Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-01-17

| NEW YORK, y. Y. Jan. TN"
| following Cablegram has just been. re-
! ceived through the state department
in Washington by the American COM
mittee for Armenian and Syrian re-
! lief:
The department is in receipt of a
| telegram from the American ambas-
sadOr at Constantinople, in which he
states that ---- has telegraDhed
through a confidential source that the
recent temporary suspensions of ap-
| preparations has caused great distress
at AleDDo. He reports that 10000 de-
ported Armenians are starving and
helpless in the regions south, east and
west of that city,
The relief needs at Aintab are also
greatly increased, since apparently
many refugees are escaping from the
desert and arriving at that place
Merrill asks for 1900 Turkish 0unds
monthly
The reports from Harpoot Konia
ana &amsoCn are OF similar Charac-
ter Riggs and Cushman each ask fer
.;U0u urkish Cunds monthly.
| Needs are eat
also r. ;uest increased appr)nr;"t;:'ns
| Immediately The relief W0rl: at
Smyrna, 1:ron"a and Constaut;LO.'ir
also require more each month. You
are asked whether you cannot grant
a request for 100000 monthly for five
months to give stability to the work
through the winter.
The telegram states that this is a
crucial time, and that the pressure
brought upon the refugees to compel
them to embrace the MOhammedan re-
ligion continues in the interior. this
being especially true outside of the
relief centers.
Messrs. Merrill, Riggs and Cushman
mentioned in the above cablegram
are three of the more than 60 mission
missioners for Foreign Missions, who
have heroically remained at their
posts in the Turkish Empire,
giving themselves without compensa-
ton to relief work Including consul
ar representatives. and other mission
aries there are over 200 such workers.
Some Of these are American women
who remain at their posts five, ten
and fifteen days journey from the
nearest consulate or American man.
They have been importuned to leave,
but after solemn consideration have
decided to stay rather than leave
large bodies Of refugees helpless with
out their ministry.
Relief Is Effective
Much conclusive testimony has re-
Gently been received concerning the
effectiveness of relief distribution.
From one station has come a care
fully audited report accounting by
proper vouchers for every plaster of
the many thousands of Turkish pounds
that have been sent to them for dis
tribution.
DR.. Hoskins. who has recently re-
turned to the United States from Bel
rut by the inland route through Konia
and Drs. Patrick and Riggs, who have
recently returned from Constantinople
with an intimate knowledge Of relief
work, give it as their judgment that
not one per cent Of the money sent
from America fails to reach the needy
refugees for whom it is intended.
The committee is now endeavoring
to secure additional funds, to be
cabled at once to relieve the distress
and restitution during the winter
months.
Money to BE cahied
The money that reaches the treas
urer, Charles r. Crane, 70 Fifth ave-
nue., New York. early in January will
be cabled to Ambassador Elkus, Am
erican consuls and other representa-
tives in ample time to purchase food
and clothing for distribution before
the Oriental Christmas, which, by the
old style calendar comes on January
10.
Story Of Suffering
The American committee for Ar
menian and Syrian relief with head
quarters at 20 Fifth avenue, New
York. has Just received a most re-
lnarkable statement from an eye wit
ness of the suffering of the Armenian
ref gees exiled to northern Syria and
Arabia. The writer Of this statement
is neither an American nor a native
of Turkey. but belongs to a neutral
country. He has travelled extensively
through the regions along the Euphra-
ties river and into the interior of the
country. In this report he graphical
ly depicts what he saw and experience
ed in the different places visited. DIR.
James L. Barton. chairman of the Am
| erican Relief Committee. states that
This report is in some respects the
most hCart-hrcakinG Of all the sad