River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-01-30
ARMENIAN MASSACRES GREAT
EST HORROR EVER SINCE
WORLD BEGAN.
STORY TOLD BY MORGENTHAU
Former Ambassador TO Turkey Tells
of Wholesale Massacre and Depor-
tation of Christians by Mo-
Mammalian Rulers
rors of the Desert.

The massacre and deportation of the
Christian Armenians is characterized
by Henry Morgenthau, former United
States Ambassador to Turkey, as ''the
greatest single horror ever perpe-
trated in the history Of humanity"
The former Ambassador to the Otto
man Empire, in his report to the State
Department at Washington, also stat
ed emphatically that the deportation
Of Armenians was carried out on or
ders issued by the Turkish govern
ment.
''Fhe Turkish authorities had
stopped all communication between
the provinces and the capital in the
naive belief that they could consum-
mate this crime of the ages before
the outside world was aware of it,"
declared Mr.. Morganthau But the
information filtered through. 1t came
from consuls, from missionaries, from
foreign travellers and even from
Turks.
Exile Whole Race.
1--WE soon learned that orders had
been issued to the governors of the
provinces to send into exile the en-
tire Armenian population in their
Jurisdiction, irrespective of age and
sex. The local officers, with q few
exceptions, carried out literally these
instructions. All the able-bodied men
had either been drafted into the army
Or disarmed. The remaining people,
old men, women and children, were
subjected to the most cruel and out
rageous treatment"
Few nations have suffered as much
as Armenia" says Morganthau. $50
terrible and continuous have been the
atrocities to which it has fallen vic
tim that the very name Of Armenia
has, to most of us, become synony-
nous with martyrdom. It's sufferings
during the present catastrophe have
been greater than any known in the
history of the world. None of the
fearful horrors perpetrated in the
various zones of the war can compare
with 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
or 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 that
purpose. Homes were literally up
rooted; families were captured; men
killed, women and girls violated daily
on the way or taken to harems.
Children Thrown Into River.
Children were thrown into the riy
ers or sold to strangers by their moth
crs to save them from starvation. The
facts contained in the reports received
at the American Embassy in Constan-
tinople from absolutely trustworthy
eve-witnesses surpass the most beast
" and diabolical cruelties ever before
perpetrated or imagined in the his
tory of the world
The appeal of Ambassador Morgan
thau to his friends in America result
ed in the establishment of the first re-
lief work among the ArmenianS by
Americans. From that small group Of
personal friends developed the Ameri-
can Committee for Armenian and Syr-
ian Re1Ief since assigned the entire
Near East.
1t will conduct from Jan. 27 to Feb.
! % Wisconsin's share in a nationwide
campaign to raise $30,000,000 for the
relief and rehabilitation of the stary.
| ing and destitute people.