Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-18

Marshalltown friends of Maj. Edwin
l.. C'Tod') Jones, Il former Marshall
| town boy long in the army, will be in
| terested in learning of his latest du-
J appointed to investigate conditions in
the near east, reporting to the presi-
dent on affairs as they actually exist
in Russia and Armenia.
Major Jones probably has reached
his destination, as special story,
mailed from Constantinople to the
| Times Republican, Aug. q, tells of the
safe arrival OF the party at that port
Major Jones is the only son of Mrs.
Louise B. Jones, II North Twelfth
street, and a brother of Mrs. Merrill
II. Cole, 7O6 East Linn street.
The communication to the Times
Republican follows:
| Special to Times Republican.
! With Haskelrs Russian-Armenian
Mission, Constantinople, Aug. 27.-By
Mail.)-Major Edwin l.. Jones of Mar
shalltown is on his way to Armenia
as one of the special mission" sent by
ence to examine into and report on
conditions and needs of the Arlnenians
and other peoples inhabiting the ter
ritory south of the Caucasus noun
tains. Major Jones has been in the
adjutant generals department of the
A. E. F. in France, and was selected
by Col. James c. Rhea to be one of the
party which sailed for Armenia on
Aug. "a.
At the time when the conflicting
claims of the three republics" which
have sprung up south of the Caucasus
were being heard by the peace con-
ference, Col. William n. Haskell, U.
9. A., was appointed high commits
sioner of the United States, France,
Great Britain and Italy and sent out
to the territory under dispute to ex-
anime the question on the ground. He
found both Russian and Turkish Ar
menia in shocking state of destitu-
ton and suffering almost beyond be-
lief. He therefore appealed to the
American relief administration to send
| assistance and a certain amount Of aid
was promptly dispatched.
Concentrate Relief Work.
Recently the relief work has been
concentrated in the hands Of the
American Commission for Relief in the
Near East, and Colonel Rhea- known
in the army as Jim Grow" Rhea, of
Texas. has been sent out with twenty
| two army officers, two army field
clerks, three enlisted men, three civil
| ians and two women clerks to add to
the force at the disposal of Colonel
Haskell, not only for relief work, but
for studying conditions in the north
eastern part of the late Ottoman en-
pire and reporting to Washington pre-
cisely what the situation Is.
Colonel Rhea and his party sailed
from Brest, France, on the Martha
Washington, formerly an Austro-
American line transatlantic steamer
but now under the American flag, and
commanded by Capt. r. E. Pope, U. S.
n. On the same ship was another
party, also bound for Armenia, headed
by Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord. and
including Brig Gen. G. V. Fl. Moseley
and r. II. Mccoy and fifty officers and
enlisted men Of the American army.
This latter party will make a rapid
trip thru Armenia, from Batoum by
way of Kars to Alexandretta, on the
Mediterranean. to report to the presi-
dent as to the ACCESSIBILITY Of the
United States accepting the mandate
for Armenia which has been offered
this country by the peace conference.
To Remain Several Months.
The party Of which Major Jones is a
member however, will remain from
six months to year, making a more
detailed study Of conditions in the