Arizona republican., 1918-12-23

stricken peoples of the East was held
out by DR.. McNaughton. The Armen-
ians and Syrians with their kindred
Christian and Jewish races in Asia
Minor are the only democratic peoples
of their countries. Long crushed Der
meath autocratic rule, they still cling
to their democratic ideals, and repre-
sent the only democratic medium in
the midst of an autocracy.
The war, said DR.. McNaughton. is
not a war Of physical force, but a war
for ideals and the only victory WORTH
having is that of the sphere of ideals.
The war for democracy will not be
won until democracy is given to the
world. And how he asked his hear
ers, Can democracy be spread to the
autocratic countries we have been
fighting if we permit our only medium
of democracy inthose countries to per-
ish?" The Armenians and Syrians
are the only democratic elements in the
east, including Russia; for, DR.. Nc
Naughton declared, the Bolsheviki are
as bitter against democracy as is
autocracy.
DR.. McNaughton also told his audi
ence, which on account of the rain was
not as large as had been expected,
few first-hand stories of the suffer-
ing and trials the Armenians have
endured to retain their faith. DIR. Nc
Naughton is a forceful, interesting
| speaker and as he related some Of
the things the people of Asia Minor
have been subject to his hearers were
much affected.
The Armenian and Syrian atrocities,
said DR.. McNaughton, take three
| forms: Massacre, torture and deporta-
| ton. OF the three, the massacres are
| the most merciful, for to the stricken
| peoples death comes as a deliverer of
souls from bodies, and from suffering
almost impossible to endure.
| The speaker then told of massacre
| typical of the many to which the Ar
menians have been subjected in their
| existence Several hundred Armenian
| boys and men students at an American
mossionary college in northern Ar
menia were one day removed from the
/ school forcibly, over the protests OF
! the Americans in charge and taken
| a few miles away out on the plains BY
| Turkish troops. The students knew
what was coming, and so used to the
massacres had they become that nc
resistance was offered. But as they
/ were surrounded by Turks armed with
clubs and axes one young man stepped
up to the Turkish commander and
asked that they be permitted to sing
a song before they were slaughtered
/ The permission was granted.
Then. with death a few minutes
away, the Christians sang Nearer Ny
God to Thee AS soon as they hau
finished they were dubbed to death.
That was one example of what the
Armenians have endured.
DIR. McNaughton also told of how the
girls at the same college watched from
their buildings while the surrounding
villages, where their homes and rela :
tives were, were burned. and when the
term closed SO OF them were homeless
One day they We're also forcibly re-
moved under American protest. given
an opportunity to embrace the Mo
hammedan religion. and taken away
1 They disappeared, to become the in
mates of Turkish harems and suffer
horrors worse than death. But thai
said the speaker, is the usual lot OF
Armenian women when a massacre is
conducted. and the fates they suffer
will never become known. But not on
has been known To abandon Chris
tianity to avoid the most horrible fate
the unspeakable Turk can devise.
The speaker also told of an Armenian
professor III the American college q
Harpoot. the largest American institu-
ton on foreign soil, who was thrown
into prison when he refused to sign
document confessing treason. He wa:
tortured by having his nails and hail
torn out, by being hung suspended by
the wrists and by being beaten almos
to death. Between fortunes he wa.
: tant in foul cell and given only blael