The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-15
CONSERVATIVES TEST

TN UR1NG the last few days I've II ~ been tremendously interested in
 reading about the mammoth photoplay, "The Auction of Souls" which is to have its first presentation in this city next Monday, August IS. at the Trianon theatre.
 I've been interested for more reasons than one the first being, that the pie ture, every word of it. every scene, ev- cry detail, is founded on fact; in fact it Is fact; and secondly because it is the most stupendous spectacle of devout unpolluted, devotion to Christian ideals ever depicted on the screen in other words it is "Christianitys Test" at the hands of the most brutal, the most cruel, the most barbaric threats and punish ments ever inflicted upon mankind since the days of the "Inquisition."
 I've read all that I could find which pertains to this picture-"Ravished Ar mena," the book from which the photo play was made; all about the Armenian girl, Aurora Madriganian. who is the human document that gives the picture it's sympathetic appeal-in fact every scrap of paper that I could lay my hands on, and I can scarcely wait until the doors of the Trianon open next Mon day morning, to see this marvellous pie ture depicting so many sides of a ques- ton of which I have heretofore only read.
 The picture of a half million young Armenian girls brought to death through Christ and the Bible forms the central interest in the Auction of Souls"
 Never in the long history of Christian prosecutions has there been one which approached the torture and virtual mur. der of 500,000 followers of Christ on the burning plains south of Armenia during the two years following a fatefu day in 1915.
 Never did a Christian people tried by a ghastly ordeal of fire. thirst hun ger. fatigue and worse horrors, con- ceived in the devilish brain of the in famous Turk, go more unflinchingly to meet it's Maker. The bloody arena of Nero, the painful wanderings of the Pill grims, the terrors of the Spanish inquisi- tion-historys most poignant examples of staunch nartyrdom for the cause of the Cross-sink to insignificance beside this persecution of Christianity, as set forth in Auction of Souls
 Here was half million people, within the shadow of Mt. Ararat, laboring peacefully. following fervently and with devout reverence the teachings of the Bible. They were the oldest Christian nation, situated not many miles from the ancient village in which the Savior was born. They were contented, indus trious, thrifty and devout. The church was their shrine, -and all the acts of their life were done in the grace of God.
 Then into this heaven upon earth crept the sinister, fanatically pagan finger of the Turk. Afire with the hatred Of Christianity which had been burning for centuries, inspired by a mad religion based on cruelty and lust, he needed only the support of the unprincipled Hun to loose his long pent barbaric animal ism. Never in the Middle Ages did the Mohammedan sweep down upon the Christian with more abandon. Never did the pagans of western Europe de- scend upon the followers of the cross more fiercely.
 Girls were torn from their mothers The defiling Turkish fingers upon their trembling flesh they were asked will you renounce Christianity? Will you ac- cept Mohammed?"
 Eyes turned to heaven they answered, "No!'-and were dashed to the ground, sentenced to infamies which cannot be spoken to the outrages of the harem, to the burning shame of the slave mar ket.
 Babies, baptsed in Jesus, too young to comprehend the fanatical, There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophetr were hurled against trees or walls, killed before the eyes of their fainting mothers.
 Wives united by the writ of God to Christian men were dragged away, of fered the Mohammedan faith, and giv- en to the lust of the conquerer or to his sword as they answered, "No"
 Ordained ministers of Jesus Christ