The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-26
CHRISTIANS ARE MASSACRED BY
 TURK SOLDIERS
Copyright, 1919, by The Internation-
 al News Bureau. Inc)

N~StSJ Ae9lAbr IJ4Js by 1He lnlefna1lOn- al News Bureau. Inc.)
 Consta Htinople, May 26.-A strilxfng picture of existing conditions in the interior of Asia. Minor is given in a report for the month of March, which nave received from the Archbish- op of AmassIa, whose residence is at Samsoun. Throughout this diocese the Turkish population is armed. An AL banfan, Yashar Effendi. when dis tributing rifles to the Turkish com itadjis in his district made them swear on the Koran to use these arms against the Christians. umbers of Lazes. the most fanaticaT and anti Christians in Asia Minor. had been imported into the district and dis tributed abongst the Mussulman yfl- lages. The Samsoun district has been divided into twelve sub-districts, and each of these has had its MussuInlau band.
 The villages in the immediate vfctni- ty or Samsoun are terrorized by a band led by Lag chief, Ekrem Rey In the third district a. band of fifty members is led by a Kurd. Mehmed Olou Redjeb. A fifth band is com manded by Fethf, son of the chief Of the gendarmerie of Inepoli The band operating around Afnoi is two hundred strong, and is commanded by Gasbar Effendi. The ninth district headquarters at Vizir Keupru has a particularly mobile band to fear This is led by a Turkish officer with ten soldiers, reinforced by score or more of villagers with two machine guns. In Samsoun itself the chief terrorist is Kara Oglou Kassif. These twelve bands are the principal cuIprits on the Mussalman side, but innr,nerable little bands are formed in the villa ges on the spur of the moment when news is received that any Greeks are migrating.
 Greek Bands
 Against these bands five Greek bands have been organized under Ratchakis, the other four leaders be- ing Kara Dimitri, Kara Sara Kara Keyaya, and Pandeli. The Greek bands were the outcome of the famous de- portations from Samsoun. These men took to the forest and mountains not only to save their own lives, but also to protect the Greek women and children left behind in the villages by the deportcd Greeks. They claim to be the protectors of the countryside When they receive notice through their spies that a Turkish band is moving in any particular direction they cut across country to reach the threatened villages first and protect them, but in all they number only hundred and fifty men.
 In the difficult endeavor to keep the balance between these warning elements are 200 Indian soldiers, but from all reports it would appear that since the arrival of the British troops the Turks in the district have become more arrogant than ever. A short time ago the English commander invited the Greek bands to demobi1ize, hoping that they would follow suit. After a consultation the Greeks deceided that they would demobilize half their bands and watch the results on the Turks, thus showing good will to the British authorities. Within two days two leaders of the Greek bands who had come in were killed in the streets Of Samsoun, with the result that the other Greek comitadjis returned to the forests and sent message that when the Turkish population were entirely disarmed they would place themselves at the disposal of the British author ities, but till that time they must take their o-v1 measures for the protection of the Greek inhabitants.
 Wholesale Murder.
 During the month of March sixteen villa ges were raided by Turkish bands. In one village a hundred and fifty women and children were killed or mutilated, and in another thirty nine men and eight women were killed. Five cases of kidnapping for ran- som occurred. The largest cattle raid resulted in 330 head being taken from one village, and sfxty-two attacks on individuals resulted in loss of life. The cases of simple assault and high way robbery are too numerous to tab gcyT Tt,a corner of Asia Minor during thirty days, and it shows the condition of the interior, where mixed races re- side.
 The Archbishop closes his report by stating that he has now come to an end of his powers of persuasion He feels like Pontius Pilate, and un- less help comes from elsewhere he must wash his hands of the blood guiltiness. Something terrible will hap pen he feels sure, as since the de- portation of the Greeks the Turks, who are well armed, are much more numerous, md he cannot accept any