The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-20

]. Il. !. 1. /. /.
A IN Tertiary If tie United States 10 the
N "a Sublime ro~te i the only man in
ELw9# this country to-day Who H.. first
I'm NzsEAa hand knowledge can tel q things
C1|TN As they arr in the land of the Turk
MfM Stricken with the dreaded typhus
K " 81 he lay ii thr point Of death when
A2llLzN Obeying tile mandate of Germany
the imperial Ottoman government
broke off diplomatic relations With tie United
States. Mr.. Elkus' personality had impressed
the Turks that the sultauS government insisted
upon his remaining in CunStantnople until his
health was thoroughly restored and he could
without danger Of relapse, undertake the long
and arluouS journey Ia America. Mr.. ElkuS
tlnued the excellent impression created by his
predecessor, the Hon. Henry Morgent.lau. and by
his efficiency and kindness had done more than
make himself popular in Turkey; he has made
the United States popular. Without any diplo
matte training, the plain American lawyer who
until then had been distinguished only by his
philanthropy made an excellent record in an
iremely difficult diplomatic post and while
gagged upon an errand Of mercy. visiting a Red
Cross soup kitchen. contracted the infection which
nearly cost him his life.
Armenia was upperm0St in my thoughts |
talked with Ambassador Elkus Peaceful. in
dustrious, intelligent Armenia an intellectual
people. clever iE practical affairs and of lofty
ideaism When Turkey entered the there
We're two million ArmeniauS. but the atrocities
of 1915 and 1916 very greatly reduced their num-
Der. Systematic butchcry and wholesale slaughter
Of these people by the Turk, makes this one Of
the most terrible crimes in the history or man
kind.
Why has Germany allowed these things be
done? The atrocities committed by the Turks in
Armenia perhaps than those of
which the Germans themselves have been guilty
in Belgium and France, but there Is something
in thn rNIH nyta irwin
tion of a brave and cultured people. What in
terest had Germany in allowing this thing to be
"tone? The only explanation that can be offered
is that Germany wanted the Armenians exterm-
mated because ii suited the purposes of her com
mercial greed.
The ArmenianS the tanners. the molers
The backsmiths, the tailors the carpenters. the
cay-workerS, the weayerS, the SloemakerS the
Jewellers, the pharmacists. the doctors the law
Ncr$ Of Asia Minor and of the Turkish empire
They are at heart a conservative people and for
hundreds Of years their trade has been done with
France and England. They do not take kindly
10 German goods Therefore Germany closed her
eyes while Turkey was discriminating them The
presence of the Armenian menace. or at
least threatened Ia retard the Pan-GeIman de-
,cIopment of MttcEuropa.
Sympathy for the United States
There is throughout the Levant and the Bal
kuns real and ieep-r"oted sympathy for the
United States The leading Bulgarian states
men are graduates of American schools and col
legeS The Turkish government has taken
graduate of the American College for Girls In
t'nnstantinople and placed her in charge Of the
organization Of Turkish schools In Syria. 1t is
especially among the middle and the lower
classes that the United States is genuinely pop
,ar. Emigrants who have returned. tourists
,ho have travelled all agree that America stands
for democratic principrs-that is, for liberty and
equality of opportunity for all, rich and poor
alike. without class distinctions. The present
grand vizier of Turkey started in life tele-
.iaph messenger boy in AdriNnopie.
Turkey broke off diplomatic relations with the
United States two weeks after the declaration
al war with Germany The exact date April
70 Ambassador Ekus informed by prom
lnrnt member of the Turkish government that the
pressure eXCrted By Germany upon the Sublime
Porte to break OF relations with America was
daily growing stronger. II Is significant that the
note announcing the rupture OF relations was
dated Friday which is the Turkish Sabbath Yet
on the dav when all public Offices are closed the
Turkish cabinet held 4 meeting and the note was
drafted. signed and dispatched. To everyone in
C,onStantinope this denoted that the utmost pres
sure had been brought to bear upon the SultanS
government by his Teutonc ally.
When the war broke out there was only $4,000
600 worth of paper money in Turkey. Every
hing was paid FOR in hard cash. and gold and
silver were the currency almost exclusively used
in the daily transactions OF the people. Every
thing was ON cash basis. There is In Turkey
SO months of war-more than $780,
900 900 of paper money the authorized emissions
having reached total OF nearly WWoooo