The evening herald., 1917-03-10

Those Of NJ who are living under
the stars and stripes. In a land %
plenty, have little or no conception oi
the indienIties heaped upon the Ar
mcnlans and syrians. by the Turks. in
Asia Mior. Syria, the Russian Cau-
cnsus. Persia and Palestine. Lord
Bf,re has Just given ont the follow.
ng lucid account Of conditions ~
those countries.
I'm the history OF the early Chris
fian church there are no figures so
gIorious. none which have continued
60 be 20 much honored oy the church
eli through ifs later days as those OF
the martyrs. men and women who
from the time Of Nero down ~
that OF Diocictlan sealed with their
blood the testimony 20 their faith
wiihsianding every lure and every
threat In order 20 preserve their 10y
atty 10 their Lord and Master Christ.
In our own times we have seen
this example Of fidelity repeated in
the Turkish empire and :; j. strange
that the Christians OF Europe and
America should not have been more
moved by the examples Of courage and
heroic devotion which the Armenian
Christians have given. or the seven
cr eight hundred thousand OF Ar
inenians who have perished IN the re-
cent massacres many thousand have
died as martyrs which I mean they
have died. for their Christian faith
when they could have saved their lives
l, rcnouncing IL This has perhaps
not been realized even by those who
In Europe or America have read ~
aud been Mortified by the wholesale
slaughter and hideous crueities by
which half of an ancient nation has
been exterminated. They can hardly
understand how there should be re-
lieious persecution IN our time; So le;
me Try 10 explain the facts
1T VS. not religious fanaticism that
led the present rulers of Turkey 10
seek 20 root ont Christianity. So far
fr3m being fanatics most OF these
men though nominally Mohammedans
have uo religion whatever. Their aim
was political They wanted Ia make
the whole Turkish empire Mohamme-
dan In order Go make IL uniform with
only one creed and no differences be-
tween one class 81 subjects and an
other They saw that che Christian
part 81 the population suffering un-
der constant expressions and cruelties
continued 20 turn IT. eyes westward
and hope FOR some redress from the
Christian nations; =" they determined
20 eliminate christianity altogether.
During these recent massacres
whenever any Christian would tusn
Mohammedan sis life was spared. II
was only a. Christian that he was
killed hany 4, Christian child was
torn from IS parents 10 be brought up
as = Mussulman Thousands of Ar
menian Christian girls were sold il
the market or distributed among Turk
ish officers 10 be Imprisoned for life
In Turkish harems and there forced
into Mohammedanism. But mauy
more Thousands OF Armenians. women
as well rs men. were offered their
choice between Christ ana Moham-
med and when they refuoed Moham-
med were shot or drowned forthwith.
For days and days together the bodice
OF Christian women who had thus
persisted were seen floating down tho
Epphrates
"surely the remains ~ this suffer
ing nation could make mo- stronger
appeal fuf pity and apip To- TIE chrs
tians Of America than they make
through these martyr deaths only a
rtmnant b. nov left 10 whom charity
can boz extended. n he stlii soroly
afflicted remnant Some in territory
occupied by the Russian army though
safe from their ferocious enemies are
In sad need of help g. rebuild their
homes and cultivate once more their
raYagod iields The condition nj others
rs even worse They are barely srp-
porting life IN the deserts Of northern
syria whore their oppressors watch
their sufferings undor hunger and div
ease and refuse to alleviate their us-
nnles There is SIN however chance
for relief from without 10 reach them
ana their friends in Europe hope that
generous charity of America much al
" has already done viii respond once
more 60 the appeal made 10 it g. send
aid 10 these helpless survivors ~ an
ancient Christian p,Sople"