The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-29


 United States during the week of auspices of the American Committee
 Malcolm Lockhart of Atlanta, direc- tor for the southern states in the cam paign for the relief in the near east was in Birmingham yesterday confer ring with local people in sympathy with the movement and to receive sugges- tions as to a chairman for Jefferson county. The name of the chairman will be announced later.
 Mir. Lockhart goes from here to Okla homa City and while en tour will visit the principal cities of all southern states west of Alabama.
 The campaign begins January 12 and continues until the 18th. Mir. Lockhart stated yesterday that the campaign for relief of the peoples in the near east was purposely postponed until all other war work was out of the way, but as the needs of those people are very great and urgent it will now be put on. Alabama has been allotted $200,- 900.
 Help the Starving in the Bible Lands" Is the call which has been sent out by the committee, formerly known as the American committee for Ar
  to raise not less than s30,oo0,000 in the United States for the relief of these un- fortunate victims of Turkish atroci- ties
 stirring proclamation has been is- sued by President Wilson in behalf of the millions of victims who are stretch ing out their hands to the people Of the United States to save them from what appears to be certain death and destruction.
 Tt is estimated that about 100000 Armenian, Syrian, Greek and other war sufferers in the near east will require outside help to sustain them through the winter says the President in his proclamation Many of them are now hundreds of miles from their home land The vast majority of them are helpless women and children, including 10000 orphans"
 Lloyd M. Hooper of Selma, is chair man of the state organization for Ala bama for this campaign, and he will be aided by Director R. M. Mann, Field Director Malcolm Lockhart. Executive Secretary Fred H. Gormley of Montgom- cry, while Col. T. o. Smith of the Bir- mingham Trust and Savings company will act as treasurer for the state cam paign.
 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 The executive committee for tho state campaign is composed of the fol- lowing: Churches, Rev. R. H. McCas- lin, Sunday schools, Leon c. Palmer; Young peoples societies. Rev. l.. E. Brubaker; womans activities, Mrs. Jo- seph Brevard Jones; schools and col 1eges, Spright Dowell; bankers and bus mess men, Leopold Strauss; speakers bureau, Lee Holloway; industrial, R. M. Mann, all of Montgomerg.
 The publicity work for the state has been placed in charge of John Spar row of Birmingham, who is also a member of the executive committed.
 The campaign committee for Alabama will be composed of the following we'll known citizens: Gov. Charles Hender- son. Lloyd M. Hooper Selma; chair man; L. M Bashinsky. Troy; Albert F. Bush, Mobile; T. J. Crittenden, Bir- ard M. Hobbe Montgomery; Mrs. James F. Hooper, Selma; Crawford Johnson, Birmingham; Samuel P. Ken nedy, Anniston; w. J. Leppert, New Orleans; Ray Rushton, Montgomery; George B. Tarrant, Birmingham; c. c. Thach, Auburn; Oscar Wells, Birmfng- ham; Walter D. Wellborn, Montgom- cry.
 Under the plan proposed by the cam paign committee Alabama's share of the 100000 of starving and destitute Ar menians, Syrians and Greeks, would be about so.0oO people to be provided for, and it is desired that each county in the state raise it's proportionate quota, since the life and all that goes with 1t of an average of 1500 people depend on each county's generosity.
 CRUELTIES OF TURKS
 Former United States Ambassador to Turkey Henry Morganthau on his recent visit to Birmingham, in speaking of the cruelties of the Turkish government against these people said The massa- ere and deportation of the Christian Ar nenians was the greatest single horror ever perpetrated in the history of hu- manty, and there is evidence on hand to show that the deportation of the Ar menians was carried out on orders issued by the Turkish government.
 ''The Turkish authorities had stopped all communication between the provinces and the capital in the belief that they could consummate this crime of the ages be- fore the outside world was aware of it. But the information filtered through. It came from consuls. from missionaries, from foreign travellers and even from Turks. We soon learned that orders had been issued to the governors of the prov frees to send into exile the entire Armen- ian population, and the local officers, with few exceptions carried out these instructions, All the able-bodied men had either been drafted into the army pr disarmed. The remaining people. old men. women and children. were subjected 10 the most cruel and outrageous treat rent.
 Few nations have suffered as much" said MT. Morgenthau.
 ESTIMATES PREPARED
 Carefully prepared estimates based on eports that have come to the national committee from every part of the near asst show that there are 3.950,0oO desti- ute refugees, large proportion of them n exie.N The equalization of Turkey has made accessible to the American commit ee for relief in the near east this great