South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-11
SECOND DELEGATION
ARRIVES IN PARIS.

ARRIVES IN PARIS.
In January there arrived in Paris another Armenian
Trans-Caucasan Armenia, headed by A Aharonian,
formerly president Of the newly constituted Armenian
republic of Trans-Caucasia. He resigned this office to
represent his section Of the Armenian people at the
peace conference. on Feb. 20 Nubar Pasha and Mr..
Aharonian were called before the higher council of 10
OF the conference to explain the demands of the Arme-
mans. The desires of all the Armenians were the same
that Armenia be freed from Turkish misrule; that
the Armenian state should include the vilayet OF
Adana, which comprises most of the ancient Armenian
kingdom OF Cecilia: and that all the Arnenians. both
those OF the old Russian empir IN Trans-Caucasia ana
those Of Turkey, should be united in one state and
under one regime. Privately they desired an American
mandate. but dared not ask it. For if,it were refused
the Armenians would suffer for presenting tins claim
Judged by the standards of undeseryed suffering az
the hands of the Young Turk government during the
war, and by adherence to the allied cause against ODDS
which would have driven "A people less tenacious into
any sort Of a deal, however, ignoble, with the enemy,
the case of the Armenians stands beside that of Bel
sium. The horror Of their sufferinss has been in
finitely greater than that Of the Belgians.
In April, 1916. the allied powers. Russia, France and
Great Britain. came to an agreement upon the division
OF the Turkish empire, in case of their victory, into
zones and zones Of influence" This is the famous
Sykes-Picot agreement. which has taken the name Of
two of its nesotiators. Sir Mark Sykes. an English gen
tleman who recently died in Paris, and Georges P:cot
at present high commissioner Of France in Syria. This
agreement has nothing TO recommend it. Yet the Ar
menians were, at that time, ready TO support lt-with
The one hope of getting free from Turkey. Armenians
from the United states and from Egypt enrolled in the
French Legion of the Orient and fought the battles OF
France and the allies. under French leadership. against
the Turks in Palestine and syria.
UNITED STATES
OF THESE AGREEMENTS.
1t is this agreement that our allies wish to put
through-in the Near East, despite the fact that one
of its signatories. Russia, dropped out oil the war and
the United States took its place and did much To make
the victory certain. The people OF the United States
were ignorant of these agreements. American soldiers
were hardly lighting TO give Cilicia and lower Armenia
to France. Yet the allied diplomats are working day
and night to make the division OF Turkey on the lines
of the Sykes-Picot agreement, which Will cut off the
lower Armenian districts and Ciicia from the northern
Armenian districts OF the old Turkish empire and the
Armenians IN Trans-Caucasia. Neither by geographic
definition, nor on economic grounds. nor by racial dis
tribution, do Cilicia and lower Armenia belong IN
syria as the French claim they do.
The general situation in the Near East determines
the destiny Of the Armenians. The situation at present
is that the old Turkish tyrannical rule is removed. Just
as the removal Of the hard hand Of the old Russian
regime resulted ina chaos in the Russian empire, so
the breaking down of Turkey would have naturally
resulted in chaos in the ottoman empire-but for one
face. Certain areas. Palestine, Syria anG Mesopotamia.
were strongly held by allied forces. British troops
have occupied the railway centers, Baku. Tiflis, BatinL
Kars. AleXandropol in Trans-Caucasa. French troops
chiefly the .Armenians of the French Legion of the
orient. occupy the principal cities Of CIiCia.
This allied occupation is too thin to be effective, eA-