The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-07
There Should Be One in Ar
menia To Bring Order.
So Says Former English Am
basSador to the u. S.

Correspondence of the Associated Press)
London.-In the opinion of Viscount
James Bryce. former ambassador to
| the United States. lit is extremely de-
sirable that every effort should he
made to send in a sufficient allied
force to occupy what was Turkish
Armenia and re-establish some sort of
| order there.
This view is expressed in a commu-
| nication to the Manchester Guardian.
coupled with a regret that the condi-
| lions of the, Turkish armistice failed
to provide for the immediate occupa-
| ton by the allies of the six Armenian
vilayets and also of Cilicia (modern
! province of Adana. on the Mediterra-
| nean) Lord Bryce says, however:
| Il cannot think that this omission
| was due to any doubt as to the neces-
i sity, and indeed the solemn duty, of
| delivering all the Armenian districts
utterly and forever from any vestige
| of Turkish rule The British govern
ment, he continues, has pledged itself
so frequently and clearly to this di-
I liverance, and, as We understand, both
| President Wilson and the French gov
| eminent have expressed themselves so
| strongly in favor of such policy, that
| we cannot doubt the honest purpose
| or the government"
| Cause of Indignation.
TT need hardly be said" the state
ment goes on, that to leave the east
err Christians of Armenia and Syria
under Turkish rule would excite the
warmest indignation all over the coun-
try, and if possible still warmer in
dignation in the United States, where
the interest in Armenia has been eX
tremely great and has been evinced
by the enormous contribut: ons which
have been made to the relief of the
Armenian refugees.
Can anybody in this country be
found who thinks that after the three
hideous massacres which the Turks
1895, eliminating in the worst mas
sacre of all in 1915, when 100000
Christians persisted, it would be pos
sible, for any Christian power. or in
deed any power of human feeling. to
leave the Turk free to begin oppres-
| turning the Turk out of the country
the anger and horror which his cruel
ties have excited? I need hardly add
that the presence of Turkish rule in
these regions, with their great strate-
gical Importance, would be material
to Germany, if ever she saw her
chance. in realizing her schemes for
pushing her influence towards Persia
and Central Asia.
Huge Single Crime,
"One fails to see any reason why
| the Turks, being absolutely at the
mercy of the allies, having committed,
with the tacit approval of Germany.
the hugest single crime that has been
| mitted in the whole course of the
| war, should not have been compelled
to an absolutely unconditional Surren-
| der. Why should any favorable con-
ditions have been granted to them who
have shown that, whether under Abdul
Hamid or under ruffians like Enver
and Talaat. they are capable of the
most revolving crimes?"
&c
mobilization of the Turkish army will
let loose a large number of armed
men accustomed to acts of violence
who will scatter over the country and
for whom the Turkish government will
not attempt to provide.
Another thing to consider, he says,
. is that allied forces, if on the spot.
could rescue many of the Christian
, women seized by the Turks and car
, ried off to be sold into slavery to
become inmates of Turkish harems.
. They might rescue, too, he thinks,
! numbers of the boys that were seized,
given to dervishes and carried off to
i be brought up as Mussulmans.
Furthermore, one should remember,
he says, the great numbers of refugees
that fled across the Russian frontier
< from the northern Armenian prov
inces, and who have not ventured to
= return owing to the fear of encounter
ing rowing bands of demobilized Turk
t ish soldiers. Only the presence of al
lied troops would induce them to re-
l turn to their homes.
For all these reasons" he sums up,
5 lit seems urgent in the interests of hui
mainly that these territories should
= be reduced to some sort of order al
the earliest possible moment. 1t is
l useless to expect any of these things
will be done by the Turkish govern
ment."