El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-31
ALsE1ENIAN NEFUeEEs
d aIvaneed difnculty in getting these IN

NEW YORK. May 31.-Two and a
~ half years ago a general order
I was sent TO all Armenian settlements
throughout the Turkish empire for
the deportation o. all Armenian sub
jects. IN Few cases was the destina-
tion made known TO the prospective
[ exiles, though, as the object Of the
order showed itself in later develop
meuts, the destina ton mattered little
To rid the country OF the whole Ar
menlan race. the one Christian note In
the barbarous empire, was the initial
purpose, aud TO 90 Dc in the most in
elusive manner possible.
Deportation Means Death.
At first, deportation sounded like q
blessed concession TO anxious Ar
menlans, as compared with former
n1assacres, but experience has given
the word new and horrible canu0-
tation Deportation now means GER
tain death for all able bodied men Of
Armenia by sword, fire or water. and
q long, weary march filled with un-
told terr0rs OF misLreatment and
neglect for their little ones, wives.
mothers and aged folk, forced con-
version TO Islam and dishonOr for
their daughters and starvation for
all who find no charity from abroad
Two Towns Rebel and Are saved.
At first many chung TO the hope
thar each day would bring better
things Few towns as a whole were
foolharcy enough 10 rebel, knowing
only too well the temper Of the Turk
and the helplesEness o. the Arme-
man The defence 0f the city Of van
and The stand made on the Mountain
OF Jibal AOusl are the only notable
exceptions. and their escapes in the
end were nothing short Of miracles E
ivan was saved by the advance Of the
Russian troops and the Jibal Mousa
group owe their lives TO q French
steamer by chance passing that way
But Few individuals have Struggled
their way through the lines TO places
OF comparative safety In neighboring
countries, thus eFauinE the cruelty
OF the prosecutors but suffering all
the larcsnlps OF runaway slaves
In the heart Of Asia Minor is an
Armenian village close by the town
Of Caesarea- Here there came the
order to prepare for deportation. with
the order came troops Of gendarmes
and the bands OF wild kurds. Three
days was the time allotted for the
selling OF Armenian property and
making all arrangements that Eere
possible Tor easy" travel The streets
Immediately became one frantic ba-
zaar. Articles were sold at less than
ten percent OF their usual value. Mos
lens from uelghborinE villages
sWarmed the place, hunting for bar
gains. But b did not natter that
things sold for song, for the order
expressly limited TO a very small
sum the money that each might take F,
on the journey.
Men Never Return.
Then came the call for all able I
bodied men Of the Armenian race =
between the ages Of Is and 90 that Z
had been exempted from military ]
draft to appear Immediately before /
the Turkish officials upon pain Of I
death. All felt that this was the be-
ginning or the end, and yet most Of 7
The men responded TO the cali. hoping f.
so 70 divert a general massacre and Z
their families None who responded ]
have been seen or heard OF since.
There were 60 able bodied men OF .
that village, however, who decided TO /
Turkish official News Of other de- I
portatlons taking place throughout I
Armenia had filtered iu past hostile T
guards and made them desperate o
Even before the dread order had come 7,
this little group were prepared I
were Of necessity meaEer and most /
secretive- In a hill a mile from the I
town is a cave of no mean dimensions. b
Here the men hid themselves Just be- .
fore the Turkish house 90 house cam .
Fass Tor Armenian men took place. d
and here their families Joined them.
leaving the town secretly In various
guises and from various points. 4
$50 Hide in a Cave.
BY the day set for general deporta- /
ton the little cave colony was COM
Dlete, numbering $50 men, women and I
with supplies enough for but +
two or three weeks journey. For I
Journey they must and unincumber j
by surplus baggage, as the Turks +
were serious in their bounding Of all /.
Armenians, and any day fresh troops. II
not so busy as those now present in Il
the town, might come through the /.
valley and SPY them out. Their plan /
was 90 take TO the hills. on and over n
the mountains. working southwark 4
toward Egypt II possible.
The first months travel took them \
well into the hills. even though the II
ascent had TO be made large n
y under cover OF darkness. Wisely II
as they apporuoned their supplies n
their food dwindled 10 nothing as n
they reached the summit OF the Il
mountain. Herbs, fish and wild same II
became their food, but as winter adj n