The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1919-12-16
PROMINENT men
:: ! IN XMAS APPEAL
!" FOR ARMENIANS
Former President Taft Leads In
= Eloquent Plea for Support OF
Near East Relief.

To save the lives Of 100000 people
In Armenia and other western Asian
countries and to care for more than
25O, O,OOO orphans who are homeless
there former President William How
ard Taft, Henry Morgenthau, former
ambassador to Turkey, and Alexander
J. Hemphill, the New York banker. as
members of the Executive Committee
Of Near East Relief the former Amer
ican Committee on Armenian and
Syrian Relief. have issued Christ
mas appeal for continued support OF
this organization and its work.
Near East Relief Is now operating
under a government charter and ts
practically alone In the western Asian
field, the Red Cross several months
ago having announced its withdrawal.
The Christmas letter, classic OF its
kind. is as follows:
Dear Friend-Another little child
has shriveled up and died.
"The mother, creeping back. gaunt
and cold, from the desert, has put
down the thin little bones with those
that strew the road and has sunk be-
side them, never to rise again.
only a little child and a mother
out on the bleak Armenian road But
what is that vision lowering there and
what is that voice the cold winds bear
to the ears Of our souls-1 was hungry
and ye gave me no meat: was naked
and ye clothed me not ..
"Today-yes, today-whIle we arc
preparing our gifts for Christmas.
many more Of these little children
not a hundred nor thousand, but
$4,000 of them-are still wandering
uncared for and alone. In that dead
land, their weazened skins clinging in
fear to their rafting bones.' and they
are crying out with gasping breath, I
am hungry, am hungry! And tho
voice of one who watches us as we
prepare gifts to celebrate his birth
day comes again to the ears OF our
souls-'1 am hungry am hungry !! l
am hungry!!r
"Now,. the children and the mothers
In Armenia are dreading the winter.
Just. human remnants they are. not
protected, many of them. from the ele-
ments by even the dignity Of rags.
The most favored have merely shred
ded rags How shall we sing our
Christmas songs and laugh and light
the candles aud give beautiful gifts
while that pleading voice cries In the
sars Of our souls. 4 am naked and cold
naked and coldT .~.
But we can feed and clothe these
psrishing ones-some of them-before
It IL, too late, Herbert Hoover. has ca
bled from tho Caucasus, 1T Is impossi-
+, he that the loss of 200. 1000 lives can at
this day be prevented, but the remain
ing 10000 can possibly be saved
They need not starve and freeze and
die II W Will save them. In the name
Of him who saW the multitude al
sheep not having a shepherd and was
moved with compassion toward them.
who exclaimed when his disciples
would turn them away, They need not
depart, give ye them to eat!' open
your heart and purse and give to
these Christians whom he loves, who
are suffering for him and with whom
he is suffering. They need not die.
Give We them to eat
.Fifteeny dollars a month will pro-
vide food, clothes. shelter and educa'
ton toward self support for one or
phan child.
"Ten dollars a month will provide
food, clothes and shelter for one or
phan child.
Five dollars a month will provide
food for one orphan child.
HE fed 5000 hungry people IN thu
wilderness and said to his followers
The things that do shall ye do also
and greater things than these shall y
do. Today nearly 100000 destitute
Armenians-his people-need food ant
clothing.
He took little children in his arm!
and blessed them. Today will you tak'
one or more Of these sad, cold. hungr!
little, children of Armenia into you
arms and heart in his name and giv'
them food and warmth and life?
"What a joyful Christmas it will b
when with your songs and your laugh
.:er ysu hear "a, voice Of wondrou
sweetness speaking to you, %. ~
blessed Of my Father, I was hungr!
and ye gave me meat, was naked ant
ye clothed me; inasmuchs as ye hav'
done it to these, my brethren. ye hav'
done it to me-
I'm his name. -.
Faithfully yours,
WILLIAM 81. TAFT.
-. ALEXANDER ] HEMPHILL
"HENRY MORGENTHAU."
For Executive Committee, Near Eas
Relief ~ - =.