The Washington herald., 1918-10-22

any kind. populated only by a few
wild and fanatical Bedouin tribes.
| Only the most industrious la boor. ex-
pended through many years. could
transform this desert into the abiding
| place Of any considerable populst ton.
/ The central government now an
nounced its intention OF gathering the
! 100000 or more Armenians living in
the several sections OF the empire
and transporting them to this desc
late and inhospitable region. Had
they undertaken such a deportation
in good faith II would have represent
ed the height OF cruelty and injus-
| tice. As a matter OF fact, the Turks
never had the slightest idea OF re-es-
tablishing the Armenians in the new
country. They knew that the great
majority would never reach their deS-
( tination and that those who did would
either die OF thirst and starvation, or
! be murdered by the wild Mohamme-
dan desert tribes. The real purpose
| OF the deportation was robbery and de-
{ struction; II really represented a new
! method OF massacre. When the Turk
ish authorities gave the orders for
these deportstons. they were merely
giving the death warrant 70 a whole
race; they understood this well, and,
! in their conversations with me. they
made no particular attempt TO con-
ceal the fact
Conduct Many Depor1atfops.
All through the spring and summer
Of 1915 the deportations took place.
or the larger cities. ConstantinopIs.
Smyrna, and Aleppo were spared
practically all other places where a
single Armenian family lived now be
I came the scenes OF these unspeakable
( tragedies. Scarcely a single. Arme-
nian. whatever his educa ton or
wealth. or whatever the social class to
which he belonged, was exempted
! from the order. In some village pla-
cards were posted ordering the whole
Armenian population TO present itself
in a public place al an appointed time
usually a day or two ahead. and in
other places the town crier would go
through the streets delivering the or
der vocally. In still others not the
I slightest warning was given. The
gendarmes would appear before an
! Armenian house and order all the in
mates to follow them. They would
take women engaged in domestic
tasks without giving them the chance
10 change their clothes. The police
fen upon them Just as the eruption OF
/ Vesuvius fell upon Pompeii; women
were taken from the wsshtUbs. chill
dren were snatChed out OF bed. the
bread was left half baked in the oven.
/ the family meal was abandoned part
iy eaten. the children were taken
I from the schoolroom. leaving their
books open at the daily task and the
men were forced to abandon their
plough in the fields and their cattle
on the mountain side. Even women
who had Just given birth TO children
would be forced to leave their beds
| and Join the panic-stricken thronE.
, their sleeping babies in their arms.
! such things as they hurriedly snatched
, up-a shawl blanket perhaps a few
scraps OF food-was all that they could
take OF their household belongings. To
their frantic questions Where are we
going" the gendarnro7 would voUch-
safe only one reply. To the interior. ''
In some cases the refugees were
given a few hours. in exceptional in
stances a few days. TO dispose OF their
property and household effects But
the proceeding. Of course, amounted
simply TO robbery. They could sell
only to Turks. and since both buyers
anu FFllt4E hllFN AllHA AAlFN AAdu WI y
= day or two TO market the acc Imu-
lstions Of lifetime. the prices OBJ
tsined represented a small frsction Of
their value. Sewing machines would
bring one or two dollars-a COW would
go for a dollar, a housefUl OF fLrni-
ture would be sold for a pittance In
many cases ATnenians were prohlb-
tied from selling or Turks from buy
ing even at these ridiculous prices
under pretense that the government
intended 10 sell their effects 10 pay
the creditors whom they would Inevi-
tably leave behind. heir household
furniture would be placed in stores
or heaped up in public places. where
1t was usually pillsged by Turlish
men and women. The government
officials would also inform the Arme-
mans that, since their deportation was
only temporary. the intention be:I &
10 bring them back after the war vas
over. they would not be permitted Ia
sell their houses. srcely had the
former possessors left the village,
when Mohsmmedan Mohadjirs-immi-
grants from other parts Cf Turkey
would be moved into the Armenian
quarters. Similarly all their VaILs-
bles-money. rings. watches, and Jew
elry-would be taken 10 the police sta
tons for safe keeping" pending
their return, and then psrceled out
among the Turks. Yet these rob
berries gave the refugees little an
guish, for far more terrible and ago
mixing scenes were taking place under
their eyes. The systematic e1termi-
nation Of the men continued; such
males as the prosecutions I have al
ready described had left were now
violently dealt with. Before the cara
vans were started. 1t became the reg
ular practice to separate the young
men from the families. tie them to-
gether in groups OF four, lead them 10
the outskirts. and shoot them. Public
hanGings without trisl-the only Of
fense being that the victims were