Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-10-14
ARMENIAN POLICY


Continued from Page One)
of President Wilson. We have or
dered our organisation to respect the
Armenians."
Apparently the Nationalists do not
wish to dethrone the Sultan but are
seeking to bring about conferences
with his advisers.
The Nationalists have apparently
made up their mines, in case it is
decided to permit the present Arme-
nian government to continue, not to
oppose the grant to Armenia of suf-
fcient territory to insure the forma-
ton of a prosperous state. with
port on the Black Sea, instead OF
isolating it behind impossible bound
aries.
Some of the Armenians, on the othe-
hand, lay claim to the territory from
Erivan, in the Russian Caucasus, to
Adana, just of the Mediterranean. but
others, recognizing the impossibility OF
securing the territory to organize such
a state. sueg egest abandoning the idea OF
reco onstituting ancient Armenia.
The members Of the mission are leav.
ing here today for Erzingan, Erzerum
and Erivan. where they strike the rail-
road to Tiflis. 1t is too early to antic-
ipate the recommendations which the
mission will mako to the American del.
egation at the peace conference on the
subject Of Armenia. The members o.
the mission have been accumulating
voluminous notes on various details OF
the problem.
The statement of Mustapha Kemal.
the Nationalist leader whose govern
ment controls large sections of Asia
NJ nor from Erzerum to Kanieh, on the
mote of President Wilson to the Sui
tam apparently refers to the warning
conveyed through Rear Admiral Mark
L. Bristol, commander of the United
States naval forces in Turkish waters.
that massacres of Armenians must
cease. Ths United States in this action.
which was taken during the second hale
Of August, did not attempt to speak for
the peace conference but conveyed the
warning directly and informally to the
representatives Of the sultan.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press. who accompanied the mission Of
Major General Harbord on its long ami
difficult progress through Asia Minor
from east to west and north to south.
IS the first foreign correspondent to
have conversed with Mustapha KemA
Pasha since the formation of the pres
ent nationalist government in Asia Mi
nor and his interview does much to ex-
plain the attitude which this new gov
eminent takes toward the Armenians
who inhabit. so large a portion Of tho
territory now under the sway of Mus
tapha Kemal's forces and toward tho
Cons. antinople government.
1t had been assumed in some quar-
ters earlier that the new government
set up at Erzerum would be hostile to
the remnants of Armenians left in
Asia Minor, particularly so as various
adherents, who fled from Constantin
ople to join Mustarha kemal belong
to the young T.: .kish faction, whose
leaders were responsible for the pol
icy OF transporting Armenians from
their homes during the war, which il
its execution, according to reports
furnished by the American ambassa-
dor, Heny Morgenthau. approached
an attempt at deliberate extermina-
ton.
The new Nationalist Congress-. hav-
ing broken with the Turkish govern
| ment at Constantinop,e, seems, ac-
cording to the correspondents report,
to contemplate the establishment Of a
new government away from Constan-
tinople and the military and naval
forces Of the Entente. but still ac-
knowledging the nominal authority Of
the sultan.
Major General Harbord and the
mission. having completed their tour
through Turkish and Russian Ar
menia at Tifiis, returned to Constan
/ tinople last week. Major General
Harbord is now on his way to Paris,
where he is expected to arrive on
Wednesday to make his report to the
American peace delegation. The dis
patch of the correspondent from Sivas
was received only after considerable
delay. owing to the remoteness Of
this town in the center of Asia Minor
| and the necessity of a long vehicle
ana railroad journey by courier TO
bring it to a center whence it could
be telesraphed. n.