New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-13
Sentenced To Die

CABLEGRAM from American Won7en's Hos
ptaL Erlvan: I'VE have eight hundred and fifty
TWO cases IN the hospital and children DIVING in all
So'ne1S OF ErlVan. ALI day long we can hear the
walls and groans Of little children outside the office
oulldlngs hoping we and will pick them up If
the sun shines a little while they quiet down: when
1t rains they begin again. One day when the rain
turned TO snow 1T was awful to listen to them The
note OF terror that came into the general wall was
PLAINLY perceptbe upstairs, and had the windows
closed They we'll know what a night in the snow
would mean to them. We are picking them up as
last as possible, but it is fatal to crowd them to
such point that would lose even those already
III orphanage.
Er1Van-that one time prosperous city of
Armenia, not far from Mount Ararat famous in
days OF peace, for the peach orchards and vegetable
gardens that surrounded it every side Walk
through its streets today and here is what you will
see: "Children walking through the muddy cutters
hunting for bits of orange pecls apple cores or any,
thing that resembled food; little bows and girls
sleeping IN stables, with straw and manure spread
over their bodies to keep them from freezing to
death; or, in the early morning, deserted children
lying in the doorways Of the buildings wrapped in
old burlap bags, silent, perhaps already dead
others sobbng unconsciously in their sleep. They
have been placed there during the night bv their
mothers, who, unable to feed them any longer have
resOrted to desertlon final chance to save their
chldrens lives. There is always chance that they
will be rescued by the Americans, and is with this
one hope that the mothers leave their little children
praying to God that they will be saved by the kind
and generous Americans
Has that story of unutterable suffering, of pas
slonate love and gratitude for what has been given
that trusting prayerfu appeal for rescue of children
whose lives depend on us-has it all grown
wearsome to us? Are we tired of being kind and
generous Is there no longer any sacrifcal tender
for little children in hearts? Is it time to
be rid OF the burden, to stop giving, and SO,
through the Board of Trustees of the Near East
Relief, Who must act dictate, to pronounce
the sentence Of death these thousands of boys
and girls who have believed to the last moment,
that would save them?
Mothers and fathers of America it is not true!
You will allow it! Your hearts have not turned
to stone! What few patry miles of dstance!
They not separate you from that famine
stricken land where dead and dying children litter
the city streets. They can not shut out from your
vision those hunger plnched faces and outstretched
hands! You shut your windows, as they did in
very desperation in the City of Erivan but the walls
and means of little children waiting in rain and
snow, by day and night, to be picked up" and
clothed and fed, not be shut out of your heart.
From far-away stations, by the magic of science,
our homes are being filled with song and story, and
music for the dance. But there are messages more
wonderful than any controlled by the wizards Of
wireless. They coming now from far away, and
the story they bring is burdened with tears The
music is not for dancing, for those who make it
scarce stand upon their feet. The song, swelled
a chorus of woe by thousands of little voices that
ought to be musical with laughter, is always the
same: "Hunger!-Bread!" And with the pleading
cry of the children, there voice, sweet and
solemn, saying: These MY little ones; we
are My Shepherds; Feed Ny Lan,bs.'