St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-07-18
THE MISSIONARY
WORK in TURKEY
Remarkable Facts of Life of
Mission Workers In
y Ottoman Empire
(By The Religious Rambler.)

cans interested in missions in Turkey
are permitted to speak freely, all
sorts of interesting stories are being
told about conditions there. Some OF
the cryptic messages that came out OF
the Ottoman Empire are also being
explained. Many American mission
aries-practically all who are permit
ted to do work-have elected to re-
main at their posts, even though
America has broken with Turkey.
Two reasons exist for this. One is
that the missionaries are willing to
take all chances in order to be able
to extend relief work to the suffering
Armenians, Syrians, Greeks and
Turks The other is that they count
on the friendship of the officials. The
break with America came as the re-
suit of German pressure. chiefly
through Enver Pasha, the prime min
lister. 1t would never have come if
Turkey had been permitted to act of
her own free will.
In addition to this relief work, the
missionaries are doing service for the
sick and wounded prisoners. The
power and efficiency of Westerner,
in country like Turkey, is really
beyond calculation. One woman, Miss
GRAHAM, of Sivas, after heroic expert
ences in connection with Armenian re-
lief, has elected to stay in that city,
the only foreigner there. She is not
the only heroine in the present days
of Turkey, however, Mrs. Christie
alone represents the West in Tarsus.
Getting Out the News.
forced to leave are able to carry a
confirmation and explanation of hid
den messages that got past the censor
in the days when communication of
sorts was permitted. From Harput
has come the word, For weeks a
strange bird has been perched upon
the hills above the plain" This was
the first news that America had that
the Russian forces-for of course the
Russian eagle was meant-had pene-
trated that far west in their Caucasian
campaign.
From another city the word came,
Many members of the Atkins family
have visited us lately, and our hos
pitality has been heavily drawn upon.
We have found good use for our
Episcopal prayer books" Being in
terpreted this meant that the British
prisoners were passing through the
city and that all were hungry, that
many were sick, and that the prayer
book was needed for burial services.
! An official statement has recently
been made by DR.. Cornelius H. Patton,
secretary of the American board, upon
the conditions in Turkey. DR.. Patton
says: - ag't e"-a
How American Board Views 1t.
"A blow has fallen and the first feel
ingsis one of relief. At least the agony
of uncertainty is over. We know that
technically we are beligerents and not
friends in the eyes of the German,
Austrian, Bulgarian and Turkish Of
ficials.
The second feeling is one of salts
faction to find that our missionaries
under these flags are not regarded with
disfavor by the officials. We do not
fear for their personal safety or par
ticularly as to their freedom. The
German consul at Sivas has been most
kind. to Miss GRAHAM, who now. re-
mains alone at that point, and the
Turkish governor recently sent her
present Of -four, sugar, coffee, tea and
ola boon indeed.
Moslem Priest Prays for American Dr.
when DR.. Cyril Haas, of our Inter
national hospital at Adana, was ill OF
typhns,r the imam (Mohammedan
priest3 and several Turkish notables
wentsto the doctors house and offered
prayers for the recovery OF the Doc.
tor effendi, who cannot be spared
*
of danger. Miss Davies being also ill
an official caused ice to be brought b,
night from Tarsus for combating tht
fever, and this apparently saved hal
life.
Liberty of withdrawal was given b,
way of Constantinople, Bulgaria, Aus
tria and Switzerland, and quite larg'
party, mostly women and children
have taken advantage of the offer. w
W., Peet, our; treasurer at Constantin
ople, !. prepared the missionarie
throughout Turkey for the break tw'
weeks in advance, the Turkish censo
cooperating. DR.. Posts hospital a
konja has been Communicated an
Drs. Ward and Case of Constantinopl
are not allowed to practice.
Risking All TO Help starving.
AT the interior stations where re
lief work is possible, the missionarie
prefer to remain, and in spite of tn
upheaval not a few of our schools ar
runGng. 1t is most significant tina
the Moslams are coming to our insti
buttons as never before. There are sti
ways of getting money into the coun
try, and relief work has not stopped
Naturally. the missionaries are hopin
for speedy Russian advance.
-Four stations are already under tn
Russian flag-Trebizond, Erzoon
Bitiis, Van, and these may form tn
nucleus of a Russian Mission. Tn
proclamation of complete religion
freedom on the part of Russia, is c
the utmost importance to our work;
opens the way for large development
in the Caucasus region and beyon'
Already throughout this region "
have considerable force on tn
ground. They are busy disbursing tt
relief funds sent out from Amerit
and also in ministering to the stricke
people in spiritual ways.
Americana Remaking Caucasus Lila.
AT Erivan DIR. Reynolds and N
| NARROW have mt thousands of RI