The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-12-03
ViscOunt Bryce Says Order
Ought to Be Restored
MUST NOT BE LEFT
UNDER TURKISH RULE
Tn the Interest of Humanity
the Territory Should Be
Reduced to Order


ence Of The Associated Press i'm
the opinion of Visconnt James Bryce,
former ambassador to the United
States, at is extremely desirable that
every effort should be 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 COM
munication to the Manchester Guard
ian, coupled with a regret that the
conditions of the Turkish armistice
failed to provide for the immediate
occupation by the Allies of the six
Armenian vilayets and also of Gilicia
(modern province of Adana on the
Mediterranean. Lord Bryce says,
however:
II cannot think that this omission
was due to any doubt as to the nee
essityS and indeed the solemn duty, of
delivering all the Armenian districts
utterly and forever from any vestige
of Turkish rule" The British gov
ernment, he continues, has pledged it.
self $50 frequently and clearly to this
deliverancc, and, as we understand,
both President Wilson and the French
government have, expressed themsel-
yes so strongly in favor of such a
policy, that we cannot doubt the hon
est purpose of the government"
1T need hardly be said," the state
ment goes on, chat to leave the East
crn Christians of Armenia and Syria
under Turkish rule would excite the
warmest Indignation all over the
country, and if possible still warmer
indignation in the United States,
where the interest in Armenia has
been extremely great and has been
evineeds by the enormous contributions
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
have perpetrated in Armenia since
1895, eliminating in the worst mas
sacres of all in 1915, when 100000
Christians perished, 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-
sions afresh, OF to fail to show by
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.
Zone fails to see any reason why
the Turks, being absolutely at the
mercy of the Allies, and having COM
mitted, with the tacit approval of
Germany, the hugest single crime that
has been committed in the whole
course of the war, should not have
been compelled to an absolutely un-
conditional surrender. Why should
amy favorable conditions have been
granted to them who have shown
that, whether under Abdul Hamid or
under Iuffiins like Enver and Talaat,
they are capable of the most revolving
crimes?"
Lord Bryce points out that the de-
mobilization of the Turkish army will
let loose 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 OF to
become inmates of Turkish harems.
They might rescue tool, he thinks,
numbers of boys that were seized,
given to dervishes and carried off to
be brought up as Mussulmans.
Furthermore, one should remember
he says, the great numbers of refug-
ees that fed across the Russian from
tier from the Northern Armenian pro-
vinces, and who have not ventured to
return owing to the fear of encount-
ering rowing bands of demobilized
Turkish soldiers. Only the presence
of Allied troops would induce them
to return to their homes.
For all these reasons" he sums
up, "it seems urgent in the interests
of humanity that these territories
should be reduced to some sort of or
der at the earliest possible moment
1t is useless to expect any of these
things will be done by the Turkish
government