The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-02-06
No DOUBT ABOUT THE
PLIGHT OF ARMENIANS.
Millions Will Starve and Die if Americans Don't
Open Their Hearts and Purses to These
Sufferers In Holy Land

John TashJian, an artisan EN-
ployed by Louis Se11g, jeweIer, of
this city, recently received a let
ter from his old home near Com
stantinople, in Turkey. The let
ter told him that his two beauti-/
Iful young nieces to whom he was
passionate1y devoted had beens
murdered by the Turks.
John Tashjian and his people are Ar
fmenians and Christians. These Arme-
nian Christians have been the subjects
| of persecution at the hands of the Ma
homnedan Turks for centuries When
| the European war broke out in 1914 the
Turks turned upon their Armenian, Sy-
rian and Greek subjects and divested
them of everything that Turkey could
| use in the war. Millions of these people
have been left starving. The women
only have been spared where the wo-
men were. young enough, beautiful
enough and docile enough for the Turk
| ish harems. John Tashjian's nieces an
swered this description and Turkish
lsoldiers attempted to seize them. They
resisted like true Christian martyrs and
were made the victims of the foulest of
| er:mes.
/ In meantime, back in the land of the
Turk millions of men, women and child
een are freezing and starving. except
Cor such relief as is sent them by the
American people. Nearly % million dol
liars will be required to tide these peo-
tple over this year and put them on their
fleet, put them back where they can till
1.-THE soil and feed and clothe themselves,
Thousands of American homes would
adopt the homeless, starving orphan
lchildren of that terrible land, but it costs
more than 500 to bring one of these
lchildren to this county Sixty dollars will
feed, elothe and give medical attention
20 one over there for twelve months.
i America is asked to look out for those
tstarving children for this length of time
lPasquotank county is asked to subscribe
lenough to care for 33 of them. That is,
lFasquotank is called upon for contri-
5;1tion of about $1,000 for the most hu-
,mane and most urgent relief work in the
world today.
l. W. O. Saunders, chairman of the Near
East Relief for Pasquotank county, puts
the matter squafely up to the churches
4 taofzfhiss city and -eoHnty Armenia IS The
teradle of Christianity. The Armenians
lare the pioneers of the Christian faith.
1t is Christian duty to send food, clos
thing and medical skill to these little
ones, even if it must be done at sac
irifice of hymn books and bibles for lap
landers, Igorrotes and Maoris.
There is no questioning the worthi-
lness of the cause Or the sincerity of the
lappeal. The names of the trustees of
1.-THE Near East Relief fund are assurance
that the money contributed viii go where
It is needed. Among those trustees are
Herbert Hoover, Wnl H. Taft, Efihu
Root, Stephen S. Wise, Oscar Strauss
iMyron T. Herrick, Cardinal Gibbons,
= and Henry Morgenthau.
w. o. Saunders has put on no dryie to
raise Pasquotank's quota for this Near
East Relief. He wants it said that Eliz-
abeth City and Pasquotank county PEG
iple do not have to be driven In cause
OF this sort. And yet only three persons
|, in this entire city and county have 50
far volunteered to show their Christian
> colors and pledge $50 each this year to
rescue child from the terrors of death
by starvation. Elizabeth City should
!. make a better showing that that. 1t
is believed that Elizabeth City and Pas
Iquotank county will make better show
ing than that before another issue of
this newspaper goes to press.