New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-11
ARMENIA"
The Great Tragedy Which Has
Overtaken an Unhappy Race.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sip. The sinister shadow that darkened the
face Of EUROPEAN civilization over a year ago
.,ov,rs each day more ominously, more
tcarilv. over a world spiritually unequipped
for the contemplation OF SO much evil. Like
the sufTocating chlorine gases that creep
with their insidious poison from trench to
trench. this shadow has crept silently, re-
lcntlessly, from cline to cline, has bridged
oceans and comprised mountains, and now 1t
broods uneasily, treacherously, wherever men
boast civilization or nature harbors human
life. Finally, as though 20 consummate its
bideous mission and sanctify its hendish
work this harbinger Of impenetraole gloom
has overtaken and overwhelmed the most un-
fortunate race of people on the earth, the
Armenians.
A tragedy of such epic proportions as the
present war does not lend itself TO facile
cancellations except with those com
placent philosophers, divines and paciiists
who regard everything that happens as both
cternally necessary and incontestably right
The only sweeping judgment we can nonesty
pronounce upon this carnival Of blood and
tears is that we behold the work of our
hands and see that it is bad. In the case OF
Armenia, il is clear that the powers oil
Europe have bungled hopelessly, pitilessy'
irremediably. Unlike the rape Of Belgium
which shook the chancclleries Of Europe to
their foundations, the melancholy destiny OF
this unhappy nation, which has been the
-huttlecock OF Moslem tyranny for centuries
has reused no avenging angel armed with
terrible wrath and flaming sword.
OF all the miseries that the great war has
brought in its train the cruclhNion OF
Armenia is the most appalling There Is no
dawn Of brighter day for which the sons
and daughters Of this stricken race can
look. Their day Is done; their sun has set
Addiction Is their daily Bread despair their
consecrated wine. Their mourning is
crowned not with Joy, but with the bitter
ness Of spiritual desolation, and in place Of
the oil Of gladness wherewith to heal their
Grief the fires of hell continue TO scar with
cut mercy their CHASTITY wounds.
When we read of the cumulative horrors
described In the report of the American
Committee on Armenian Atrocities and hear
Inc accounts given by American mission
aries who have Just returned from these
scenes Of unspeakable agony even heroism
loses its meaning and appears in the guise
of utter moral impotence whole people
fas been practically extinguished, and so
bestial, so revolving, has been the method OF
their determination that no posthumous
glory radiates from their sepulchre, no
triumph CLEANS from their grave There is
nothing that we can do, or anybody else can
DO, 70 stop an orgy tina. is wellnigh COM
rlete. Already almost the entire race is
slain, and soon this tale of unparalleled in
fanny, dishonor and perhdy viii be finished,
chronicle of human shame and slaughter un-
matched in history.
No wonder that those Of this race who
survive will henceforth live in 4 city Of
dreadful night. branded by marks of intoler-
able pain, haunted by memories Of llimit-
able woe Beholding which sight, the
Osmanli will lick his chops with diabolical
mirth and litter with ghoulish glee And
the president of the immortals will have to
end some other people to sport with.
New York, Oct. g. 1915 K C.