The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-01-03
THE PLIGHT OF ARMENIA

has postponed the decision of the
Turkish settlement, and the young
Turks, who are responsible for the
systematic attempt to exterminate
2,5O0,OOO Christians, are still in DOS
session OF political power in the inte-
!rior of Turkey
| Did Splendid Work in London,
About the first of last August the
British cabinet announced it's inten-
ton to withdraw che troops stationed
at various points along the lines of
the Caucasian railroad system, in DIR
suance of notice which had been
served on the Peace Conference last
spring. This announcement brought
disastrous results. The Kurds. Tar
tars and Turks massed themselves
upon the borders of Armenia. and
threaten now to overwhelm it, which
would complete the massacre begun
| in 1915
| 10 avert so dreadful a calamity Mr.
Smith said that he felt it his duty to
give up his projected visit to SYRIA
ana concentrate all his efforts upon
the relief of the Armenian refugees
IN the Caucasus. Continuing. he
added
After some time spent in Paris.
plan was evolved which met the ap-
proval of the Peace Conference.
whereby Colonel Haskell of the Unit
ed States army, was sent as the rep
resentatlve of the relief commission
and the diplomatic representative of
the Peace Conference. Subsequently,
General John G. Harberd. chief of
stan to General Pershing, went as the
special representative of the Ameri-
can government to investigate condi-
uons' taxing with him a large staff
or experienced army officers. These
missions had been just satisfa actorilv
arranged when the announced with.
draWal OF the British troops threw
everything into confusion and threat
ened disaster not only in the Cauca-
SuS, but wherever there were Ar
menlans left in the whole Turkish en-
pire.''
BY appeals to the press and by per-
sonal efforts with members of the cab
met and members of parliament and
| friends of Armenia in London, Mr..
Smith obtained suspension of the
withdrawal of the troops, though
| there has been no official announce
| ment that the order has been rescind-
ed
| The situation is highly critical"
| rL1 Dr.4
treasury is greatly depleted. It has
been incurring an Indebtedness of two
million pounds every day greater
than it's income. A camor has been
raised for the return of all troops
from foreign countries, especially
from Russia. Although the recent
labor congress at Luzerne passed a
resolution opposing the withdrawal of
troops from the Caucasus, there is a
feeling that the obligation for the
preservation of the Armenian race is
not exclusively a British one. The
Armenians have become self-support-
ing and have qualities that would
make them strong republic if they
were given peace and opportunity to
organize. They claim an outlet on
the Black Sea at the port of Trebi-
zond, and on the Mediterranean with
the province of Cilicia. With the rev.
enue from these two provinces it is
| claimed they could pay the interest on
a large loan.
Fine Race Faces Extinction.
| american benevolence and SYM
pathy for their appalling suffering has
produced fund of about thirty mil
lions of dollars, which has been ex-
tpended for them by the American Re-
lief Commission throughout Turkey,
and, in addition, the United States
government by free use of transports
and the provisions furnished by the
Hoover commission has added prob
ably five millions more. Every sub
scriber from the Sunday school child
to the New York millionaire, is inter-
ested that the work of the commission
shall not be in vain. Two things are
necessary to save the Armenian race:
0 a definition of the political bound
aries of the new republic; (2) mill
tary aid to keep off the enemies by
which it is surrounded until it can de-
fend itself.
Something radical must be done
and done quickly or one of the finest
races in the Near East, a people who
date their conversion to A. D. 329,
i will be practically eXtinguished by
the forces of barbarism, which repre-
sent all that is abhorrent to the high
est type of Western civilization