Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-10
'|MPENETRABLE VEIL
OVER ARMENIAN AFFAIR
Nothing Obtainable In Constantinople
Concerning Fate Of People
in Provinces.
GERMANY FILES OBJECTIONS
Three Separate Notes Presented to
Ottoman Government by Kaiser's
Ambassador Against Carrying Out
OF Severe Measures.


Ambassador Against Carrying Out
OF Severe Measures.
CONsTANTINoPLE. October BY
virtue OF total suppression OF all news
on tho subject. the Turkish govern
ment has succeeded In throwing an
impenetrable veil over It's actions to-
wards all Armenians. Nothing definite
Ia obtainable In Constantinople of tho
fate OF this people out In the provinces,
but II Is known that severe measures
planned against tho Armsnians In the
Ottoman capital were not carried out,
owing TO objections of the German
government.
Concerning the Armenian affair.
three separate notes were presented
TO the Ottoman government by the
German ambassador ad interim. Prince
Hohenlohe- Langenburg. II the Asso-
ciated Press 10 rightly informed. these
notes had no far-renching effect. be-.
cause under present conditions the Ger
man government has been obliged to
act rather gently. Turkey Is still the
ally OF Germany. and tho Armenians
seem to have niienated the good will
OF the German government and people
TO considerable extent by having
made open cause with tho entente
powers. Many Of them have joined the
Russian forces near Van. and at Zeitoun
and bort Jul they revolted against
Turkish authority. Tho three notes
referred TO were but official Incidents
in weeks of endeavor to persuade the
Turkish government to take a more
reasonable and humane view of the
Armenian affair. Ono Of tho notes
drew attention to the great Injustice
OF making all Armenians suffer for tho
acts OF a few.
Tho Turkish government. however.
seemu to have remained adamantine.
As already stated. II has been i'm
possible to secure accurate information
in the premises Turkish official. have
either refused to discuss the situation
or have placed all blame on the Ar
nenians: these latter. on the other
hand. have either refused to talk for
Tear or being also prosecuted. or have
assigned all responsibility to the Turks
A mass OF irreconcible statements has
been the result, ranging, on the part
OF the Turkish officials. from the absurd
claim that the Armenians were being
well treated. TO tho assertions of Ar
men!ans that in Zeitoun bort Jul and
other places $4,000 Armenians had been
masShcred.
That the Turks have In many In
stances been guilty OF needless severity,
and in some cases have permitted bar
barous acts Of violence. including muir
der and assault. seems we'll esta bIi.hed.
On the other hand. the Armenians in
tho Van country have been accused of
similar excuses against tho Turkish
population, and the Turks. having
power on their side. have repaid such
acts with liberal inherent. It 10 said in
well-informed Constantinople circles.
ADVANCED TURKISH CLASSES
FoR POLICY OF CANCELLATION
It cannot be said that the acts of the
Turkish government. In this connec-
ton. have found the appreciation Of the
advanced Turkish classes in the capt.
tai. who. for the greater part, favor a
policy OF concilietion and some OF
whom evan go as far az 70 advocate
tho establishment OF a separate Ar
menian state In Asia Minor under the
sovereignty Of tho Ottoman imperial
government Meanwhile, the tendency
OF tho Ottoman government. either to
deny altogether that the Armenlans
arc being prosecuted, or give It's acts
too obviously artificial basis and
character. would have but ono result.
namely. that It Is both ashamed and
afraid to let the truth be known The
many attempts made by the Associated
Press correspondent to throw some
light on the Armenian situation re-
suited In failure. because the Turkish
officials would not talk and the censor
ship would not permit the free passage
OF dispatches on the subject.
Nevertheless, II must be said that
the Armenians are not blameless. Di-
vested of all factors related to the ma.
tionai ambitions OF the Armenians,
their conduct towards the Turks and
tho Ottoman government has invited
constantly measures OF repression.
Tho rising of Zeitoun, bort Jul and
Van, and Wholesale assertions OF Ar
menian soldiers to the allies on the
Gallipoli Peninsula and to the Russians
in the Caucasus. have turned the Turks
heart into stone In matters Armenian,
and he is now wreaking vengeance
upon guilty and innocent alike.
Constantinople has for weeks had
its daily crop OF Armenian rumors.
Ono OF the most interesting OF them is
that even the Shiek- ul-Islam had pro-
tested against the excesses from which