The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-30
10000 ORPHANS
Fathers MaSsacred as Refugees
Fled Before Turks.
100000 Armenians and Syrians
Now in Caucasus.
FACE WINTER and famine
American Relief Has Done
Much for These People.
Govt Also Has Ex-
tended S1O,OOO,OOO Aid.

New York, Oct 30.-Twenty thou
sand fatherless children of Armenian
and Syrian refugees in the Caucasus
are in need of immediate aid to save
them from decentralization and starva-
ton, it was declared here today by
the Rev. F. w. MacaIium, missionary
in Turkey for the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions,
just returned from relief work at Tiff
lis and vicinity. In the Caucasus.
which he described as mountainous
with severe winters. he said there are
100000 Armenian and Syrian refu-
gees from Turkey, mostly women and
children as the men were massacred
by the Turks.
THE Turks made three drives
against Russia, which brought into
the Caucasus, which is Russian, large
1914 more than $4,000 Armenians
fled before the Turkish advance. The
next year $4,000 more migrated.
Followed Russian Retreat
1.-THE third drive is known as the
Alashgert campaign of July, 1915.
The Armenians of the district of
Alashgert in Turkey were by it COM
PEELED to flee to the Caucasus. 1t also
caused the evacuation of the city of
been defended in April and May by
the Armenian population against a
strong Turkish army. Russian aid
had arrived just in time to save it
and the Turks ran away, but when
the Russians heard of the Turkish adj
vance toward Alashgert, fearing their
line of retreat might be cut off, they
evacuated Van and retreated to the
Caucasus, taking with them all the
Armenians and Syrians there.
f-,r- In 81 SYafl In
of refugees. They were attacked by
Kurds on the way and 1000 were
killed About 10000 died of cholera,
typhoid and typhus after reaching
Russia The total number of refu-
gees from Van and vicinity was about
100000. In these ways some 100000
people came to the Caucasus in great
restitution, after losing large num-
bers, especially of men, and all their
possessions.
American Aid to $4,000.
"Relief work by the American com
mittee for Armenian and Syrian relief
began in January, 1915, and is still go
portance. The Russian government
has helped the refugees generously,
having given them up to the present
nearly 100000, 900. This supplied
them with food, paid their rent and
made it possible to provide for 5000
difficulties of the government this aid
is now cut off.
THE American committee has given
clothing and bedding to $4,000 of the
most needy refugees and has also pro-
vided large quantities of tea, sugar,
kerosene and fuel where most needed.
During the summer of 1916 the work
of repatriation was undertaken and
hundreds of farmers were returned to
their homes in the province of Van
supplied with oxen, plows, seed and
SO forth. This most promising work,
however. was interrupted by the
evacuation of that region by the Rus
slams in August, 1916, and the COM
mittee has decided that the time for
repatriation on a large scale will be
only after final victory over the Turks
has been won.
Monthly Allowance to 5000.
Among the refugees are compare
lively few men as more of them than
of women and children fell in the
massa ores. AS a result there are il
the Caucasus today 20, 900 fatherless
children in need of Immediate aid. Of
these the American committee is al
ready helping 5000 by giving them a
small monthly grant for food in their
homes