The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-03-31
CHARLES MILLS WRITES
( AMERICA is UNPOPULAR
Country Has Lost Prestige in Near
East Because of Failure to
Ratify Peace Treaty

Charles S. Mills. son of Rev. and
= Mrs. George s. Mills of Bennng on,
who Is now member of the faculty of
Roberts college in Constantinople, has
I, wriCten his parents two interesting
letters which are reproduced below
Washington's Birthday.
/ have just returned from town with
Harold CULVER. We went this mo n
ing to take Miss Vossler to dinner at
Tokatlian's for we owed her a dinner
on bet that we would set foot on
Russian soil before she would. She
has been to Batoum and to Tifis and
has some interesting stories to tell
about the Russian refugees. believe
that Batoum has just been evacuated
by the B itish on account of serious
trouble from the Russians. Well, the
dinner was fine. Steak, fried potatoes
peas, ice cream and coffee a la
turque. After dinner we walked up to
Miss Vossler's apartment in Chichli
where we spent the rest of the after
noon playing her vic and chai-ing-
that is, having tea. We made fudge
and date sandwiches. The e was
some delicious fruit cake which came
via the A. r. G. from Richmond, Va
absolutely forgot that | ever knew
Robert College this afternoon-it was
so fine to get a change of atmos
phere.
The last few days Miss Vossler has
been looking after refugees on one of
the Princes islands. On this particu.
lo l,n n 81 Il
of these unfortunate people who are
of all classes. One Roumanian Jew
showed Miss Vossler prize which he
had bought just before leaving Rus
sia, for he wanted to impress it upon
the Americans that he had some good
money. He thought he had purchas-
ed bona fide ten dollar bill but It
seems that he got ineteaa Confeder-
ate note, which is absolutely wo- tn
less. When Miss Yossler told him
what 1t was he tore his hair in his
rage, Speaking of refugees, former
student of the college called here the
other day and he told us how he had
to leave Odessa. He actually waiAed
over hundreds of bodies to get to his
ship, and as the ship, a Greek de-
stroyes, sailed away it was fired up
on by the Bolsheviks. Odessa is
pretty bad place these days. We hear
some terrible tales from time to time
about the ruthlessness of the Boil
sheviki. / do not know what can be
done to them. No one wants the job
of fighting them and it is hard job
TO do. good big army would be the
only thing but no country wants to
raise one now. Everybody is war
sick A lady who was assaulted by
Fiench soldier the other day re-
ported the insult and she was actually
told that she shouldn't expect much
after the men had fought battles for
her for long weary years.
] read with great interest Ralph
Harlow's article in the Congregation
alist. Yes, Anne lea ought to do some
thing. 1T is true about how people
form impressions. The Turks do Ger.
tainly make a favorable impression
upon those who do not know them
very well. They are on the surface
extremely gracious and polite but un-
derneath the. e is that savage nature.
America is most unpopular now be-
cause of all she has said and not done
The delay in the ratification of the
treaty is hurting us more than the
American people realize. | am not
saying that we ought to send over a
big army to help in settling the deli.
cate questions but we should at least
latify and do something toward set
ting the world on its feet do ad-
mire the British. If it were not for
them. where would we be? They are
doing everything for us and we are
doing nothing in return. And Britain
is war weary and we have not been
hard hit at all. America is selfish.
If Wood is nominated and elected
hope he will save the country. 1t
sure has gone to hell now and | can
not say we Americans are very proud
of it.
A few days ago the seniors gavo
the faculty and staff play and re-
ception. l met an interesting stud
ent from Arnaoutkeuy--the Girls
College. You may know about her.
She is very attractive and is a Bull
garian. Her mother Madam Tsillsa,
was the woman who was with Miss
Ellen Stone the missionary, when she
was captured by Bulgarian brigands
in Macedonia about 1902. This girl
was born in the forest in captivity.
You may remember that money was
raised in America to ransom Miss
Stone and that DIR. Peet of the Bible
House, Stamboul treasurer of the
American Board in Turkey, paid over
the ransom. The Bulgarians are
very winning people and they have
great deal more in them than any of
the other nationalities | have come
in contact with, think.
February %
Please do not think that because
do not say very much concerning
my studies / am making the scholas-
tic work a side issue. Glasses are
a.nirn uinnn- Gmolv and oria.. Annn1. |