Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1919-12-23
PROMINENT Men
IN XMAS APPEAL
FOR ARMEMANS
Former President Taft Leads h
Eloquent Plea for Support OF
Near East Relief.

10 ave the lives Of 10000 people
= Armenia and other western Asian
countries and to are for more thaH
10000 orphans who are homeless
there former President Wul~ How.
ard Taft, Henry MorgenthaA former
ambassador % Turkey. 49, Alexander
J. Hemphin. the New YGse oe.ser. a
members Of the Executev COMMITTEES
Of Near East Relief the Nvaer Amer
lean Committee on Armenian and
Syrian Relief, have issued q Christ
mas appeal for continued support q
this organization and its work.
Near East Relief 10 now operating
under q government charter and %
practically alone In the western Asian
1eld, the Red Cross several months
ago having announced its withdrawal.
The Christmas letter, q classic Of til
kind. u ~ follows:
"Dear Friend-Another little child
has shriveled up and died
THE mother, creeping back. gaunt
and cold, from the desert. has put
down the thin little bones with those
that strew the road and has sunk b.
side them. eve to rise again.
"Only q little child and q mother
q on the bleak Armenian roadl But
what 10 that vision lowering there and
what is that voice the cold winds bear
to the al Of our souls-1 was hungry
and - gave me no meat; l was naked
and 70 clothed me not
"Today-yes, today-while we arr
preparing our gifts for ChristmaA
---- - Ah>~~ ANk<l~ >h(la~r~
not q hundred nor q thousand, Blu
$4,000 Of them-are still wandering
uncared for and alone In that dead
land, their weakened skins clinging In
fear to their rafting bones,' and they
are crying out with gasping breath, 4
ain hungry. I am hungry And the
voice Of n who watches us as we
prepare gifts to celebrate his birth
day comes again to the ears Of q
souls-'I am hungryl I am hungry II I
am hungry
Snow, the children and the mothers
In Armenia are dreading the winter.
Just human remnants they are, not
protected, many Of them, from the ele-
ments by even the dignity Of rags.
The most favored have merely shred
ded rags How shall we sing u
Christmas songs and laugh and light
the candles and give beautiful gifts
while that pleading voice cries In the
ears of our souls, 4 am naked and cold
naked and coldr
"But we can feed and clothe these
perishing ones-s0me of them-before
It 10 too late. Herbert Hoover has ca
bled from the Caucasus, 1T IL impossi-
Bile that the loss Of 100000 lives can at
this day be prevented, but the remain
ing 10000 can possibly be saved
They need not starve and freeze and
die IL We will save them. In the name
Of him who saw the multitude as
sheep not having a shepherd and was
moved with compassion toward Them
who exclaimed when his disciples
would turn them away, They need not
depart, give ye them to eatr open
your heart and purse and give to
these Christians whom he loves, who
are suffering for him and with whom
he 10 suffering. They need not lie
Give 70 them to eat
"Eifteen dollars a month will pro
vide food. clothes, shelter and educa-
UOu VOW0Eu 0S1A y Ava VA0 Va
phan child.
"Ten dollars q month will provide
food, clothes and shelter for n or
phan child.
give dollars q month Will provide
food tor one orphan child.
HE fed 5000 hungry people in the
wilderness and said to his followers.
The things that I dc shall " do also,
and greater things than these shall ye
do Today nearly 100000 destitute
Armenians-his people-need food and
clothing.
HE took little children In his arms
and blessed them. Today will You take
enc or more Of these sad, cold. hungry
little children Of Armenia into your
arms and heart In his name and give
them food and warmth and lifef
.What q joyful Christmas It viii Be
when with your songs and your laugh.
.er ysu hear voice Of wondroua
sweetness speaking to you, o, ye
blessed Of my Father, I was hungry
and ye gave me meat, I was naked and
70 clothed me inasmuch as ye have
done It to these. my brethren. We have
Zone It to me-
lin his name.
BEAUTIFULLY yours,
WILLIAM 81. TAFT.
ALEXANDER ] HEMPHILLA
~HENRY NORGENTHAU."
Tor Executive COMMITTEES. Near Eae
Rnliap