The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-27
ATROCITIES OF THE
 TURKS CONF F|RMED
Washington's Investigation DisclOses Horrible
 Cruelties

New York. September 26.-A state
 ment confirming the massacre of Ar
 menians in Turkey was given out here today by Prof. Samuel T. Dutton, sec retary of the committee on Armenian atrocities formed to investigate facts
 regarding the massacre and It's rela- ton to American interests, and also to ascertain whether anything can be done to relieve the situation. Other members of the committee include Charles R. Crane. C1eveland; Dodge D. Stuart Doge, Arthur Curtiss James. John R. Mottl Robbi Stephen S. Wise. Frank Mason. North, Stanley White. James l. Barton and William Sloane.
 "A subcommittee has thoroughly in- vestigated the evidence and has just made report to the full committed con- hrming in every particular the state ment recently made by Viscount Bryce regarding the Imprisonment, torture, murder, massacre and exile Into the deserts of northern Arabia of defense less and innocent Armenians. including decrepit men, women and children, and their forcible conversion to Islam," says the statement.
 Testimony Convincing
 Written testimonies of eye wit nesses covers hundreds of pages and the character and position of the au- thors and the positiveness of utter ance carry absolute conviction.
 The witnesses include Armenians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Italians, Germans, Turks. Englishmen. Americans, business men, travellers and officials of great va riety and rank. All agree in decara- tions that from Smyrna on the west to Persia and from the Black sea to Arabia propaganda of extermination of non- Moslems Is being carried on by the Turk ish governments, far surpassing In fe- rocjty and exceeding in destruction any thing done by Abdul Hamio.
 The statements examined cover hun dreds of towns and cities in which in many instances all of the Armenians have been killed outright, often after horrible torture or sent to the desert to die of starvation and that. too. with diabolical cruelty The ostensible deportation of men, women and children toward Meso- potamia Is usual, but form of march ing those starving. helpless and frequently naked refugees out into the mountains to be outraged and butchered. sometimes by their guard and sometimes by the Kurds, who gladly cooperate in the work of de- struction.
 Scholars Become Victims
 Included among these refugees and victims are pupils and graduates from the American schools and colleges teach era and professional men who have taken degrees in American and European uni versailles. men and women who have rep resented the brains and enterprise of the country for a generation or more
 The plan of procedure, which is identi- cal in all parts of the country. seems to aim at the complete elimination of all non-Moslem races from Asatic Turkey and already that aid is in fair way to accomplishment so far as the Armenians are concerned.
 In several places American property has been seized, Americans searched im- prisoned and expelled from the country. their letters and telesrams, even from United States consular officers intercepted and their lives put in Jeopardy.
 This, however. Is of trivial importance compared with the work of destruction going on among the Armenians.
 Evidence seems to prove that prob- ably 600000 Armenans have been mur- dered or forced to the desert. where only death awaits them unless relief is secured at once. And all this has taken place since March, and Is now at the heighth of it's gruesome fury.
 The committee is confident that if the press of the country should, with all the emphasis at its command, voice it's pro- test and call upon the Turkish govern ment to put an end to this crime against and return the exiles who may yet be living to their homes it could hardly fail to produce results
 ''In view of the great influence which Germany and Austria exercise over their ally the American people cannot fail to hold them morally responsible if these atrocities are permitted to continue"