The Washington herald., 1917-05-07
RUSSIAN REPUBLIC WILL
BENEFIT ARMENIANS
Horror of Turk Rule About to End,
Prosecuted People See Bright Future.
By JOHN L. BALDERsToN.
Copyright. 1917. b. the Mcclur. Newspaper
SyndicAte)


tcOpyrish', i'lT' p The Mcclure Newspaper
London April 20 (by maiD.-The entry
Of America into the war, the high IDEAL
ism voiced by President Wilson and the
spokesman OF the new Russian democ-
racy and echoed by tho liberalism of
England and France, has nowhere arous-
ed more JOY and hope than among the
Armenian refugees who have escaped
the massacres in which the Turks de-
stroyed million lives. They look for
ward to an independent Armenia, under
the friendly protection OF republican Rus
STA, and believe the worst chapter OF
horrors in the history OF their race
will also be the last.
Aram Ram, the Armenian historian.
consented to explain hiss views on the
present situation, and first denied the
current belief that most OF the AEme-
nian people have been killed by the
Turks. Since the war began" he said,
"one million Armenians, about one-quar-
ter Of the entire Armenian population
In the world, and about one-half the
Armenians In Armenia, have been muir
dered. The massacres were conducted
on scale unknown, even In that terrible
records Of Turkish butchery, and Il IL
no wonder that people have been under
the impression that practically the en-
tire race has been wiped out II will
surprise them to know that there are
a million still in that part of Armenia
captured by the Russians two millions
In the Caucasus, and about threee-quar-
ters OF a million more scattered about
Europe and the American continent.
Optimism Rules Race.
THE Armenians are a race that will
never die. We are too virile, too indus
trtous a nation ever to become extinct
no matter what terrible prosecutions and
unspeakable crimes we may be the VIC
Tins Of With Armenia 1t is now the
darkest hour before the dawn. This ma
tion. which had no part nor say in this
war, but had to suffer some OF its most
diabolical atrocities, is today looking up
at splendid vision-the vision of a fu-
ture more full of hope and promise OF
freedom from oppression than has ap-
peared to the Armenian people for the
last six centuries"
The Armenians, NJ. Ram said, look to
Russia for protection when they are re-
moved from the rule of the Turk Like
Poland" he said, I'VE will expect to get
some kind of autonomous government,
with the capital at Erzerum or Van. Be
fore the war the argument against grant
ing us autonomy was that in some parts
of the country the population was
mixture of Armenians, Turks and Kurds
After the war. II the Allies are victori-
GUS, that difficulty no longer will exist
The Turks will have fed while the Kurds
have never been more than nomadic
tribes always ready to side with the
stronger power. 1t must not be forgotten
that although they have helped in the
massacres they have also helped in the
rescue of a great many Armenians, have
fought against the Turks as we'll as
against Russia, and also are continually
! Rerl,e
no schools. You will find a school in
every Armenian village.
Great Development Coming.
There will be a tremendous develop
ment in railways and industries in Asia
Minor after the war and in this there
Is no question the Armenians will play
a great part"
NJ. Raffi was asked about the Russian
treatment of the Armenians. When the
Russians conquered the present Russian
Armenia from the Turks and Persians
little more than a hundred years ago."
he said, there were only $4,000 Ar
menians there. Now there are more than
100000 and this is certainly a tribute
to the rule of the Russians. The Ar
menians, indeed, feel that with the Turks
gone there Is nothing for them as
people to fear. Naturally, they look for
ward to some reparation for all the hor-
rors they have suffered.
only yesterday a batch of the latest
Armenian newspapers reached me from
Caucasus, and they contain terrible re-
ports Of massaCres that are still going
on. One man, forced to Join the Turk
ish army and who has Just escaped
through Erzerum to the Russians. said
that the country he passed through was
strewn with the bodies Of dead Ar
| menians. He met a group OF distracted
children who seemed to have lost their
speech. 1t has become a custom of
the Turks to throw their victims from
bridges, as the easiest way of getting
rid OF them. The ArmenIans have
saying: If you get past a bridge you
have escaped death
Turk Atrocities Told.
''In one province. learn. the Turks
took unusual precautions after a mas
sacre. They sent regular troops to burn
the bodies in order to prevent the Turk
ish inhabitants from becoming infected
with disease. The pretty girls have been
saved and divided among the men. the
rest OF the women thrown into the river
Euphrates. There have been massacres
Of the Armenian regular soldiers in the
Turkish army Men and youths. 1t is
stated, were cast into a great ditch and
burned alive.
In spite or all this prosecution and
bloodshed. the nation has prospered and
brought treasures even to those who slew
the people, and today the nation has its
own traditions, its own literature and
art. In 1896. when the last big massacres
occurred, travellers found whole towns
and villages razed to the ground and their
inhabitants exterminated. Two wears
later those towns were rebuilt and -four
ishing. That gives an insight into the
akrW,f ,f-taN toll
pie. 1t is bright and wonderful vision
that we now see"