Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1919-04-25
PRECEDENT WILSON MAY TAKE
AAMRNIANs UNDER THE AMER.
loan GAoLGo VINO.
MICHIGAN MUST TAKE INTEREST
Tvsiss Deliberately Sought to Wlps
Armsnians Out Of History
ForevoA

Armsnians Out Of History
FersvsA
PaTas-Ths American eagle may sx-
tsnd it, protecting wing over famine
stricken. centuries prosecuted Ar.
msnia.
This suggestion. It 10 known, has
been made to President Wilson. and
r. now under consideration.
II the United States took such &C
ton. 1t would be fitting climax It Is
pointed out. to the efforts Of individual
Americans to aid the suffering peoples
Of the Near East through the work of
the American Committee for the Near
East.
Michigan has one Of the largest
Armenian populations Of any state in
the Union, and therefore will take es.
pedal interest In the disposal of the
Armenian question by the peace con-
ference.
That something be done at once by
the peace conference concerning the
Armenians Is imperative 1t is said, be-
cause Of the desperate condition of
these people. u Is authoratatively
stated that approximately 1000. 900 Ar
menians have met death through
Turkish persecution since the war
started. and Turkey seized upon the
opportunity afforded her to accomplish
the murder Of Q nation" as our Am
srioaa Ambassador to Turkey at the
time. Henry Morgenthsu. terms the
Turkiah prosecutions.
Evidence which cannot be called in
to question makes 1t plain that the
Turks deliberately set about the task
Of wiping the Armenians out of his
tory forever. The Armenians had al
ways been q thorn In the side of Turk.
ish government, as Is every perse-
sutsd people who stand as an ever
present rsproach to the dominant ma
tlon. which. through misgovernment
and every kind OF oppression seeks
TO hold them IN subsection. The
Armenians. too. were the most pro-
gressive people IN the Ottoman EN-.
pire, and easily outdistanced the
sleepy, shiftless Turk In merchandise
Ing, agriculture and every form of &C
<Sxv<<x, m that tn Arv,.aotac. ~~,-, 49, =.
wealthiest and the most cultured PEG.
pie In the Sultan's empire.
II at one stroke the Armenians could
be extermipated. Turks would occupy
the Armenian villages and towns and
hamlets and the Turkish empire 1t was
argued would gain Just 80 much in
unity and In wealth.
It was decided-with the aid of Ger
man advisers It 10 said.-that the best
way Of discriminating the Turkish ma
ton was to deport these people. The
great deportation, as was planned,
took the form Of q general continuous
massacre. The whole idea behind
the massacre was to wipe out the en-
tire Armenian race by killing OF.
through starvation. drownings, the
sword, ride and machine gun, and var
i0us other ways. all the Armenian men
and women able to PROPAGATE the race.
The old men and women were killed
also however. because that was In
most cases the easiest way to get rid
Of them, while the children who were
Judged young enough to forget their
race and religion were placed in Turk
ish "orphanages," where they were to
be brought up as Turks and presum-
ably "slaved" out to Turkish masters.
Hundreds OF Armenians were put to
horrible tortures. one Of the favorite
means Of making examples" being the
fastening OF an Armenian to the floor
of his Jail. and the dropping Of water
on q certain point of his body? This
torture is one of the most nendish
methods OF expressing cruelty. Many
of the Armenians subjected to II be-
came insane. before being put to
death. Beating the soles OF the feet
until they swelled and burst, burning
with red hot irons, and many other
terrible tortures we're resorted to by
the Turks to express their religious
and racial hate for the defenseless
people whom Mohammediasm taught
them Il was an act Of virtue of slay.
Now II is proposed to restore Ar
menia, and Americans have yolun-
tarily. and with the active aid Of
President Wilson, Governor Sleeper
and other leading mon. already taken
q leading part IN the salvation Of the
Armenians from death through starva-
ton and plague. and the rehabilitating
OF their towns and villages so that
they may get some kind Of a start,
however unsatisfactory. in earning
their own livelihoods and making
their future secure. After they have
been fostered for some time till their
strength 90 Q people has been restor-
"A. the Aymenians will be re-