The Owosso times., 1919-04-11
f''|F MICHIGAN were ARMENIA.
HOW The TURK WOULD TREAT YOU
tut Yourselves in Their Place. Says Spiane land Then
You Will Realize How Armenia
Has Suffered

Detroit, Mich, March.-"Suppose II
happened in Michigan"
James j. Spillane, chairman of the
Michigan branch of the American
Committee for Relief in the Near East
which Is aiding the exiled, starving
iArmenians. was describing the whole.
sale deportation of these people by
the Turks. who carried on a program
'of murder. pillage and rape that had
Tor Its object, according to our Former
Ambassador to Turkey Henry Nor.
genthau, "the murder of nation"
Suppose 1t happened in Michigan,
the population of which is now less
than the total number of surviving
Armenians, who constituted one of the
most ancient peoples in the world,
said Mr.. Spillane.
Put Yourselves In Their Place.
Suppose that the state of Kansas,
instead of being one of the most fer
tile lands in the world, were desert,
the Syrian Desert. Suppose that
Detroit were the City of Van, Grand
Rapids the City of Sivas, Flint, Bay
City, Pontiac, Monroe, and Cheboygan
went instead under the names of the
Armenian cities Marsovan, Amasia,
lila, Tokat, and Shabin Kara-Hissar.
Suppose that fifty miles or more
south of this fertile prosperous Michi-
gan of our runs a maintain chain, and
that the moment one crosses this
mountain barrier, which has a river
running along its base,-one penetrat-
es mountain passes that lead him at
once into a different world. In that
world the mastery is with the nomad,
and the traveller from Michigan Is set
ting foot in the land of the Kurd, his
bitter and brutal enemy, half savage,
and robber of such reputation that
all men gave his country wide berth,
"a type in comparison with which
the most savage American Indian
would be gentlemen.
"Now, comes a great war. We peo-
pie in Michigan are living side by side
with Turks, our enemies In politics
and in religion. The Turks join in
that war because it is war against
justice and the rights Of small peo-
pies, such as we inhabitants of Michi-
gan. Yet, though this is the reason
for their war, and despite the fact
that this Turkish government has
done nothing for US, we are COM
PEELED to serve. Our men from the
ages OF Is to 65 are called to arms
but not armed. We are put at tasks
of hard labor, despite the fact we are
the intellectual and the merchant class
of the country with record for hero
ism in other wars. In this way, our
Michigan country is deprived Of all
the men who could possibly defend it.
Only old men, women and children
are left.
How the Turk Would Treat Michigan
Christians.
"The plan ID this. The Turks will
announce that, ~ . war measure, we
are to - sxflsd temporarily from our
homes. Then they will deport u.s.
whittier, we will know not, until the
deportation has been completed.
But behind this announced plan is
one far more terrible-a plan such as
only Satanic minds could conceive.
THE depotitation takes place. Un-
der disguise of their plan of deporting
the old mon, women and children Of
Michigan, our Turkish oppressors rob
them Of their rich possessions. Then
they drive them toward the mountain
chain to the south. When We reach
the river, they drown many Of ns.
Those who cross the river are driven
farther on, into the country Of our
other savage enemies. the Kurds.
There they encourage the Kurds to
work their will upon the old men.
women and children, who in the mean
time are being driven toward desert
land. These who reach that land die
Of hunger, and exposure.
Murder ey Drowning.
But few reach that land. Thou.
sands are owned,-thousands more
8I0 klil0O W Iuo Auiho pCAoiO eAOy
reach the river Additional thousands
of children are taken, to be raised rs
Turks. Women are violated whole
sale. Young women are offered their
lives II they will become Moslems,-
which means, life as the concubine OF
a Turk. Thousands of other young
women are seized to be sold into that
most awful OF all fates-Turkish white
slavery. Old men are cut down
and old women fall beside them. Wo
men with child are forced under the
lash of the guards to hurry along the
uneven roads, till they fall by the
wayside.
How Michiganders Would Be Mas
sacred.
Throughout Michigan, massacres
are common. Thousands of the Michi
gan soldiers are called to service, TAX
en- several miles away from their vii
lagos, to convenient isolated spo
and shot down in cold blood.
with the protectors Of the old men
women and children removed, deporta
tion is commenced in town and vii