Bisbee daily review., 1917-10-14

bers of Anatolia College, Marsovan
 Northern Asia Minor, together witt
 1900 others by Turkish peasants
 ilege of stripping the clothing of
 their victims bodies was described here recently by the Rev. George F.
 White, president of the college, re
 gently returned to this country The massacres were committed at night
 by order of the Turkish government he said, the Armenians being sent out in lots of a hundred or two to their doom and their bodies rolled into pre- pared burial trenches.
 "One group of our college boys asked permission to sing before they died and they sang Nearer My God to Thee;' then they were struck . down." Dr. White said.
 "The situation for Armenia, became excessively acute in the spring of 1915 when the Turks determined to elimi- nate the Armenian question by ellim- mating the Armenians. The Armen- ian questions arise from political and religious causes.
 "On the pretext of searching for deserting soldiers, concealed bombs. weapons, seditious literature or rev olutionists, the Turkish officers ar rested about 1900 Armenian men at Marsovan, accompanying their inves- tigations by horrible brutalities. There was no revolutionary activity in our region whatever.
 "The men were sent out in lots of one or two hundred in night de portations' to the mountains where trenches had been prepared. Coarse peasants, who were employed to do what was done, said it was pity to waste bullets and they used axes.
 ''Then the Turks turned on the women and children, the old men and little boys Scores of oxcarts were gathered and in the early dawn as they passed, the squeaking of their wheels left memories that make the of women and children were swept away Where? Nowhere. No desti- nation was stated or intended. Why? Simply because they were Armenians and Christians and were in the hands of the Turks.
 Girls and young women were snatched away at every turn on the journey The girls sold at Marsovan for from $2 to $4 each. know be- cause heard the conversation of men engaged in the traffic-I know be- cause I was able to ransom three girls at the price of $40.
 The misery, the agony. the sui fering were beyond power of lords to express-almost beyond the power of hearts to conceive, In bereave- ment, thirst, hunger, loneliness, hope lessness, the groups were swept on and on along roads which had no des- | tination.
 q received word from Ambassador Morgenthau that our premises would not be interfered with. Next morning the chief of police came with armed men and demanded surrender of all Armenians connected with the college, | girls school and hospital We claimed the right to control our grounds as American citizens.
 More than two hours we held them at bay. They brought more armed men. They again demanded surrender of the Armenians. rer fused. They challenged me for re sisting the Turkish government. They | said any one who did so was liable to immediate execution.
 "They broke open our gates, brought in oxcarts and asked where the Ar menians were. I refused to tell. They went through the buildings smashing down doors. linen our Armenian | friends, feeling that further attempt on our part to save them would bring | more harm probably than good, came forth. professed themselves loyal Turkish subjects and offered to do what was required.
 "An oxcart was assigned each fam fly with a meager supply of food, bed ding and clothing. The mother sat . on the load with her children about !. her, the father prepared to walk be- side the cart. I offered prayer and then the sad procession carrying 72 persons from the college and hospi- tai moved away.
 "These teachers were men of char acter, education, ability and useful ness, several of them representing the fine type of graduates from Ameri- can or European universities. The company went in safety for about 50 . miles Then the men were separated . from the women. Their hands were | bound behind their backs and they were led away The eight Armenian ! members of the staff of instruction Of Anatolia College were among the slain. The women and children were moved on and on. No one knows where and no one knows how many of them are still living.
 "The government officers plowed l the Armenian cemetery in Marsovan | and sowed it with grain as a symbol that no Armenian should live or die |