Evening star., 1916-05-27

known that such an opportunity to
contribute was being offered. many
to their attention would be glad to
join in this effort for the relief of
such a serious situation. There have
been only three subscriptions of hun
dred dollars or more, but many checks
and cash contributions for one, two,
fve or ten dollars have helped to in
crease the fund. Subscriptions should
be sent to Mr.. Reside at the office of
the Washington Gas Light Company.
$15o,ooo a Month Vital.
1t is hoped by those back of the move
ment that Washington people tomor-
row, in the churches and Sunday
schools, will do their share toward
raising the s5.oo0.ooo. which the Ameri-
can committee is attepting to obtain
to help the Armenians
Money to the amount of at least
$150,000 each month must be given to
save the million starving Armenians
and native Christians in Turkey. Per-
sia and Syria, says Charles r. Crane,
treasurer Of the American committee.
Ten times that amount, a cable mes
sage from Constantinople states, would
not meet their full needs.
Armenians, HISTORIANS and native
Christians. largely women and chill
dren, by hundreds of thousands, in
are absolutely destitute and thousan nds
are starving to death. A cablegram
received May Is by the American COM
mfttee from the representatives of the
committee in Constantinople said that
in some sections of Turkey. SO made
auate is the relief. many of the exiles
are compelled to eat grass and are
dying of starvation by hundreds.
Way to Relief Open.
The American committee on Armenian
and Syrian relief has raised about
100000, which was as much as could
be wisely expended. But now the way
is open, through the permission of the
Turkish government, to give unham-
pered relief and thousands of lives
may be saved. 1t is estimated that
s5.O00.ooO in all will be needed to re-
lieve the sufferings of the people, num-
bering in all about 100000, who look
to the committee for help. Commits
working under the direction of Ameri-
can missionaries and United States
consuls. are distributing the relief
from several centers.
The Worlds Sunday School Associa-
f1on and the International Sunday
School Association, cooperating with
the committee, had previously desig-
mated May IS as the day on which
Sunday schools throughout the coun-
try might take an Offering for the suf-
fering children of Bible lands. including
not only Armenian children. but the
destitute children in Persia and Syria
Tens of thousands of these children
many Of them orphans. are suffering
and dying for want of food, shelter
and clothing. So little is needed for
the mere saving of their lives that a
contribution of 10 cents will keep a
boy or girl alive for a week it is de-
clared.
Their Homes in Ruins.
In the Caucasus region of Turkey at
the outbreak of the war large numbers
of the Armenian population fed across
the boundary line into Russia. leaving
everything behind them. Now that the
Russian armies are advancing. these
exiles are returning to their homes, fol-
lowing the Russian armies. They have
lost everything. In order that they
may be rehabilitated, IT is necessary to
provide them with seed grain, imple-
ments for working the soil and to
maintain them until the harvest is
gathered. All of the articles needed
may be purchased at Mediterranean
coast ports. and that method is the
most expeditions way Of extending re-
lief.
Some idea of the vast number Of
those in need IN Armenia is given by
Charles v -vickery Of the American
committee for relief in Armenia, when
he recently compared the size of the
great preparedness" parade in New
York to the tremendous parade the
Armenian sufferers would form II they
were enabled to give such a parade.
Multitude of War Victims.
He said: "A full nine days of the most
rapid marching practicable would not
pass in review the number of our fell
low men and Christians who. we are
told on good authority. have been sac
rihced TO the sword, famine, pestilence,
outrage and deportation in western
Asia. Thousands, even hundreds of
thousands. are gone beyond our power
TO help, but a multitude yet remains, at
present banished from their lands and
homes. huddled in refugee camps alb
solutely dependent for food and shell
ter upon the bounty and charity of
their fellow Christians in other lands.
by a turn in the fortunes of war a
considerable portion of their land has
now been wrenched from the posses
sion of their prosecutors. They may
now return to the site of their former
homes, but houses have been pillaged,
lands are barren: they require grain,
both for daily bread and for seed with
which to replant their fields. Grain
and implements can be purchased at
neighboring ports. Money cabled at
once will enable our missionaries and
United States consuls to supply them
with grain in time to plant this years