El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-21
Advance Guard of As Arme-I
mans Arrive; 1900 Are
to Follow.

N r% sot Of 9 aos actual 5 ao55of.
war is being brought to America
by Armenian refugees-children wom-
en- and old men-fleeing from their
looted and burned villages in Asia
Minor, before the devastating Turk.
With the Goddess Of Liberty a stones
| throw away and the towering sky line
| OF New York staring them in the face,
l 10 Armenians. l. men and the rest
women and children and babies in arms
waited wonderingly while Uncle Sam
unwound the red tape that temporarily
held them back from breathing the air
OF freedom. They seemed already to
have forgot the noise Of battle. the
shouts Of the on-rushinE Moslems and
the cries Of the victims whose homes
were being destroyed, as the least OF
their misery.
Advance Guard of 400.
These were the advance guard Of
1900 Armenian women and men bein-
escorted as refugees TO the United
States by the American committee for
Armenian and Syrian relief. The refu-
gees were TO be colonized in this coun-
try Their way was paid by relatives
already here.
AS fast as they were discharged by
the immigration authorities, the Ar
menians were taken in charge by wal
y 2
committee. In turn, those who had
friends or relatives in New York We're
sent to them. The others were placed
in charge Of the various Armenian or
CARNATIONS to await employment,
which the committee is attempting to
obtain for them.
Most OF the first contingent Of refu-
gees came from the villages Of Habat-
lee and Batyan. on Mount Moses. bor-
dering on the Mediterranean. IS miles
from the ancient city of Antioch. The
two villages, having a total Of 10000
inhabitants. were destroyed last sum-
mer by the Turks.
Ordered Sent to a Desert.
1T was late last summer" said Mrs
Achsah Sakenian, 79 years old. for
merly OF the village Of HabatIee. when
the inhabitants of Habatlee and Batyan
received word from the Turkish Off
Gals that we had been ordered deported
to a desert somewhere in the interior
Mrs. Sakenian spoke through the in
depreciation Of her son, S. G. SalIen, n
New York art dealer. who met her at
Ellis island. He is thoroughly Ameri
canized and has had the courts cut off
the last syllable Of his name.
During the time given for prepare
ton. the aged woman continued,
about 5000 men. women and children,
myself among them, fled to a refuge
on Mount Moses
THE rest were driven by Turkish
soldiers 70 some place in the interior.
We never knew where they went, be-
cause none ever was known to return. /
The Armenians on Mount Moses re-
sisted the Turks. Twice the men re- !
pulsed attacks by Turkish soldiers, /
sent to dislodge them.
1t was a huge homemade flag that /
finally saved all of US. After our men /
had attacked the Turks at night, while |
they slept, we escaped to a slope on /
the Mediterranean. Our men surprised /
the Turks, and they fled, thinking it /
was a superior force
when we reached the slope, the refu-
gees sewed together several large white !
sheets and I'm the center they placed |
! big red cross, made from scraps torn
rom garments.
This flag was hoisted. and IL at
racted the attention of n French cruis-
r. about 10 miles off shore. The