The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-31
CONTINUED from previous issue.l

These people" he said, refused to
disarm when we told them to. They
opposed us at Van and at Zeitoun, and
they helped the Russians. There is
only one way in which we can defend
ourselves against them in the future,
and that is just to deport them"
Suppose a few Armenians did betray
you,' / said. rs h a reason for
destroying a whole race? Is that an ex-
cuse for making innocent women and
children suffer-"
piled.
This remark to me was not quite so
illuminating as one which Talaat made
subsequently to a reporter of the Der
liner Tageblatt, who asked him the
same question. I'VE have been re-
preached" he said, according to this
interviewer, for making no distinction
between the innocent Armenians and
the guilty; but that was utterly impos-
sible, in view of the ract that those
who were innocent today might be
guilty tomorrow"
My repeated protestations evidently
persuaded Talaat that at least / was
entitled to an explanation of the offical
attitude of the Ottoman government
In the early part Of August, therefore,
he sent a personal messenger to me,
eNohiAAb IL 1 iOE 0SC III ~
as he wished to go over the whole
Armenian situation, This was the first
| time that Talaat had admitted that his
treatment of the Arnsenians was a
matter with which l had any concern
The interview took place two days af-
the last time l had visited Talaat
had shaved my beard. AS soon as
came in the burly minister began talk
ing in his customary bantering fash
ion.
You have become a young mar
again." he said; you are so young now
that I can not go to you for advice
any more"
81 have shaved my beard" 1 replied
because it had become very gray
made gray by your treatment OF thu
Armenians."
After this exchange of compliment
we settled down to the business il
hand. 81 have asked you to come to
day." began Talaat, 80 that | car
menian subject. We base our objec
tons to the Armenians On three dis
tinct grounds. In the first place, the!
nave enriched themselves at the eX
pense of the Turks. In the seconC
place, they are determined to dominee'
over us and to establish a separate
state. In the third place, they hav'
| pItillS ClNOul d6Ch bul CllCllllCo' 1 Nv
have assisted the Russians in the eau
casus and our failure there is Target,
explained by their actions. We hay,
therefore come to the irreVocable de
cision that we shall make them power
less before this war is ended
On every one of these points | ha'
plenty of arguments in rebuttal, Ia
laat's first objection was merely al
admission that the Armenians wer'
more industrious and more able thai
the -thick-witted and lazy Turks. Mas
sacre as a means of destroying bust
ness competition was certainly al
original conception! His general charg,
that the Armenians were "conspiring'
against Turkey and that they openl,
sympathized with Turkeys enemie
merely meant, when reduced to 1t
original elements. that the Armenian
were constantly appealing to the Euro
pean powers to protect them agains
robbery, murder and outrage. The Ar
menian problem. like most race prob
i'll treatment n injustice. Their
could be only one solution for it, tn
creation of an orderly system of gov
eminent, in which all citizens were t
be treated upon an equality, and II
which all offenses were to be punishel
as the acts of individuals and not a
Of peoples. l argued for a long tim
along these and similar lines.
1T is no use for you to argue" Tia
laat answered. I'VE nave already dis
posed of three quarters OF the Arme
mans; there are none at all left il
Bitlis, Van and Erzeroum The hatre,
between the Turks and the Armenian
is now so intense that we have go