Evening star., 1916-03-19


the Acknowledgements adopted by the
committee Of union and progress"
This revolution was accomplished by
promises OF political liberty. the equal
pan-islamsm and turkivization. a par
lament composed largely Of coterie
of ambitious without scruples. the
shameless speculators OF Salonikf.
At the beginning of the great war in
Europe Turkey appeared subdued and
apparently prepared to lead better
life. 1t is certain that the good Turk.
who is found in goodly numbers out
side Of the official class. aspired TO a
new regime, a more liberal regime and
entirely free from any foreign domino
tion. 1t was against the will Of tho
better Turk-in fact, a majority, II
is claimed-that the government. or
rather Enver Pasha. took part in the
European war.
The great events OF August, 1914.
found the Armenians OF the Ottoman
empire completely deceived and dis
couraged. Since the frightful massacre.
tranquility in Armenia. During 1872
1913 in the Balkanic war a latent per-
secution had gone on: pillage. assas-
sinations. forced conversions and the
French, English and Russian repre-
sentatives protested. When il was a
question of massacres the orders from
Constantinople were direct and strictly
executed.
The Armenisns OF the Caucasus and
those who had fed there for refuge
enlisted in the
Armenians Forced Russian army and
also organized a
'o SeAfice. corps of scouts
for the succor of their oppressed
brethren across the frontier. Tho Ar
menians of the Ottoman empire, those
who could not escape. suffered in ST.
lence and submitted to the pecuniary
exactions-three times greater than
the taxes legally imposed. The mill
tary administration called to the colors
all Turks from twenty to thirty-nve,
but an arbitrary ruling compelled
Christian Armenians from eighteen to
forty-eight to serve. The Turkish
press commenced a campaign against
Armenians, accusing them of treason.
spying and rebellion. THE face of the
Armenians." said the Karagheuz. lis
radiant when the affairs of the allies
it means that affairs are bad"
On the pedestals of the monuments
of Nineveh which represent the ex-
ploits and conQuests of Sargon or of
ASSOuTDanlDal
able troops of vanquished peoples in
chains. carried to slavery. to the pal
aces of the conQuerors; the Assyrian
cavalry force the wretched throng to
advance, pierce those with lances who
stray from the ranks. and crush those
who fall under the hoofs of the horses.
Those who endure the torture of the
painful march are slain or sold as
slaves. Thus formerly was brought TO
Babylon the captive people of Israel
hoN at a
deportation of Armenians. old men.
women. children - deportation that
ended in slavery or death.
History has never unregistered such
victims Of the atrocious Young Turks
Under the reign of the ex-Sultan Abdul
Hamid the Armenians were never
happy. but their situation was COM
paratively good. Mgr. Ananis Hazar-
without form Of law. Mgr. Bssak Der
khorenian, Bishop OF Kharpout. was
sent into exile, but was cruelty killed
by his captors when scarcely beyond
the limits of his bishopric. Other
bishops and priests were assassinated.
the churches pillaged, converted into
mosques, stables. etc.
The project of the Young Turk gov
ernment was manifestly the suppression
of the Armenian race and
Younp Turk nation. The RESPONSE
bility for the massacres
1oAASy. in Armenia has been es-
tablshed by documentary proof in the
report of the Armenian committee of
New York and in a pamphlet enu-
tied Armenian Atrocities" also in n
book, THE Murder of a Nation" by
Arnold ]. Toynbee. preceded by the
superb discourse pronounced by Lord
Bryce in the house Of lords. Finally. a
startling account of the Armenian hor-
ror is announced to appear in a large
pamphlet. entitled The Blacklist Page
in Modern History: The Recent Massa-
cres in Armenia and the Responsible
ties" by Herbert Adams Gibbons.
The dominant note in these horrid
accounts of human butcheries is the
systematic suppression Of all that per-
tains to the Armenians. 1t is not a
population that throws itself upon an
other in a crisis of savage anarchy. No.
the operation commences by an order
from government, from Constantinople,
to its chief functionaries in villages.
and the order thence is communicated
to the executioners. The telephone plays
role in the lugubrious drama. All
goes on with CHASTITY order-order that
announces do not kill in the cities and
tnuS aNO1u 1nIect1On-
The caravans are assembled on the
prescribed day and hour. The kurds
and other brigands are informed OF the
dance of death that has been prepared
and of their part in the shooting of the
wretched people. Committees have al
ready taken account of the household
booty gathered for the state from the
Armenian homes: that which is of small
value is thrown to the rapacious crowd:
the objects of value are sold to pay the
debts of the Armenian to Mussulman.
The Mussulmans who have emigrated
from Bosnia. Macedonia or elsewhere
are established in Armenian houses.
The distribution of women and in
fants is accomplished also with ardor
after the visit of Turk
Scatterinu ish doctors. Surviving
-. children are sent to
HdAniAieS. Mussulman orphan in
them The efforts of American resi-
dents to save these or send food to
those sent to Mesopotamia to die OF
famine. fever and misery utterly failed.
The authorities replied to these over
lures of aid that 1.-The refugees lacked
nothing, it was their duty to furnish
care and food" Already the bandits had
their victims by thousands.
The capture of Erzerum and the re-
ported manifestation OF revolt Of the
Turks themselves is a guarantee perhaps
that a definite halt in the assassination
of the Armenian race and nation has