The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-09-27
AMERICAN GIRL TELL OF
NARROWING EXPERIENCES
OF THE NEAR EAST
(By Associated Press

New York, sept. z4.--MIss iauisA'
Cold, of West New Brighton, l.. T.
In. Y, tells in letter to the Near
East Relief the story OF how she
carried the white flag between ngnt-
ing Turks and Armenians at HadJln
in an effort to save Armenian or
phans under her care.
Miss Colds letter came from Talas,
Turkey, in the heart OF Mustapna
Kemals country and was brought out
BY her co-worker, Miss Alice Clark,
Of Evanston, Ill. Another American
relief worker at Hadjin mentioned by
Miss Cold is Mary Super, OF Narberth,
Pa.
"The Chetes CTurkish tribesmen,
descended on the compound on the
outskirts Of Hadjin on April s, Miss
Cold wrote. 1.-THE compound where
the American flag was flying and
where no shot was fired became the
object of fierce attack
after that for 10 weeks we lived
as the guests of the Chetes. 1t was
not life, however, but sojourn IN
TIE valley Of the shadow of death.
We worked ceaselessly at the task OF
making friends with those encamped
about our walls. We served them in
every conceivable way, especially
Miss Super with medical aid. Two
lads died from fright and three were
wounded.
THE Turks had their defenses
close to the compound between us and
the city and occupied the clinic
building outside the gate and always
fred from it. The compound was al
ways under fire from Hadjin. Hardly
day passed that we did not have
callers from among the leaders Of
the Chetes.
Twice Mr.. Eby and | had per-
mission from them to 60 to Hadjin.
Each time they proclaimed an armis-
! tice and we carried the white flag.
The first time was at the end Of three
weeks of seige and the other five
weeks later. The first time we simply
stated the conditions for surrender
as given by the commander, Doghan
Fey. The committee in Hadjin fat
ly refused to consider.
THE second time we sought to
bring about conference between the
opposing forces. We went back and
forth seven times, stating Doghan
Bey's position, bringing the Hadjin
reply. etc. Everything seemed fav-
orable except that the place of the
conference could not be agreed upon
Dogham Bey insisted that they meet
IN our salamluk and the Hadjin COM
lnittee were equally firm that the
place be on our road half way be
tween the defenses. After much par
ley Mr.. Eby and l finally set out
however, with Two Hadjin delegates.
Only an hour Of the armistice was
left. Just as We were climbing over
one OF the Hadjin defenses a shot was
nred and struck between Mr.. Eby
and ne. The HAHN delegates ran for
shelter aud Mr.. Eby and | preceded
back to tue compound alone. Conf
dence was destroyed. We were un-
able to locate the source Of the shot"
Miss Cold wrote that the Armenians
from Hadjin finally captured the COM
pound from the Turks but were driy-
en- out OF it and most of the 300 in
mates OF the compound were sent
with the Armenians to Hadjin.
We six Americans and our two
Turkish girls took refuge in a dark
store ROOM Miss Cold added. When
the Chetes again recovered the COM
pound they looted and set fire to It
NESS Cold and the other Americans
were hurried away by the Turks to q
mountain retreat where for two
nights they were guests in the COM
mander's tent and then were given
an escort to Talas.
The fate OF the Armenian children
in Hadjin was unknown to Miss Cold
out she feared that all had persisted