The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-04
Near Edst Relief Organizer

1N) ENG the only organization char lN tered and sponsored by the ~ Congress of the United States of America. and whose reports are made immediately to the President and his aides, the Near East Relief stands permanent in Its mission, holding out the cup of cold water" to the number less thousands of starving, bereft, sui fering people in the countries of the Far East.
 Birmingham is going to have the op- portunity. beginning tomorrow. to con- paign which the entire nation is in- terested in and to which it is open.
 Mrs. John D. Kelso of Chattanooga, field organizer for the Near East Re- lief fund, is here perfecting plans for the inauguration of the drive. and with her enthusiasm and interest in the great work, she inspires sympathy and cooperation for those pitiful peo- pie on the borders of the orient, who look to prosperous America for aid
 Mrs. kelso, in speaking yesterday of the Near East drive, which is COCK tensive in its nature, and simultaneous in the tri-states in which she effects nization-Tennessee. Alabama and M;sslssippi-said:
 "The immediate object of the Near East Relief has been physical relief, the distribution of food and clothing to save men, women and children from death through starvation and exposure Coincident with the provision of food and clothing, it has been necessary to Iengage in related activities, directly due to the atrocities and other tragedies of the war in the Near East-such as the care of dependent children made or phans by massacres and deportations. homes for Christian girls enslaved in Mcslem harems, hospitals and medicine for the thousands suffering from dis ease and malnutrition, and industrial workshops to aid a people normally in- dustrious, to become again self-sup- porting.
 The term near east, as applied to our activities, means primarily Ar menia," Mrs. Ke1so continued, flor while the territory is 900 miles by 1900 miles, including Mesopotamia, Syria, parts of Turkey--which, when the op- portunity presents itself, we help in spite of the atrocities which have been committed by the unspeakable Turks Galicia, the country which is the Holy Land, including Tarsus, where St. Paul the apostle worked; the countries Abraham worked in, and where Jesus Christ himself lived and wrought mira cles; still the Armenians are our ob- jective, for they are scattered all over this territory.
 Andrew D. White, ambassador to Germany said of the Armepians,' Mrs. Kelso quoted, that among all those who dwell in western Asia, they stand first with capacity for intellectual and moral progress, 8 well as with a natural tenacity of will and purpose beyond that of all their neiehbors- not merely of Turks, Tartars. Kurds and Persians, but also of Russians They are strong race, not only with vigorous nerves and sinews, physically active and energetic, but also of con- Ispicuous brain power. Armenians are a people of large and honorable ca- pacities. For ages they have main tained their civilization under oppres- sion that would have crushed almost any other people. The Armenian is one of the finest races in the world. If were asked to name the most de- sirable race for immigration to the United States, would name among the very first the Armenian.
 Last year, through our Near East Relief work we saved over 1000, 900 Armenians from starvation" Mrs. Kel- so said. One hundred and ten thou sand orphans are under our care; 229 orrhanages; 300 girls were rescued from the harems of the cruel Turks, and it is no exaggeration to say that the Armenians would have disappeared as nation had it not been for the splendid help given them by the Near East Relief and the American food ad- ministration.
 Every dollar that Is collected in Birmingham for the Near East Relief" said Mrs. Kelso, Twill be divided in half, one half remaining in Birming- ham for the purchase of flour and other necessities to be sent to the Near East. Railroads have transported hundreds of carloads of provisions for tha cause gratis, while the ship owners have been equally as generous, the president of the great Dollar line giv- ing the steamship Esther Dollar as his contribution for a trip, leaving San Francisco at an early date. The ship will carry flour and other commodities cortributed by the Pacific coast direct to Batoum and other Near East ports.