New-York tribune., 1918-01-30
The Armenian Question
Il Problem Centuries Old That May Now Be Solued--
The American Answer
4 Statement BY the Armenian and Syrian Relief

January the Allies answered President Will
aims in this language:
"The liberation of the peoples that now lie
beneath the murdcrous tyranny Of the Turks.
and
"Thc expulsion from Europe Of the Ottoman
Empire, which has proved so radically alien
to Western civilization"
Premier Lloyd George declared in his latest
speech
"Whlc do not challenge the mainte-
nance of the Turkish Empire in the home
lands Of the Turkish race. with its capital
Constantinoplc - the passage between the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea being inter
nationalized and neutraized- Arabia. Ar
mcnia, Mesopotama, Syria and Palestine are,
in our judgment, entitled to recognition Of
their separate national conditions. What the
exact form of that recognition should be need
not here be discussed, beyond stating that it
will be impossible to restore to their former
severe gnty the territories to which ! have
referred"
4 Secure Sovereignty
President Wilson declared in his latest
message to Congress:
"The Turkish portions Of the present Otto
man Empire should be cssured secure
sovereignty. but the other nationalitics which
are HOW unuer l uIkiSn rule SnOuiQ De assured
undoubted security of life and an abso-
lutcly unmolested opportunity of development,
and the Dardanelles should be permanently
opened as a free passage to the ships and
commerce Of all nations under international
guarantees.
"A general association OF nations must be
formed under specific covenants for the pur-
pose Of affording mutual guarantees Of polti
cal independence and territorial integrity to
great and small states alike"
While these references are not very explicit
as to the form which the future "reoognition'
Of Armenian claims shall take, it is reason
ably certain that the old order Of OPPRESSION
cruelty and massacre is ended, and that the
new era Of freedom and liberty is dawnng in
the Near East. The Armenian question is
approaching solution.
That America is bound to help in the franz
ing OF the Allied answer to the Armenian
question is certain, inevitable and inescapable
America is bound to Armenia by many ties,
material as we'll as spiritual. She has the
largest stake in the religious and educational
future Of Asia Minor Of any nation in the
world. Almost alone she has maintained
within the borders of the Ottoman Empire re-
hgious and educational establishments whose
material Investment amounts 20 more than
$AO0OO,OO0. These must be saved and con-
served, or more than eighty years of heroic
enterprise will be lost Far and away beyond
the pompous and sometimes devious achieve
ments OF European diplomacy in the Near
East is the religious and educational work Of
American missionaries.
There is thing that America can and
must do, quite apart from any future partici-
patton in problematical policies of recognition,
restoration and reconstruction. She can and
must set out to save these heroic but despair-
ing peoples from ultimate extinction BY the
slow process Of starvation. She must feed
their 100000 of destitute men, women and
children who look to her as their only hope
This she must do at once. This must be her
immediate answer to the Armenian question
food. If this be not Forthcoming, there may
soon be no remnant left TO save and educate
FOR the future. Among these millions arc
over 100000 little orphaned children. the nope
OF the future. Save them NOW and there will
DC hope for q desparng and disappearing
race, brothers in spirit to all American lover,
Of freedom and liberty,