Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-10-14
WHAT IS BEING DONE!
A Survey of Relief Work among
the Orphans of the Near East
made this Summer by Julian
Zelchenko, New Jersey
State Secretary, Near
East Relief.

two Committee of the Near East Re-
lief of New Jersey, it was my privi-
loge and duty this summer to investi-
oote conditions in the Near East and
ranort the same to .them-present
need. the manner in which money is
snent. and the prospects Of rehabili-
+ation and reconstruction of these
war-scourged victims.
first visited Derindje, neal Con-
etantinople, formerly a German ware
bouse. today a storehouse of Near
East Relief. Several hundred children
are sheltered in that building. Dur
ing the recent battle between the
Turks and the Greeks these children
were taken from Bardizag under cover
of the night to Derindje, a place of
safety. | found many of these chill
dren sleeping on cobblestones. In
the morning the flies just swarmed
around their little bodies and this was
their alarm clock to get up. Before
7 left 1 heard these little "kiddies"
singing in English, "My Country 'Tis
of Thee" and other of our American
songs.
then penetrated through the Turk
ish lines to Ismid, where I visited a
Rescue Home. 1 found several hun
dred Armenian girls, most of them
tatooed. 1t is the same old story of
violence and despotism. Here work
ers are trying to get these unfortunate
girls to smile again. An Industrial
School has been established for them
so in a few years they may be able to
become self-supporting. Our workers
are teaching them to read and write.
Ismid is a place of great danger. For
the protection of the American Relief
workers our American destroyer is an
chored in the bay. On top of the hill
is located our hospital, in which every
bed is occupied. The flies swarm
around the beds. When 1 was there
they were unable to secure enough
muslin to cover the windows and thus
protect their patients.
The COnstantinOple Orphanages
During the battle the refugees left
the City of Ismid in a hurry. My at
tention was called to two little babies
in a cradle covered with muslin. When
the Greeks evacuated, one of the
Greeks found two newborn babies on
the road. The heart of the Greek
soldier was touched and he found time
to bring these two little babies to u
hospital and 1 wish you could see these
tots being cared for by DR.. Elliot, who
presides over that splendid hospital.
AT Ismid all homes and churches are
in ruins.
I then proceeded to many of the or
phanages in Constantinople. The
launch brought me to Kouleli orphan
age; 1000 Armenian orphans were
lined up headed by a brass band which
struck up "The Star Spangled Ban
ner." l reviewed these children who
passed the stand, looking straight
ahead, we'll disciplined and we'll
drilled. I walked into their school
rooms, which are very crude, and there
l found the pictures of George Wash
lHSIOA, ACO0OI 4bOOoOFO1t ~ ALL
ham Lincoln. Before I left l told
these orphans that we in America were
going to stand by them.
then visited the industrial schools
and found that in practically all OF the
orphanages at Constantinople all the
clothing and shoes have been supplied
by the older children in the Industrial
Homes, and so we are not only train
ing these orphans to become useful
citizens, but today they are making
the things which are necessary to
clothe the bodies of the children in the
~orphanages.
Teaching Trades in Rescue Homes
The rescue homes for girls were also,
visited in Constantinople, and here l
found a splendid work accomplished
by Near East Relief; all the girls were
busy learning trades.
The hospitals in Con%stantinople are
well managed. The trachoma hospital
is in charge of Miss Cushman, that
great and noble woman who stands
out foremost in the minds of the peo-
pie of the Near East as n of the
greatest factors in saving many thou
sands of children. With her devoted
workers she is caring for hundreds OF
children who are afflicted with that
eye disease.
| cannot help saying a few words
OF commentator about the Armen1ans
who are in Constantinople. They are
giving all they can to help to maintain
these children and a large part OF the
burden in that city has been taken Off
u hands so that we can use the
funds in places where suffering is
more acute.
Alone, But No Thought of Home
l was unable to land at Trebizond,
on the Black Sea. The Turkish Of