Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-09-29
Mandate of Armenia.

at the Congregational cnurcn laSC
night Rev. Metcalf discussed the ques-
ton of whether or not the Emitted
States should accept the mandate OF
Armenia. He thinks that we will be
! asked to do so by the League of Ma
lions and that we ought to assume the
responsibility. Practically all the
well informed people of that country
want this country to accept this
charge and even now there is u dele
CATION of ,Armeniansr here for the
purpose of pursuading this govern
ment to accept.
He called attention to the unselfish
work the United States had accom-
plished in Cuba. Porto Rica and the
Philippines and insisted that this
nation had similar duty in Armenia.
He expressed the opinion that there
was no danger of the acceptance OF
this country causing us to get into
war, as some of the enemies of ac-
ceptance assume to believe. Armenia
| wants us, France, Great Britain and
Italy will ask us to perform the serv-
ice. Turkey cannot offer resistance
and there is no danger of Germany
being able to fight again for many
years, certainly not before we shall
have completed our work in Armenia
and withdrawn from the country.
The question of the number of men
| it would require has been variOusly
estimated, running all the way from
couple regiments OF marines to %,
900 troops The speaker thought the
real number needed would be found
somewhere between these two eX-
tremes. There are 100000 Armenians
now in this country, he said, who are
anxious to do what they can for their
native land. Many of them would be
glad of the opportunity to go back to
Armenia, under United States officers,
antls,dO police duty. Hence the ques-
ton of securing the necessary force is
not one that is likely to offer Il seri-
Gus problem.
Armenia, in proportion to its pOpu-
/ lation. has suffered more during the
war than perhaps any other nation.
More than 100000 of its people have
been massacred in various ways and
many others have fled.
There is nothing in the League OF
Nations covenant that requires this
government to accept the mandate
over Armenia, but if there were no
moral questions involved the one of
finance would justify the people of
the United States in going to the res
cue of that sOrely afflicted and OPP
pressed nation. Armenia is rich in
mineral wealth and coal abOunds in
abundance. There is going to be
great demand for all kinds of labor,
skilled and unskilled. The country
now has but one railroad. 1t will
have many in Il few years if Ameri-
can enterprise leads the way. 1t has
no manufacturing. but its young men
would soon learn the arts of manu-
featuring under the guidance of
| Uncle Sam. Business of all kinds
languishes and it needs only right in
tiuences and opportunities to make OF
Armenia strong manufacturing CEN
ter.
1t is largely due to the presence of
American Christian missionaries III
Armenia during the past seventy-five
years that the Armenia people now
turn to us for aid and protection.
They have come to respect the United
States and have absolute confidence
in the unsclfish purposes of America
in the work of uplifting the oppressed
and guiding the way of the lowly.