The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1915-10-01
TO FEED REFUGEES
Serious Problem Which Greece
Is Trying to SoIve.
At Least One Person in FIFTEEN IN
Greece Is Retugee--Country
Roads Stream w ith People
Fleeing From Asia Minor.

Fleeing From Asia Minor.
/ Mitylene--Ot the many problems
which peset Greece, that OF the refu
gees from Asia Minor and Thrace is
not the least pressing. Altogether
there are nearly 100000 OF these un.
| fortunate people in Greece and the
/ formerly Turkish islands. Estimating
the population Of the country at 5000,
/ 600, it will be seen that practically
one person in fifteen is a refugee
| These poor people are Of all classes,
and it is no uncommon thing to sec
child of gentle birth reduced to rags
and the acceptance Of the casual char.
ity available in thirdrate cafe.
Probably more than any other part
of Greek territory, this island shows
/ the sad effects of the advent of these
unlimited and it must be admitted,
scarcely welcome, guests. Still, they
have to be fed, and Mitylene does it's
best.
! The present war has affected the
trade of the islands considerably, and
with it the spending capacity of the
people, quite apart from the fact that
the state funds find it difficult enough
to provide this surplus population
with their fixed allowance of eight
cents per head daily, with a certain
reduction for each person in the case
of family.
When it is remembered that, owing
to heavy taxation, this country is
very expensive to live in, it will be
seen that much indeed is left to pri-
vate charity.
In Mitylene alone the normal popu-
lation of 10000 has been almost
doubled by the arrival of these ragged
peasants, and there are about 10000
more in the rest of the island, the in
habitants of the whole of Lesbos
numbering some 100000 in ordinary
times
Some OF these people, with GER
tain poetic justice, are CHARTERED In
the houses vacated by Turks who
have returned to the country of their
origin during the last few years, but
these houses are quite inadequate,
and in many cases ten people are
crowded in one room.
In all parts of the interior of Asia
Minor and the clearly visible coast,
e line opposite, they have voyaged to
these islands and the mainland OF
Greece for months past. Beggars
i throng the streets, no more road-mak'
: ing or other manual work being avail
able, and send their children into the
poor eating houses and inns of the
place.
Along the country roads they
I stream, dependent largely on the gen
l crosby of the passer-by, and resting
now and then under the olive groves
Of the island, where Sapho loved and
| sang.
l In the Turkish town of Alvaly there
are still about 10000 Christians. The
: Turks seem to be trying to starve
5 them out by preventing food being
/ sent to them. Nobody can leave the
town to look after property on the
: outskirts without grave danger Of be
: ing killed.
t A curious, and in many respects
/ typical refugees story is that of OH
1S''
weeks ago. Clarke, born in Smyrna
is of English parentage and British
subject, but nobody who saw the
bearded half-broken man who re
r turned to his wife and three daugh
II tiers after months of absence would
have taken him for anything but
n Turk. Indeed, it was merely on &C
). count of his Oriental dress and lnowl
edge of Turkish that Clarke was suf
:, fered to exist on a bcggarly wage al
- Pergamos- only Christian fol
, miles around. He is blacksmith b.
Il trade and, doubtless, proved useful tt
his masters in the state of practica
slavery to which he was subjected.
>, The story he gave me was vouchet
= for by M. Eliopoulos, formerly British
< vice-consul at Aivaly, himself refu
gee, who has the cause of his com
patriots at heart.
Clarke was sent to Pergamos in {
cart, together with a Frenchman ant
his mother They were escorted b,
> the governor of Dikely and gendaroes
The latter robbed Clarke. and the gov
) ernor relieved him of his cigarette
lighter, remarking that it was "tot
81 good for gendarme."
!, On arrival at Pergamos the gov
= ernor of that place demanded that thu
French lady should sell all she pos
:, sessed to pay all debts which he hat
y invented for the purpose, before sh'
', and her son would be allowed to go
= Finally the couple were permitted tt
- leave for Smyrna, after the lady hat
- "sold" her valuable olive crops-fo
S125! Clarke was brought back tt
Dikely, where he continued to drudge