Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-09-23

the present time is beginning to leak
out, by way of the Boston offices of
the American Board and otherwise.
Wiping Out Nation
Even the official statement of AM
bassador Morganthau that since last
May $4,000 Armenians have been
slaughtered or starved has failed to
penetrate the horror-calloused and
war-paralyzed consciousness of Chris
Belgium aroused the world to un-
paralleled acts of mercy; but if the
worst that was ever feared for Bel
gium had come true, conditions would
not be at all comparable with the
atrocities that have befallen the Ar
menians. And the end is not yet: un-
less some agency intervenes, the whole
nation is to be wiped out-and the
Jews in Turkey are to follow!
Clear light upon the present mental
condition of the world is shed by this
news from Turkey. Middle-aged per-
sons remember the spasm of horror
that conVulsed civilization in 1866
over the news of the Armenian mas
sacres. Then it was that Gladstone,
liinging official etiquette to the winds,
branded the sultan as abdul the
Damned" which showed a poor
knowledge of Arabic, but a clear un-
derstanding of the heart of Christen-
dom. Yet the total deaths of Ar
menians during that massacre amount
ed to not more than fifty thousand
persons already, with the climax of
the present holocaust of blood SEEM
| lngly not reached, the number of Ar
menian victims of Turkish ferocity is
seven times as great. Relatively little
impression has been made as yet upon
civilization. because the war has seem
| ingly already exhausted humanity S
capacity for extreme emotions.
America TO the Rescue
The time has not yet come to tell
in full the thrilling story of what the
American missionaries and American
officials have done during recent
months for the succor of prosecuted
peoples in Turkey. The American am
| bassador has set a new mark for diplo-
matte efficiency in altruistic service
To say that he has incarnated in him
self the best traditions and ideals of
| Americanism is 10 state the case con-
servatively.
Some of the conSuls have likewise
done heroically, notably Consul Les
! lie. in the new American consulate at
Urfa, where the British, French. Rus
! sian and Italian civilians are interned
in an Armenian monastery. The rigors
! OF their lot in this remote city (Which,
| by the way is just a few miles from
| Eiaran, where Abraham lived, and
where he found Rebekah. a wife for
| his son Isaac) have been greatly
/ abated by Mr.. Leslie. The consul at
! Aleppo has been in the thick of the
| atrocities.
While some American missionaries
notably Mr.. and Mrs. Floyd O.
Smith. of Wiarbelier-have been de-
ported by the Turks, for reasons un-
known, although efforts on behalf OF
the Armenians is suspected, most OF
! the missionaries have remained at
their posts. Those who have been
forced to leave their fields, for one
reason or another. have been refused
permission to return. Thus DR.
Thomas Christie, of Tarsus, a veteran
of several massacres. went to Con-
stantinople to intercede for the Ar
menians. but the Turks would not lei
! him go home again. Having abolished
the capitulations, the Ottoman govern
ment has become severer and severer
in its dealings with Americans and
other neutral foreigners Only the
vigorous attitude of Ambassador Nor
/ ganthau has prevented greater en-
! barrassments.
The migration of the party OF
/ American missionaries from Van to
/ Tifiis is a story yet to be hold in its
fullness. They endured great priva-
J tons. Mrs. USHER died before start
Ing and her husband arrived critically
| Ill; Mrs. Reynolds broke her leg er
! route. Apparently all the American