New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27

lutte justice to the Poles may mean in
Jury to the Jews, and vice versa. Com
plete satisfaction of Armenian claims
involves injustice TO the Turks or
Kurds. The difficulties in the path of
the international body that will decide
the fate of the several smaller nations
scheduled for restoration will there
fore be very great.
But il Justice as far as humanity pos
sible is to become the leading spirit at
the solution of the centuries-old ma
tional problems. then the fate of the
martyr of martyrs among minor ma
tionalities should be determined first
of all others. There is a race on the
face of the globe against which the
civilized world has sinned more than
against any other. The Europe which Is
now fighting in the name Of right and
Justice has been guilty Of the darkest
crime against this people in the las.
half century. Christianity has stained
itself with ignominy and indelible
shame by its attitude toward that
bleeding land to which Israel Gang
will, the poet of another martyred ma
ton. paid this tribute:
hitherto, through the long CEN
turtles, the crown of martyrdom has
been prominently IsraePs. And as day
by day during this war Of wars there
came TO me, by dark letter or whisper,
the tale of her woes in the central war
zone. | said to myself, Surely the cup
is full. Surely no people on eartn mas
had such measure OF gall and vinegar
to drain.
"But was mistaken. One people has
suffered more. That people whose an
Gent realm held the legendary Eden
has now for abiding place the pit OF
hell. bow before this higher majest,
of sorrow. I take the crown OF thorns
from Israel's head, and | place 1t upon
Armenia's."
Armenia's problem is the problem OF
the conscience Of civilized humanity
For more than half century ssyste-
matte wholesale slaughter OF Arme-
mans was carried on in the open before
the entire world, and no one inter
fered to halt the murderer's hand.
Among those who indirectly helped
this butchery were Germany, England
and Russia. The latter two are now
championing liberty and justice. Ar
menia's restoration should be their
first and foremost task in the pro-
gramme they have marked for realiza-
ton in the name Of civilization.
The national rebirth Of Armenia IS
not only a matter of sentiment and
conscience. but of justice. Armenia's
mart in history alone justifies Its res,
toration. More than two thousand
wears ago, in B. C. 3l7, Armenia hrst
came into existence as a separate and
independent state. Her role IN the
spread of Christianity was enormous.
At the beginning of the fourth century
Of our era Armenia adopted Christian
ity. thus becoming the pioneer OF
Christianity in the East and the mrs.
nation TO adopt it as a national reli-
gion.
After that Armenia served as a buffer
state between the nomadic. barbarous
Eastern hordes and the nations OF the
West. This was the period OF Ar
menia's rapid decline. Her enormous
population which under Tigranes the
Great reached about 30.000,OO0. dimin-
shed at a rate that perhaps has never
been eaualled in history. Armenia was
sacrificing her sons for the preserva..
ton of the West, which later rewarded
her with criminal indifference and even
active hostility.
For many centuries Armenia was
subjected to continuous invssions. Inc
Arabs, the Seljuks and the kurds fol-
lowed one after another, breaking up
all the political institutions OF the