South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-07
Starvation in Armenia

WASHINGTON, D. g. June g.
OF timely interes. because OF Pres't
Wilson's proposal that the United
States assume a mandate over Ar
menia. though written prior TO that
proposal. is a communication 10 the
National Geographic society from
Melville Chatter.
Relating his personal experiences
IN that famine-stricken land several
months ago, Mr.. Chatter writes
"Erivan, the capital OF Armenia's
provisional republic is an inconceiv-
able contrast TO the Georgian gov
eminent seat at Tihis. At Erivau
one finds no spacious prospect nor
viceregal palace, no smart shops,
Russian opera nor gay night life.
To behold misery in Tifiis one must
search 10 out. In Erivan one can
not escape II.
Only One Beauty.
This poor struggling, dingy city
OF the plains. whose government Of
fees suggest some hastily extempor-
lied election headquarters and whose
parliament chamber Is rugged up
with benches and cheesecloth in the
auditorium Of the Second-class the
alter, boasts OF but one beauty. and
that-to speak in paradox-is 40
miles away; for, in whatever quar-
ter Of Erivan you may be. lift your
glance and great Ararat Of eternal
SHOWS is seen brooding distantly over
the mean street with his aspect of
majestic calm. He IS the ArTnen-
ian's Olympus, or rather say, the
Sinai of race which has known
bondage and Wilderness wandering.
and for centuries a peoples imagin-
alton has turned toward him.
THE little Erlvan republic which
centers about Ararat contains with
in its present limits less than 1900
square miles-only one-half OF
which area Is capable Of high pro-
ductivity-2OO miles or railroad, and
about two million people. IL has
been the center Of refuge for Tur-
kish Armenians ever since the mas
sacre Of 1915. and between 200, 900
and 100000 Of them are camped
within It's borders.
"As for the city itself. its former
population OF 10000 has been dou-
bled by this influx There starva-
ton and typhus have claimed their
toll Of 5000, the death rate fiuctuat-
ing between 30 and so a day.
Where Starvation Rcigns.
Though the doctor and 1 We're
here TO observe the worst phases Of
the situation, each Of us waited for
the other TO suggest a trip 10 the
Igdir region, where we were told
starvation was most acute.
The town Of Igdir. with it's local
and nearby populations OF 10000
Armenians, 1000 Tatars, and 15,-
600 Yezidis. revealed some squalid
streets with but a few people seated
discOnsolately here and there, as
we drove in. Throughout those tor
tuOus. sun-beaten byways no chill
dren played and no animals roamed.
The air was heavy with dreadful ST
lence. such as hangs over plague
smitten communities.
I'VE found the children, such as
they were, inhabiting an orphanage
wherein one sickened at pUtridity's
horrible odor, and were informed
that there were neither medicines
nor disinfectants wherewith 20 allay
the condition Of the many little sick
beds.
sick? Say. rather. the bed-rid-
den-a word which more justly de-
scribes those tiny, withered up.
crone-ike creatures, upon whose
faces the skin seemed stretched 10
a drumhead's tightncsS; whose peer
ing eyes shot terror and anguish. as
if deaths presence were already
perceptible 10 them, and who lay
there at famine's climax of physical
exhaustion. In those young, yet
grotesqueiy aged faces, we seemed
to see a long lifetime of tragedy
packed into eight or ten childish
years.
Horror I'm Mud Huts.
THE mud huts which we visited
,,,osoptad an {nyariahle Oict1Ira-a
barren, cave-lilIe interior, lacking one
stick Of furniture or household uten-
sill. and with a few bleached bones
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