New-York tribune., 1919-07-13


his friends USE"
The story Of what happened in the
village Of MINI, in the vilayet Of Err
zerum, is only one OF the many. On
March IA a detachment Of gendarmes
arrived, headed by a lieutenant, Sulei-
man Efendi. They first imposed fine
of 100 Turkish pounds without giving
reasons or showing authority. A few
firearms owned by the villagers were
then confiscated, the owners being
jailed. "But the lieutenant now in
sisted on finding bombs, and began
to beat men, women and children.
AS no bombs were found, the lieuten-
ant ordered the priest to be subjected
to bastinado. The punishment was re-
peated five times. When they got
through with the priest the lieutenant
locked him up in his room and vio-
lated his wife. The gendarmes then
started to shoot up the populace, just
for fun. When they had enough they
armed the priest and few peasants to
the teeth, so that they looked like brig
ands, and led the gang, thus artiticially
armed, into the Mahometan quarters Of
Kemach, the district seat, in order to
inf1ame the populace against the Ar
menians. Then men were then Jailed
and finally sent to Erzerum."
Armenian priests, many Of them Of
high rank, who interceded for their un-
fortunate Aocks with the authorities,
were brutally treated and In some cases
jailed and tortured. The atrocities
aroused the resentment of even the
Moslem population. In May the Turk
ish inhabitants of Erzerum, on learn
ing that the deportation Of all Armeni-
ans had been ordered, sent petition to
Constantinople asking the government
that the measure be cancelled in the
vilayet of Erzerum. They said they
were afraid that in case Of a Russian
occupation of their territory they
would be subjected to retaliation.
"By May Is all Armenian villages on
DR.. Lepsius continues. "They were
filled with Mahometan settlers. In
Erzerum alone 600 notables were ar
rested and deported. All Ittihadists'
(members of the Committee of Union
and Progress, the Young Turkish or
ganization) gathered in Erzerum and
directed the execution of the measures
all over the province. The Vail, Tahsin
Bey, who carried out the orders with
reluctance, said, by way Of excuse:
What can I do? The Sublime Porte
has ordered it,"
DR.. Lepsius proceeds: "The caravans
that had left Erzingian on June S, 9
and 10, in apparent order (the children
were riding in OK carts), were accom-
panied by soldiers. Nevertheless, only
fragment reached the next station
In a hollow road nesr the city
the defenceless focks of women and
children were attacked by the troops
of the escort and by Kurds summoned
for the purpose. First they were robbed
OF everything they possessed, then
slaughtered in the most abominable
fashion, and their corpses were thrown
into the Euphrates. Many thousands
were massacred in this way only
twelve hours walk from the military
fortress of Erzingan, seat Of mute
sarif provincial governor) and head
quarters of the Fourth Army Corps.
All that happened here between June
10 and ID happened with the knowl-
edge and consent of the authorities.
The German Red Gross sisters tell the
story as follows:
"'The floating rumors were con-
firmed to us by our Turkish cook. She
said in tears that the Kurds mistreated
and killed the women and hurled the
children into the river"