Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-11-08
RESCUE THE ARMSNIANs
DR.. Sturgeon Tells of Atrocities
Instigated by Kaiser.
Lecture at High school Assembly Hall
Last Nieht Beginning Of Campaign,
to Raise Burlington's Quota Of
Armenian Relief Fund.

An appeal which reached deeply among
the heart strings Of his hearers was regis
tered in the message delivered Tuesday
at the high school building by DR.. William
Spurgeon Of London, England. who Is
carrying on very successful campaign In
this country for the benefit of the starving
Armenians. The meeting at which DR..
Spurgeon spoke was presided over by
Superintendent NJ. d. Chittenden, who
introduced the speaker. The meeting
opened with the singing of America"
DR.. Spurgeon has travelled widely over
this country. having spoken in every State
In the Union in the 10 or IL times that he
has crossed the ocean. He and his wife
were on the Inflated Lusitania just pre-
vious to the trip in 7hich she was sunk.
At one time, the ship on which they were
travelling was chased by submarine. and
they narrowly escaped.
Never since history has been recorded.
said the speaker. has the world listened
to so sad a story as that Of the persecution
Of the Armenians at the hands of the
Turks during the present war. Not even
the persecution Of the early Christians,
the killing Of children at the time Of the
birth Of Christ, the horrors Of the Spanish
inquisition, or any other cruelties known
to man have reached the extent to which
those in Turkey have gone during the past
three years, or affected the number Of peo-
pie that these atrocities have done. 1t is
estimated on good authority that fully one
and one-half millions of women and chill
dren alone among the Armenians have
persisted at the hands Of the Turks. The
work of the committee for Armenian re-
lief in this country Is to save those men,
bers Of the Armenian race who still re-
main. two million Of whom are said to
be starving at this time.
DR.. Spurgeon described the Armenian
race as the people who have for years
inhabited the beautiful land which bor-
ders upon the Euphrates river. He told
Of their quiet steadfastness in the Chris
tan religion and their mental ability
which has made them the scholars of the
Moslem kingdom. The Turks have always
hated them as we'll as feared their
superior learning and the war simply
gave the opportunity to practice upon
them the awful cruelties which have
come so close to exterminating the race
entirely.
The speaker declared that the govern
ment of Germany was the direct insti-
gator Of the Turkish atrocities. He said
that Germany realized the danger of
having the Armenians in Turkey. in case
the Russians from the north and the
British from the south should succeed
In working their way into the heart of
the country. 1t was feared that the
Armenians would then unite with the
enemies of Germany and Turkey and
would cause trouble. 1t was suggested
to Turkey by Germany, therefore. that
the Turks "deport" the Armenians and
see that they did not reach any par
ticular destination.
DR.. Spurgeon accused the Kaiser of the
| murder of a million and a half of
Armenians and made 1t clear in no I'M
certain terms what he thought Of the