The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-01-28

H""PiiSn W uc WdSeu Ill Heul udIy
heard the most touching appeals to
enter the work intellectually to save
thousands of dying Armenians and |
other peoples Of the devastated coun-
tries, from speakers who have seen the
horrors in the foreign countries.
Speakers who have travelled through
out Armenia and the countries Of the |
Near East told Of the slaughtering OF
how countless hundreds are depend
ing upon America for life. Various |
ideas as to conducting the drive were
advanced during the conference, which
began at the Jefferson hotel Saturday |
morning at 1880 o'clock and ended in |
the afternoon.
The main address Of the morning |
was made by Commander ]. ]. Broken
shire Of the United States navy, now
stationed at Gulfport, Miss. Comman-
der Brokenshre was stationed in the |
Orient for long time and travelled
extensively through the stricken coun-
tries.
Commander Broken shire said he
was thoroughly aroused to the need Of
raising funds to aid the suffering peo-
pie. He has been interested in Ar
menia for years, and said he thought
it was the duty Of America to come to
the rescue Of the many men, women
and children who were being deported
from their native land. He told Of see
ing thousands Of childrn in rags while
he was in the little country and many
women nearly dead from the want Of
food. Turkish soldiers entered the
homes Of the people and carried off
the children to he drowned. In some
places the shore would be lined with
dead hodies that had floated in from
the sea.
Commander Brokenshiro described
the women and children who had been
forced to eat grass for sustenance.
Their faces bore a vacant look as If
they had abandoned all hope, and
can not describe their physical condi-
ton for the want OF proper words;
such conditions as the women and
children are in are too horrible to be
told" he said.
Some women had become so de-
spondent and frenzied over their con-
dition that they lost their reason, and
in many cases attempted to eat their
own children. He told Of seeing
train load Of refugees, almost naked
and dying from hunger, being sent to
towns whore they might procure relief.
In one city he visited from 100 to 300
refugees were picked up dead upon
the streets every morning, having
starved to death.
The speaker said he saw an old
friend who was nursing in one Of the
Near East hospitals in Armenia. This
friend related one Of the most horrible
sights to the commander. One night
she was crossing a river near the
hospital and saw hundreds OF head
less bodies floating down the stream
Commander Brokenshire then told Of
visiting the Near East relief hospital
and seeing hundreds Of children being
resurrectcd practically from the grave
by this great agency. "The sight Of
this hospital bringing back to life os
many children was like a great light
from the dark" the speaker said. "Of
course, some people discrcdit the
stories coming from Armenia and
those countries, but I know by sight
that thousands and thousands are dy-
ing from the lack Of food and atten-
portation Of the Armenians by the
Turks just at the beginning OF the war,
and how the roads leading out OF the
country were strcwn with bones Of
dead women and children.
F.. NJ. Peoples. county chairman OF
Hampton county, told how he had can
vassed his county in the drive last
year by using Ford, and with the
aid Of N. A. Boyajian, field representa-
tive. exceeded the allotment for Hamp-
ton. He assured the conference he
would raise his quota this year
j. NJ. Mason OF Florence said he
thought the campaign could be best
conducted by meetings In cooperation
with the churches rather than house
to house canvass.
r. C. Burts OF Rock Hill said ne
was very much interested in saving
,S,,apio and wac Glad to report that |