The Washington herald., 1918-10-27

Turks at Van
This and other, OF his statemw(
were so absurd that ] found my3ol
spiritedly defending the perss<G1
race. and this aroused the ~
virier's wrath stilI further. ~
switching from the Armeniana. r
began 10 abuse my own countrl
making the usual charge that ID
sympathy with the Armenians -
largely responsible for an the(
troubles.
Soon. after this Interview -
Hahn ceased TO be minister for -
eign affairs: his successor ~
HALL Bey. who for several yea
had been speaker OF the Turks
Parliament HALL was a very diffe1
ent type Of man. He was mud
more tactful. much more intellige1
and much more influential In Turn
ish affairs. he was also a smood
and oily conyersationslist, rood
natured and fat, and by no mead
so lost TO all decent sentinents 4
most Turkish politicians Of theasinl
II was generally reported that Hall
did not approve the Armenian prd
ceeoings, yet his official posfsio|
compelled him 20 accept them arj
even. as ] now discovered. 20 defes
them.
HALL Was TactfsL
Soon after obtaining his csbln}
post, Hall called upon me ana mad
a somewhat rambling e1plans I'D
of the Armenian atrocities. b.
already had experiences with seJ
eral official attitudes toward N
prosecutions; Talsat had been blood
thirsty and ferocioUs, Enver sut,tl I
calculating. while the Grand Wind
had been testy. Hall now regard :
the elimination Of this race with tH
utmost good hUmoT. Not a sing1
aspect Of the proceeding, not evd
the unkindest things ] could sd
concerning il disturbed his eQusnirs|
ity in the least He began by I'd
mitting that nothing could paIlia}
these massscres. but. he ADDED
that, in order 10 understand therj
there were certain facts that
should keep in mind.
/ agree that the government ~
made serious mistakes in the treaI
ment OF the Armenisns." said Hail
but the harm has already bed
done. What can we do about
now? StilL, II there are any erro1
we can correct. we should correl
them. ! deplore as much as. I'd
/ the eHcesses and violations Whit
have been committed wish
present TO you the view Of the SUI
lime Porte: ] admit that this ia n
Justification, but ] think there al
eNtenuating circumstances thatryd
should take into consideration bl
fore judgment is passed upon ID
Ottoman government"
Charged With Aiding Rss.ta-
And then. like all the others. !
went back 10 the happenings
Van, the desire OF the Armenians I'd
independence. and the help whi(
they had given the Russians. I I'D
heard IL all many times before.
I told Vsrtkes" tan Armenia
deputy who, like many other Al
menisn leaders, was sfterward rnsI
dered) that. II his people resiI
aspired to an Independent eKistenc}
they should wait for a propfticj
moment Perhaps the Russix1
might defeat the Turkish troops a
occupy all the Armenian provfncd
Then ] could understand that n
Armenians might want TO set I
for themselves. why not wait.
told Nartkes. until such a fortunsI
time had arrived warned nd
that we would not let the Armenia}
jump on our backs, and that,
they did engage in hostile znI
against our troops. we would al
pose OF all Armenisns who were
the rear OF our army. and thai oj
method would be 20 send them
safe distance in the south. Env@
I as you know. gave a similar VAR
I ing to the Armenian patriarch B|
I in spite OF these friendly warnin1 ;
they started a revolution
] asked about methods OF refi(
and told him that already twenl
| thousand pounds CS1oO.Ooo) M
| reached me from America
! 1t is the business Of the Ottorn1
government" he blandly sns~ex4
I TO see that these people are Sd
/ tied. housed and fed until they e
support themselves. The cove
ment will naturally do fts CD
Besides, the 10000 pounds that
have is in reality nothing at all"
That is true" answered. at
only a beginning. but I am su
that I can get all the money I
need"
Reject Foreign Aid
1T is the opinion OF Enver Pash1
he replied. that no foreigne
should help the Armenisns. ] do d
say that his reasons are right
wrong. I merely give them TO u
as they are. Enver SAYS that {,
Armenians are ideslists. and n
the moment foreigners approsl
and help them, they Will be 4
cOuraged in their national aspir
tions- He is utterly determirec
cut forever all relations beJSe
the Armenians and foreigners1
rs this Enver's way Of std nd
any further action on their Aal
l asked.
Hail smiled most good-nAtur
at this somewhat pointed ques
and answered.
The Armenisns have no furtI
means OF action whatever"
Since not far from SOC. 600 Arr7j
mans had been killed by this tir}
! Halils genial retort certainly N
one virtue which most OF his otlj
statements IN this interview II
lack Cd-it was the truth.
How many Armenians in 4
southern provinces are in need
help" ] asked.
Il do not know; I would not sd
you even an approximate figure
Are there several hundred thoI
ssnd?"
Il should think so" Haln SdrnI
ted. but I cannot say how nal
hundred thousand"
A great many suffered" he 81
ed. simply because Enver could 4
snare frnnns u defend them 81