The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1920-09-11
AMERICANS HAD
BAD Time WITH
TURKISH GUESTS
Alice Clark, of Chicago,
Tells of Her Great Ex-
jerience In Hadjin.


find yourself inadvertently in the
middle of a battlefield, SO to speak,
with the enemy firing at each other
from either side, what would you
do? Question. "You use diploma
cy,' says Miss Alice Clark, a prom
1nent Chicago society girl, who has
Just arrived in New York en- route
from Hadjin, Turkey, where for ten
weeks she had every opportunity to
test the truth of her theory.
When the Turkish Nationalist ad-
vanced upon the little city. of Had
jim on the twenty-ninth of March,
they found an American flag in their
way. 1t flew from the flagstaff of
the Near East Relief compound
where Miss Clark and five other
k-American relief workers and Nilsson
,aries were guarding the destinies of
some three hundred little Armenian
orphans Beside it was a white flag,
proving beyond question that the Ar
menian compound was neutral. But
Hadjin is far from any court of In
ternational Law, and the Turks fir
FED They fired steadily for nearly
a whole bay, while Miss Clark and
the five Americans went about as
surfing the little orphans that they
were under the protection of the
fAmerican flag and that all was safe
That the children were pacified is
=
faith in America
Toward evening"" said Miss Clark
~they stopped and two burly Turks
came down and knocked at the gate
tof the compound. They were adj
United and brought into the sitting
room Then we began the little game
pf diplomacy which lasted the next
ten weeks. The Turks thanked US
kdor our hospitality in receiving them
land assure of their entire and ar
dent friendship We replied that we
have never for a moment doubted
their cordial feelings, but that we
had been a bit surprised at their
f1nethod OF approach Suavely they
aexp1ained-and also vaguely-and
asked us if we had any firearms and
Of so, would we produce them. We
Wrought out the one rusty gun, ann
munitionless, which we had in our
possession They returned it and af-
ter a few more extrayagant espres-
'sions of affection toward America
and ArInenia-on whom they were
firing they suggested that they
ssearch the house.
'-But sirs," we exclaimed in hurt
stones, you touch upon the honor of
Samerica- We have sworn to you
that we have no firearms and that
we are entirely neutral. To search
THE place would be a reflection up
on our good word
:, "a hundred apologies. The Turks
A7A-n assured us that so long as we
kept our promise of neutrality, We
could not be harmed-and departed
The pledge was kept on both sides
but you may be sure it was a har-
rowing ten weeks that we six Amer
fcans spent in that compound acting
as gracious hostesses toy our SWag-
gering, and capricious hosts who
varied their prostestations of friend
ship with such diversions as 1evelling
their guns at us at we crossed the
compound or twir1ing their daggers
suggestive1y as they followed US
about the Buildings I recall more
than one occasion when I walked
with trembling knees across the
yard while a Turkish bandit held
his gun playfu1ly pointed at my head
during the whole promenade You
see there is no telling when they'll
4ake notion to become serious in
such matters.
Every afternoon some of them
came to call and then we entertained
in Sour tiny sitting room, which, as
the hours wore on, had the pleasant
atmosphere of death chamber
When our guests-they were always
our guests-to1d us that America and
Germany were now allies and had
really been so throughout the war.
exclaimed, How interesting and
cast a favering glance at the Dig fe9,
low in the corner who persisted III
raising his revolver and aiming it
somewhere near our heads
After nine weeks of nerve
1xracking neutrality when the
Americans were never at any moment
certain that the Turks would not
turn and rend them, the Armenians
made a sudden charge on the com
pound and drove out the Nationalist
This. however, only complicated nat
tiers for the Americans as the new
occupants of the compound insisted
as using it as a point of attack
They were forced 10 take refuge dur
ing the next three days in small
z1nverti1ated storeToom, twelve by
twelve, where they subsisted on
1aisins and bread until June 18th
when the Turks captured the com
pound
Then If was that diplomatic re-
1ations were strained to the utmost.
The Turks insisted that had been
betrayed and gave us just two hours
to pack our possessions and leave,
under military escort for Talas, Our
packing was greatly facilitated by the
fact that the Turks took this oppor-
turlfty to take any and all of our
things which they fancied- At the
end of an hour we were on our way
The six Americans reached Talas
after a three day march during
(which they always had the feeling
that they We're about to be knitted
in the back From there Miss Clark
made her way to Samsoun via Con-
sstantinop1e to the States.
at feel very normal, all consid-
cred" she declared on her arrivai
here There was many a time dur
ing those ten weeks when was sure
that I would never come out sane
but so far I can determine my
experience has had no i'll effects, an6
from now on I am confident I car
quality as diplomat of the frs
rank Yet there are even moments
when I long to be back 'on the fir
ing line in the midst of real things