New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-28
ARMENIAN MISERIES
Those of the Present Day Surpass
All That Have Gone Before.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Probably no other people in the
worlds history have suffered so long and so
intensely as the Armenians Through CEN
turtles they have been subjected to the most
fearful prosecutions, and hundreds of thou
sands have been most wantonly massacred
by their oppressors. Again and again at
tempts have beer made to wholly exterminate
the race, but it would seem that the Armeni-
ans have mission to perform in the world,
for many descendants of martyrs and pa
triots still survive, though they can no long
er claim country as their own, as Armenia
now is only a geographical name, and not
political entity or division Inhabited solely
by Armenian people At present they are
scattered over three provinces of Asia Minor,
under, respectively, Turkish, Persian and
Russian suzerainty.
Time and again the civilized world has
been shocked by stories of Armenian perse-
cution under the heel of the unspea&able
Turk. Rapine, plumber, violation, murder,
the wholesale destruction of life and pre-
erty and the dissertation of the home have
been the chief landmarks of Turkish rule.
In 1894-'95 Abdul Hamid, the Red Sultan.
by fire, famine, sword and knout did to
death upward of 100000 of these brave Chris
tan people. At that time the race would
have been swept completely off the earth had
not the Christians of other lands especially
those of America, come to their rescue.
Armenia is again suffering and more acute
ly than at any previous time in her history.
The awful war has intensified her hapless
condition The Turkish government has
drafted the able bodied men to the army.
leaving the old, the women and children with
out their natural protectors and supporters
and in the power of rowing bands of Turks
and still more merciless Kurds. From several
places the aged have been banished east and
west to distant parts, with never a hope OF
return to home or loved ones and with only
the grave in perspective to release them
from their suffeSings.
The most appalling atrocities have been
perpetrated on the helpless and defenceess
people left behind. Thousands have been put
to the most cruel deaths possible for fiendish
ingenuity to contrve. Babes have been
slaughtered at their mothers breasts and
hacked piecemeal. In some cases the little
ones were thrown into caldrons of boiling
water. and their nhuman murderers returned
the dead bodies on salyers to their famsh-
ing mothers. bidding them to eat OF the
sacred sacrifice. The sanctity of maiden
hood and matronhood has been violated in
such manner as to revolt the soul of man
hood and blanch the cheek of humanity with
shame. And, be it said, the women and girls
of Armenia are among the most beautiful
and chaste on earth.
In addition to the murderous Turks the
ruthless Kurds went on the rampage pill
Laying. plundering. slaughtering and running
property. Shope have been looted and the
natural products of the soil destroyed, leav-
ing the unfortunate inhabitants without food
as we'll rs shelter. Thousands have died and
hundreds are dying daily by the roadsides
from munger: hundreds more are perishing
daily from diseases induced by hunger. In
truth the country is becoming veritable
charncl house of death and desolation, very
shambles Of horrors impossible TO picture.
Crimes have been and are being commit
ted on the poor ArmenIans that are unspeak-
able and urprintsble Oh, the horror of it
and the shame of it! when we consider that
these awful atrocities and outrages have been
and are being permitted against a Christian
people in fact, the descendants Of the first
Christian nation in the world
Yes, Armenia was the first Christian king
dom. as il WAS the first cradle of the human
race. When surrounding countries were
stepped in the darkness of paganism the light
of Ckrists Gospel was shining brightly in
this historic old land. As most people know,
the illustrious st. Gregory the Illuminator
introduced Christianity early in the fourth
century and became the first Kstholikos or
I r. -. 4 ~
time the Armenians, despite the most terri