Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-18
ARMENIANS AND THE WAR
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN


as nation to Christianity, which happened some lSOe
years ago. and they still Christians Because OF
religion they have been subjected TO prosecutions
that are almost unthnkable. Yet their faith was not
TO be shaken Those Armenans who are today Hing
into the desert direction of Old Uneven on the
one hand and Deir-Zor of Euphrates on the other
might remain homes if they would give over
their Christianity declare themselves Moslems But
they will
II was this devotion to the faith attracted
Americans 10 the Armenians. Now it happens that
America to do with these peoples than any
nation except Turkey The devotion OF the Ar
religion of Christ caused certain Amer
missionary societies to attempt to better their
condition
1t seventy-hve years these missionaries first
began to establish among these Christians
dwelling among the wild tribes of Asia Minor. Today
there six large colleges maintained In the region oy
American missionary associations, and thousand
young Armenians have been attending eacn Aside
these, several hundred common schools
Altogether 10000 Armenian youngsters have every
year been studying in these American schools They
have learned English, have become preachers.
missionaries, merchants engineers. developers Of the
realm. The of enlightenment that has stolen
into the whole region has thus been engendered by
Americans.
Armenia become a of stepchid of Uncle
When. in 1895, the Turks gave the Kurds free
hand surfeit themselves with slaughtering Armen-
ans, the American missionaries present and
$4,000 of them killed. Again. in 1909, the demon or
bloodsned unleashed, and these Americans
10000. At Van and Mardin they have recently
the and the old murdered and the young
borne away by the hundred the
the Turks. They today witnessing the driving
of the whole people.
These missionaries have led a tumultuous life.
Many of them have died in their
people. Many of them have attempted prevent
massacre, and succeeded. The embassy at Con-
stantnople has been kept buster with missionary
from Armenia than with all their other duties combined
When chaos has RACED throughout this lawess isolated
land the government Washington has exerted vast
pressure of it's citizens who were con-
Quoting American schools there Altogether Amer
lean flag has been extended consideration, the
Turkish government passing the word that
respected.
Armenia is old Persia. The Armenian OF today has
of the physical attributes Persians, but
of the Jews 1t is a saying east that
it would take three Jews Armenian in a
trade
They people who respond readily to an intel
lectual opportunity. youngster in of the mis-
sionary colleges showed such promise was sent
to America to finish at Yale. He showed mentality
that Yale refused let him ASIA and he is
professor mathematics the American insti-
tuition the author of books master of languages.
the Armenians of the mountain regions are tall
handsome sharp-faced men. Their hair coarse and
black and their apt have a decided hook
Nearer the coast they shorter coarser They
are an INDUSTRIOUS intelligent, apt race, but
greedy, quarrelsome, vain full intrigue They
Orientals in cunning and lack honesty-traits
which have not been entirely by their re-
lgion. They live in the houses half un-
foreground. in which their ancestors 1000 years
They present mixed problem to the nations of the
of the suffering that the conflict
has incidentally brought upon them. They a prob
lem in which the United States has rather direct
interest, this nation knows that tragedy
going forward that would whole people were
it not obscured by greater events