Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-08-04
REFUGEES IN BAD PLIGHT.
American Missionaries Tell of Condi-
tons of Armenians-Immedi Re
lief Their Only Hope.

New England people have had
brought close to them the situation in
the interior of Asatic Turkey by the
arrival of three American missionaries
from Marsovan, city of 10000 people
in Sivas province some go miles from
the Black sea. The men are George f.
White, ID. D., president of Anatolia
college; Jesse X. Marden, NJ. d., head
of Anatolia hospital and Rev. Ernest
Pye, professor of philosophy and the
New Testament in the college. In spite
of untoward conditions existing since
the war began and especially since the
Armenian deportation, they have held
steadfastly to their post, until forced
out by the Turkish government.
In answer to inquiries about actual
conditions in the Armenian part of
Turkey, Dr. White, speaking for his
colleagues, as well as for himself, said:
"Turkey entered the great war as an
active belligerent at the end of Octo-
Der, 1914, though the country had be-
gun to mobilize in April before. Our
work continued with but minor inter
uption through the school year 1914
10, until the great bolt was hurled at
the Armcnians i'm July and August of
lHSI SUllDltT, WHEN HlOUI IL bV AT
mcnans were "dcported' from Mar
sovan, together with many thousand
more from the region round about
! ,2J0 of the men and maturer boys were
slain with axes. In general the women,
girls and children were pushed on in
great groups in the direction of Mala-
tia, Alcppo and Damascus.
'Wc kept steadily on with our work
-, Al - Il 81
ami King school for deaf and dumb
children, though with reduced numbers
and with constituency composed
chiefly of Greeks, Russians and Turks,
ms the Armenian element had been
Then the officials paid us visit, placed
a score or more of armed men on guard
at our gates or patroling our premises,
and informed MS that as our region
had become part of the zone of war
we as American foreigners would be
Obliged to leave, and that all our
QUESTIONED for the purpose of n mil
itary hospital There was nothing for
it but we should leave behind us our
work of years and come home.
"Our chief regret at leaving is that
direct service to the people in their
dire need. How many Of our teachers
and pupils and of our Armenian constit-
uoncy are alive we do not know. But
Turkish territories are vast, and not
only in the ccnters, to which the de-
ported Armcnians have been directed,
but at points along the way, in holes
and corners, on mountain tops and in
frin III
refugees that aggregate q multitude in
number. Near Aleppo, Damascus and
Dcir-cl-zOr is another multitude whose
distress is most acute, since they must
by now have wholly reached the end
of their own neagre resources. A third
group is the large number that are FOL
lowing the Russian army as it advanc-
es into eastern Asia Minor and are
being established on the land in what
ought soon to be a self-supporting con-
lition. The only hope for the future
lies in extending immediate and adc-
quate relief to these several groups so
that they will not perish from starva-
ton. Otherwise this splendid Armcn-
ian people must pass out of existence.
American consuls and missionaries
are at or within reach of the point-
whore these pitiable refugees are now
detained. They have the knowledge
and experience that enables them to
act wisely in behalf of the suffering
Every dollar of aid is usefully en-
ployed, ami if circumstances only fay
ored the securing of full reports the
wonder would be that little money
can accomplish so much, and the great
need in the aggregate would stand out
in clear and strong relief. -
The securing of contributions in New
England to meet this urgent and tragic
need is in charge of the New England
committee for Armenian relief, OF
which Hon. Moorefcld Storey is chair
man and Cardinal O'Connell. Hon
John l.. Bates, Edward II. Chandler
with others are members. Henry d
Forbes, National Shawmut Bank, Bos
ton, is treasurer. This committee i,
auxiliary to the American committc,
for Armenian and Syrian Relief Of
New York, through whose treasury
substantially million dollars has beer
contributed to the suffering people il
Armenia, Persia and Syria, about ;
dollar for each exile. OF this $33O,O0C
has been provided by the Rockcfelle
Foundation and 100000 from New
England contributors, much of the lat
ter having been sent directly TO tn
national treasurer, Charles II. Crane
20 Fifth avenue, New York city.