The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-02-06
"America! Anlericdi" the Millions C,v
In Sad Armenia. Land of Stalking Death
Melville Chatter, home from
Near East. Tells Narrowing
Story of Human Misery
There-Beetles and Straw
for Food.
..ORoucHING by herself in a

oCRoUcHING by herself in
- corner. little seven-year-
cid girl was cracking something be-
tween two stones" says Melville
Chatter in an article, "The Land OF
Stalking Death in the National
Geographic Magazine, describing
Gonditions in Armenia. Il looked
closer and found the child was eat
ing the marrow from a bone"
"Where did she get it," | asked
abe interpreter who accompanied
me.
"Yonder in the grave yard" he
replied, after questioning the girl.
This child, according TO Mr..
Chatter. was subsisting solely on
small dole Of rice furnished daily
bv the Near East Relief represent
atives in her nativ~ city, Igdir.
There was not sufficient food in the
town 10 even give one meal a day
20 al Of the children ard shortly
after they had received this bare
pittance Of food all were searching
for any bit on which they might
chew to appease their hunger. They
picked up beetles. straws, and one
. piece OF horses hoof, says Mr..
Chatter.
- Root and Grass Diet.
Conditions at Igdir are horrible
almost beyond belief. People live
chiefly on roots and grass, but oc-
casionally the diet is varied by the
killing OF dog or cat. Workers
sent out By Near East Relief, the
former Committee for Armenian
and Syrian Relief, who are furnish
ing the only sustenance 70 these
people. told Mr. Chatter that it was
impossible 10 remove at once the
bodies OF those who had died from
starvation. and when they were
taken out for burial, an arm or a
leg Of the body had been eaten by
the famished survivors.
Mr.. Chatter tells of visit TO the
burying ground when graves were
torn open and bodies exhumed by
abe famished inhabitants. I'VE had
taken a short cut" he says. TO
ward where our car waited and by
chance we were skirting the Gene
terry. Our guide pointed thither
and said:
at is not pleasant sight. You
must understand that the Turks
left this country SO bare that there
were not even spades. Graves must
be dug with any available thing,
even with human bones. If the
dead has a relative strong enough
20 carry a weight-big stones are
placed on the grave; but if not
de shrugged significantly.
II asked, hardly knowing how to
frame my question. Exactly what
exactly whom do You means.
Men Stalk Dogs.
ssI mean, he answered, the
mariah dogs by day and under
cover of night--well, come and see
Hor yourselves.
FL will never forget that terrible
oere Of earth-the low-boulder-
keaned mounds, and those others,
ehe unprotected graves, now re-
vcaled as empty, scooped-out holes
chose Drinks were strewn about
~,;sh remnants of torn-off gar
nents' among which lay blackened
~rn,hlances OF humanity. As We
snrned away the apparition OF a
~reas yellow pariah dog, paving
Smonr the graves. drew from US >
,-oiiev az stones. Then as he skunk
~ : skeIcton-like man sprang up
from behind the wall lunoer cover
~ which ne had been stalking his
prey) and. Draining the beast with
eInh disappeared. carrying its
carcass with him.
s0rr fsrcwelIs and thanks 70 the
~~@rIcHn Committees manager
--1S;l s. en1'cos proceeding an1