The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-11

taken Tn charge and lodged in the refu- gees camp.
 Just now the camp is jubilant over President Wilson's recent statement to Congress that he would not look with disfavor on an American interest in Ar menia under a mandate of the league of nations. And the camps approval of President Wilson's announcement makes the matter about unanimous throughout the near east. For Armenia, and the Armenian refugees constitute the white elephant of the near east The British army has offered to give the men of the
 amp a standing of their own by form ng them into a labor corps. but the Armenians will have nothing to do with 1t The French have succeeded indiffer- ently well in forming some of them into units in the Legion d Orient. The British also are enthusiastic over President Will sons announcement They say that if America wants to try her hand at the job of uplifting Armenia, she's jolly well welcome to it.
 The only persons who appear to be en- thusastic about the job are the workers of the Cairo branch of the American Red Cross, who have charge of the in 1ustrial department of the big camp. The optimism of the American Red cross passes all belief. Just now the American Red Cross. among a thousand OJHer ldSkS III tnlS corner Ol l1e WOTlu, S hard at work in Jerusalem, and no greater testimonial can be offered to the yenius for uplift of which the American Red Cross is the supreme expression. han the undimmed vigor with which it is scrubbng out the Holy City. RAW MATERIAL OF A NATION
 The case for Armenia, however. is not one to be stated simply. Armenia has not had it's chance. There is no shrew- der business ability than that of the Ar nenian people. Only by repeated massa- cres have their governors, the Turks, been able to hold their own against the Armenian genius for trading. What the Armenians will make of themselves when their chance is given them remains to be seen. At present the 5000 refugees in the big camp on the Suez canal are but the scattered remnants of shattered people. They are but the raw material of a nation.
 The camp itself covers some 250 acres of desert sand, and is as flat as a floor. With the bank of the canal on one side and an arm of the sea on the other the sand in which it's tents are pitched is filled With tiny sea-shells and remnants of shells. Except about the small red brick buildings Of the old Port Said quarantine station. in which the camp was started late in l5lD, there IS not d Dldue Ol green any = where in sight The presence of the sea keeps the camp cool and the north wind which sweeps off the Mediter- ranean late in the afternoons at this season of the year makes the nights almost sharp II is as clean as the sand on which it is built. Some of the tents may be patched and many of the refugees themselves may be clad in long coats of many colors, but the ie ugees, in the deplorable condition in which months of homeless wandering E has left them, are required to undergo five days of quarantine at the great camp of Kantara. farther down the canal, before they are admitted. Once admitted, their clothing is sterilized, and they are put under rigid rules of cleanliness, respecting both their per sons and their tents.
 The class of refugees admitted are those who are utterly without means for the time being. As soon as they have made and saved something from their labor at the camp they are en- couraged to leave the camp and to make their own way in the world. Hundreds have done so, going mostly to Port Said, Cairo and Cyprus. Those who remain are confined to the camp. only a half dozen or so at a time be- ing permitted to come to Port Said for a few hours. (Only refugees driven out by the late war are admitted to the camp. If the term refugee" were not thus limited hundreds or Armenians in Cairo would suddenly turn refugee. The camp is very comfortable placeD
 The British army has conducted the place since August 1. 1918. when it was taken over from the Egyptian govern ment. It's operation is divided into three branches, viz: The administra- tive, industrial and education branches. The army has charge of the administrative branch, operating un. der the command of the British Egyp.