Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

Dispatches from THIS announce thS
flight Of $4,000 Armenian refugees from
the vicinity OF Van, fee
Atrocious ing from Turks and
c,., Kurds. The Turks. after
o1ouSnteI. the massacre of 10000
Armenians in the vilayet of Bitlis.
drove 5000 women and children to the
banks Of tho Tigris. whore they were
shot and their bodies thrown into the
river. The American missionaries. 1t
is added, attempted to protect the Ar
menians and have appealed to Presi-
dent Wilson for protection. asking the
removal Of the Armenians from Con-
stantinople and Cilicia. A dispatch Of
later date reports a Turkish army as
marching on Van to crush the Chris
tians there.
Tifis. it should be said, is the resi-
dence of the Russian governor general
and possesses a population OF 10000.
Van, on Lake Van, has a population Of
10000.
Armenia was an Independent nation
a long time ago. but today its terri
tory in occidental Asia Is partitioned be-
tween Turkey. Persia and Russia. The
name Of Little Armenia was given to
the kingdom founded at the period Of the
crusades (ninth to thirteenth centuries)
Of the Taurus.
The Armenian does not demand much
it is not certain that he holds any defi-
mite ideas about independence or in
for little liberty and relative security
for his work and for his existence, and
that he may not be molested and mas
sacred by tho arbitrary and cruel ty-
rant. the Turk. and his predatory pro-
tegeS.
their aspirations and patriotism has
been sung by their
Armenian poets, such as Mar Bey,
A.:4: Alichan. Kamar Kaliba
A"''' a nd Bechiktachlian;
schools have been founded in the Ar
menian villages. as well as institutions
Of superior instruction at Tifiis. Con-
stantinople and Paris, and the intel
lectual OF the wealthy class were for
the most part sent to France and Italy
to complete the instruction received in
their native schools. The Armenian.
needless to add. has shown himself
capable of cultivation of the highest
order.
Groups Of youths instructed in west
ern methods returned to Constantinople
and elaborated the constitution OF 1851.
Four great societies were created main
ly for the purpose of giving to each
Armenian village one school at least,
and the necessary resources for the in
struction of children Of the poorer class.
In q relatively short time the people
showed great progress due to these
facts.
The Turco-Russian war came In 1873.
In that war few persons know Of the
role played by Armenian generals In
the service of the car. The Russian
army established at Erzeroum evac-
Intervention of England, retaining, at
the suggestion of the latter, kars,
Arabian and Batoum.
The Armenians sent a delegation to
the congress of Berlin and obtained
for Armenia the famous article 81. The
special promises made to Armenia have
not been executed. and England,
charged with enforcing the reforms
that Turkey would perform, was not
prepared to enforce them.
During many years Armenfans have
given proof Of the greatest patience in
hoping that Europe would finally keep
her engagements. They resigned them
selves, Notwithstanding vexations of all
kinds consequent upon the intolerable
SAG
and Mohadjies, red-handed Mussulmans,
whom the "red sultan" sent among the
Armenian people to provoke and perse-
cute them. In 1887. the promises not
met to hasten matters. and 1t was thus
that subcommittee were created at
Athens. London and Geneva.
The Armenian people participated In
the movement inspired by the commit
tees in consenting to sacrifices OF money
and then of persons: in this way Ar
menia hoped to provoke the much de-
sired Intervention Of Europe. England
Armenia's political protector. was dis
tant, and did not know or understand
circumstances there was advantage
that Armenia should turn her eyes and
hopes toward another country.
For more than century Armenia
was in constant contact with Russia.
Armenia knew how
In Contact the people of the
49,, -, Caucasus had. Jared
with Russia. under Russian rule.
and thus there was rapprochement.
The morning after the Russo-Turkish
war (1S7S), commerce and industry. be-
fore so miserable, took a great start
theaters, art, painting were developed:
the security Of life was assured; the
means of communication were estab-
lished; the national language was
studied seriously and became classical.
From Asiatics, the Armenians OF Rus
sia became Europeans. The 'Armenians
of Turkey compared their situation
With that of their more favored COM
patriots in the Caucasus. The intelli.
gent and humanitarian policies OF
Prince Vorontzov-Dachkoy completed
the rapprochement of the Russians and
instructed by bitter experience, the
Armenian people concluded that 1t could
count only on itself for Its proper re-
generation.
April is. 1906. a society known as the
General Armenian Beneficial Union
was founded, with the cooperation OF
the Universal Israelite Alliance" The
objects of these societies were TO AID