The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-08-02

we were rescued Dy the BrlClSn
troops who entered the city of Mos
soul almost unaWares. On entering
thus they caused the Turks to make
a precipitous flight without being able
to execute the wicked plans they had
formed against the Christians
Now if you wish to know something
of what we have suffered, the conse-
quences of which are cruelty felt in
all the families of the Christian COM
munities, l shall tell you about it in
general way without going into par
ticulars; for these could not be re-
counted.
Military Center.
In consequence of the occupation
of the city of Bagdad by the English
troops, Mossoul became for the Turks
the strategic center of their military
operations. This brought about our
ruin. The Turks by threats and by
force occupied the houses, churches,
schools, hotels, mosques, ETC., for their
troops, their sick, and for storing
away provisions and ammunition.
But what was for us the most bitter
cup, what drained, so to speak, our
very blood, was the presence of the
Germans and the Austrians, for whose
needs the Turks could not provide
and hence they despoiled us of all we
had, money, wares, and food. Then
began the high cost of foodstuffs and
the prices rose rapidly to dizzy
heights. Famine was stretching it's
gloomy shadow over our heads. On
their part the Turks, expressing and
terrorizing the inhabitants of the city
and of the neighboring villages, began
searches everywhere and requisi-
toned all the provisions and all the
articles they found in the houses. In
these searches they continually made
use of threats of death and of exile
against all without distinction of per-
sons. But in, a particular way these
torments were directed against the
Christians against whom every kind
of violence, cruelty and threat of
death and hanging was employed.
Finally, l may say that from the
Syrian communities of this diocese
they carried off at least 100000 Turk
ish lire in gold ($920,000). Thus the
Christians of this city are reduced to
the most squalid poverty. Besides
this the Turkish government exacted
large sums from those Christians who
were exempted from military service
Moreover, there was no end of en-.
forced subscriptions and gathering up
of clothing of all kinds, of furniture
of grain and rice, in a word, of every.
thing in the line of provisions or OF
clothing. This made the cost of liv'
| ing rise to such an exorbitant height
that life itself became precarious and
painful. AS a matter of fact a meas
ure of wheat, called "waznat" e
from 20 to 25 cents, rose to $500.
Die in the Streets.
The consequence of all this was
that we saw daily with our own eyes
people dying on the streets from hun
ger. The streets were filled with the
poor and with the corpses of those
who were dying there by the hundreds
every day, the corpses remaining
there for two or three days withou
/ anybody taking the trouble to bury
them. Sometimes six or sever
corpses were packed into. one bier ant
carried off for burial. The poor were
seen going about the streets in groups
and crying out Il am hungry, l an
hungry" and knocking at the door,
of the houses they would fall dowl
faint at the entrances. Many died il
their own homes because hunger hat
reduced them to such weakness tha
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