The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-08
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"Wednesday, January 8, 1918.
GREATEST HORROR IN HISTORY

The United States is asked to next
week to contribute thirty million dol
lars for the relief Of the Armenians
and Syrians who have suffered from
cruelty and barbarism of the TURKS.
This is less than thirty cents per
person for the people of this country
Bennington's quota is $4,000 which is
so small that it ought to be raised in
one day.
The Syrians and Armenians were
the first people to accept the teach
ings of Christianity and have suffer
ed longer and more severely from the
Mohammedan fanatics than any other
races. This fact alone ought to
warm the hearts of generous Ameri
cans.
The massacre and deportation Of
the Christian Armenians is character
lied by Henry Morgenthau. former
United States Ambassador to Turkey
as "the greatest single horror ever
perpetrated in the history of humani-
IT," The former Ambassador to the
ottoman Empire. in his report to the
State Department at Washington, al
so stated emphatically that the de.
portation of Armenians was carried
out on orders issued by the Turkish
government,
1.-THE Turkish authorities had stop
ped all communication between the
provinces and the capital in the naive
belief that they could consummate
this crime Of the ages before the out.
side world was aware OF it, declared
Mr.. Morganthau. "But the informa-
ton filtered through 1t came from
consuls. from missionaries, from for
eign traveller "a even from Turks.
we seon lesInei that orders had
been issutl 3 The governors of the
provinces to send into exile the entire
Armenian population in their jurisdic-
ton, irrespective of age and sex. The
local oEcers, with a few exceptions
carried out literally these instruc
tons. All the able-bodied men had
either been drafted into the army OF
disarmed The remaining people, old
men, women and children were sub
jected to Ihe most cruel and outrage
ous~ treatment.
Few nations have suffered as much
as Armenia says Morganthau. sc
terrible and continuous have been the
atrocities to which it has fallen vic
tim that The very name Of Armenia
has, to most OF u.s. become synony
nous with martyrdom Its sufferings
during the present catastrophe have
been greater than any known in the
history of the world. None Of the fear
full horrors perpetrated in the variou;
zones of the war can compare Will
the tragic lot of the Armenians.
"The final and worst measure USED
against the Armenians was the whole
sale deportation Of the entire popula
ton from their homes and their exile
to the desert with all the accompany
ing horrors of the way No means
were provided for their transportation
on nourishment The victims. includ
ing the most refined and respected
men and women, had TO walk on foot
exposed TO the attacks of bands Of
criminals specially organized for tha
purpose. Homes were literally up
rooted, families were captured: mer
killed, women and girls violated daily
on the way or taken to harems. Chill
dren were thrown into the rivers OF
sold to strangers by their mothers tC
save them from starvation. The
facts contained in the reports receiv
ed at the American Embassy in Con
stantinopIe from absolutely trust
worthy eye.witnesses surpass tn,
most beastly and diabolical cruelte,
ever before perpetrated or imagined
in the history Of the world"
The. appeal Of Ambassador Morgan
thau to his friends in America result
ed in the establishment of the frs
relief work among the Armenians b!
Americans. From that small groul
of personal friends has developed the
American Committee for Armenian
and Syrian relief. 1t has now been as
signed the entire Near East territory
by the Red Cross under the nam,
Committee for Armenian and Syrian
Relief. II will conduct from Januar,
10th 20 18th q nationwide campaign
to raise SSO,OOO,OOO for the relief ant
rehabilitation of the starving ant
destitute people