Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-05-30


recently suggested that 1t be placed
under the direct protection OF the
United States, is discussed by Hester
Donaldson Jenkins in communication
to the National Geographic society
A portion of this communication, des'
cribing the Armenians before the de-
yastations of the world war, follows:
Armenia is a word that has widely
different connotation for dineren'
peoples. To us Americans 1t means
a vague territory somewhere In Asia
Minor: to the makers Of modern maps
Il means nothing-there Is no such
place; to the Turks Of few years ago
It was a forbidden name. smackins
of treason and likely to bring up tha'
bugaboo .nationalism', than which
Abdul Hamid II feared nothing more
unless 1t were liberty; but to nearly
two millions of Russian, Persian, ano
Turkish subjects it is a word hlled
with emotion, one that sends the hano
to the heart and calls up both prize
and sorrow.
Armenia is not easy to bound al
any period of history. but, roughly IL
is the tableland extending from the
Caspian sea nearly to the Mediterran-
can sea. Its limits have become Ut
terly fluid; the waves of conquering
Persians and Byzantines, Arabs and
Romans, Russians and Turks nave
flowed and ebbed on its shores until
all lines are obliterated. Armenia now
is not a state, not even geographic
unity, but merely term for the region
where the Armenians live.
"At the height of its power and at
its greatest extent the ancient KING
dom of Armenia consisted of 5OO,ooo
souare miles Of fertile tableland. ex-
tending from the Black sea and the
Caucasus mountains to Persia and Syr-
"a II rises until it reaches 5000 feet
above the sea, then it ascends abruptly
to the snow-capped peak of Mount Ar
arat, which is 1000 feet higher than
Mount Blanc. The land is fertile, rug
ged and beautiful.
"Into the soil of this beautiful land
the Armenians have thrust deep roots'
No brief civilization Is theirs dating
back to Mayflower or even Norman
Conquest, but one that is almost cot
erminous with recorded history; ana
every Armenian feels behind him this
vast antiquity, giving him personal
dignity and great national pride. They
begin their history with the Garden OF
Eden, which they claim was in Armen-
ia basins the claim on the native
statement that the land Is beauti1ui
enough to have included Paradise, and
also laughingly asserting that the ap-
ples of Armenia were worthy to tempt
a most Epicurean Eve. Their hrst
recorded ancestors they find in the
book of Genesis.
Their appearance is definitely east
ern: swarthy, heavy haired, black
eyed. with aquiline features; they
look more Oriental than Turk, SlaV,
or Greek. In general type they come
closer to the Jews than to any other
people, sharing with them the strong
ly-marked features, prominent nose'
the near-set eyes, as well as some ges-
lures we think of as characteristically
Jewish. The type is so pronounced
that to those who are akin TO them
they seem often very handsome, while
TO westerners they seem little TOO
foreign looking. OF course, the type
IS not always preserved white skins,
even an occasional rosy cheek may De
seen, and there Is small NUMBER OF
fair haired and blue-eyed Armenians'
THE resemblance to the Jews does
not stop with physical features, for
the fate of the two peoples has been
sufficiently similar to bring out COM
mon traits. Like the Jews, the Armen-
ian has been oppressed and prosecuted
and has developed a strength OF nat
ionality. a love for his own people,
and a persistence of type rarely seen
elsewhere. Like the Jew, he has learn
ed to bend, not break, before the op-
pressor, and to succeed by arti-
fee when opposed by force. How
else had he survived? Like the Jew
he has developed strong business in
stincts, and like him he has a talent
for languages, a power of concentra-
ton, and unusual artistic gifts. Botn
Jews and Armenians are very clever
actors.
independent Armenia, now a
cherished hope, once was a reaht9
as shown by an interesting sketch o'
the lands history, from a communi-
cation to the National Geographic So
ciety by Hester Donaldson jenkins.
Emerging from traditions, a dis
tinct people appears about 1000 b. T.
dwelling on the tablelands near Arar-
at. Have no natural boundaries
the state was seldom independent, bu'
was subjugated in turn by Babylonia
the Medes and Persians, Seleuci'
dae and the Romans. The anclen
Oriental idea of conquest left, however
q good chance of national develop
ment. Conquest meant little more
than tribute. The Armenians boas
of a proud culture during the ancien
period and lines of noble kings. The
Armenians were closely allied to th'
Parthians by religion, culture, and pro
pinauity, and were one of the few an
cient people who were never HELEN
lied.
"It is in the early Middle Ages
ages that we of the west call dark
but that to the near east was perioe
of great culture-that Armenia attain'
its highest position, and 1t Is through
Christianity that it made its contribu
ton to the world.
"In the year 80 A. D. years before
the establishment of the Greek church
the Armenian church was founded D!
Krikor or Gregory the llluminator
and Armenia became the bulwarK
Christianity in the east. Gregory wa
ralaf fivpS In MI