The Detroit times., 1917-02-17
RELIEF IN
TURKEY IS
IMPERILED
Break With Ottoman
Empire w ould En-
danger Missionaries.
NTERNED FOLKS
WOULD SUFFER
~ rHG RELIGIOUS RAMBLER

while The press has been 30 en-
srnssed with the Teutonic aspect OF
America's crisis that Il has almost
wholly ignored Turkey. host OF
informed men and women are look
~ toward Developments in the near
est AZ more significant for the
United States than anything that
nay happen In connection with Ger
uany.
A break with Turkey imperils
American lives. American property,
"a American stewardship NJ idcals
lid IN trust for civilization. II Is
a. church people who are best In
Soemed upon this extraordinary sit
usfton. and who are most closely
vsachius Developments. This IL not
nsrely because most Of the Amer
ems IN Turkey are missionaries. and
Doet of the American property be
1onsy 10 churches in this country
tut II 10 primarily because. OF all
~ general American public. these
frisnds OF missions alone have been
1ong-tims students OF the conditions
r. the near east
y 1he tremendous importance Of In
l0oncing Turkey not TO follow Der
German overload In breaking OF re-
ktious With the United States may
- made clear in q few paragraphs.
within the Ottoman empire, since
a. ousbrsak Of the var has driven
eut nsittsh and French and Russian
osnsuls and nationals, America alone
has represented civilization The
Tsutouic powers have joined In with
~ Turks In . reign OF terrorizA-
tSon. Thsir part In the Armenian
1ooortafious. for instance. has Ger
tDtnly not bssn that Of . restraining
D1usnce. n il said. on good author.
~. that the British prisoners have
ouRsred WORT In places where Ger
nnns were most In evidenee.
Once he gets out OF hand, the
1sSk very easily revsrts 70 hts natu-
ri savaSery. Only the presence OF
the great powers has maintained the
UembIsnce OF modern civilized gov
ernment In the Ottoman empire The
outbreak Of the war placed all this
vast responsibility upon American
shoulders.
American consuls and mission.
aries had 10 take over the work and
interesss Of the British and French
and Italian and Russian consulates
md missions. Some day history Will
eive full credit 10 the Americans In
Turkey. from the Ambassador down
70 the rcmotest consul and mission
ary. for the unprecedented labors
hey have performed in looking az
ter all the varied and delicate and
dt1eult affairs OF these other ma
items. besides being the almoners Of
relief amid unprecedented condi
ttons OF distress.
Funds for food are supplied thru
pFisoners governments. by way o.
the American embassy az Constan
tinople. But the only possible wa,
the embassy has OF reaching ant
serving the men Is thru a mission
sry resident In Konia. Thus II come'
about that this large company. o
various nationaiities. are literally
dependent upon one American NO
man FOR their daily bread
Ali the relief that has thus "a
been given 20 the survivors OF thu
Armenian deportations--and $500.
900 has been sent thus far from
America--has been distributed b,
American missionaries and American
consuls. There In reasonable pros
bect that. II present conditions con
tinue. considerable remnant OF thu
Armenian race will be saved
Hut N America is obliged 10 with
draw all her representatives from
Turkey, there will be nobody left q
distribute relief The Armenian,
win die. by additional tens OF thou
sands. Germany forbade her ma
ttonals TO have any part In Armenian
relief work. the Turks themselve,
could not be trusted TO apply the
funds for the purpose designated
and there IL nobody else In the LAND
4 10 DO the work.
Many millions OF dollars. not u
mention hundreds OF devoted lives
have been invested In Turkey by Ia.
American churches. The principa
educational institutions In the land
like the famous Syrian Protestan
college. Beirut. with about 900 stu
dents: Robert college. on the Bos
rhorps. with only few hundre,
less. and the constantinople CoIleE,
for Women, all are controlled b.
boards OF directors in New Yorl
city. and they are the greatest edit
cstfonal institutions in the near east
Already. during this war. the ten
pr Of the Turks has been shown. Il
one dlsdain OF international right,
- strained has the situation bee
that all missionaries have been Il,
- permission by their boards q
1eave the country A. their own al,
ere<ior. Most OF them have CHOSE
70 roUaln. Anybody leaving his st'
tIGn. for any purpose wha'aoever.
~ permitted by the Ottoman go'
~~rnnn~ms An ~ssuru <o neu r,taxfos