
tanning force and the Inspiration Of
people whose lives and labors have
been passed for thousand years un.
der the shadow Of unnatural death.
Nearly q thousand years have gone
by since the fall of the last definite
political state Of the Armenians, yet
their church has held them IN their
national consciousness, and has pre-
served in them their distinguishing
racial and social characteristics. Az
most every member Of the Armenian
nation belongs to the Armenian
church, which counts It's martyrs by
the scores Of thousands. The church
is more than his religion to the
Armenian; 1t is his patriotism, his
hope for survival, and the banner
under which he has rallied for prog
ress, education and justice for his
people.
Mount Ararat, where Noah land.
ed. lies just to the south Of the
venerable Arenian See. Here runs
the Russo-Turkish frontier, while a
few miles to the southeast lies Per-
sia. The monastery lies about 5000
feet above the sea. forty miles north
OF Ararat. and twelve miles west
Erivan, the capital OF the Russian
government in which it is situated.
The Armenian Rome is surrounded
by massive. gray and walls, which
enclose the monastery, the cathedral
and an academy. The buildings are
arranged around a great quadrangle
In the center Of which stands the|
cathedral Of st. Gregory the Illumi-
nator, a church Of more ancient be-
ginntngs than even far-famed Sancta
Sophia Of Constantipople. 1t has
been the bulwark Of Christianity
against the barbarians Of Asia since
800, and though its fight has been
unusually severe, long, and heroic,
little is known Of Echmiadzin among
the peoples of the west. n
Many Troubles.
Throughout the years during
which the Armenians have BEEN
divided between three more or less
unfriendly states. Russia, Persia and
the Ottoman empire, and during
their centuries OF still more bitter
suffering before the advent Of Rus-I
STA into the Caucasus, the ArmeniansI
have turned to Echmiadzin for guild
ance and support in all their troubles
and the history of this people gem
orally tmpresses the student as being
Just one trouble after another with
little justification for hope. TheI
ancient grey monastery has been the
religious, political and cultural CEN
ter Of the Armenian world.
The library Of Echmiadzin is al
treasure store of Armenian docu-
ments and literature. and among its
shelves are kept some remarkable
manuscripts Of the gospels. dating
from the ninth and tenth centuries.
The monks maintain type-foundry
and printing press, and they have
accomplished great things for theI
education Of their people and for
the development of American lit
erature. The academy connected
with Echmiadzin is one Of the first
educational institutions in the Ar
menian world. and many of its pp-
pills do excellent graduate work In
German and Russian universities.
1t was founded under CatholicusI
George Nv in 1873, and regularly
trains between 200 and 800 boys.
The Armenian church Is claimed
by its adherents to be the Oldest es-
I,tablished Christian church in the
world, having been founded in the
first part Of the third century. It is,
probably. the most national Of ali
churches in the world. for only
Armenians belong to It. Today the
Heart OF Armenia is in the midst
Of the path where savage contests
are ebbing and flowing. and where,
according to reports. destruction has
become the law and reigns supreme,
ID Il