Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-01
U. S. Contributions
to Near East Relief
for Past Six Years

Washington, March 31-The Am
erican people and the United States
government have contributed and the
Near East Relief has disburscd $685.
100000 in the last six years for the
relief of distressed peoples of the
Near East. This is shown by the an
pual report of the Near East Relief
submitted to Congress today by
Charles Y. Nickrey, general secretary.
The amount includes 100000
worth of flour obtained through the
United States Grain Corporation and
American Relief Administration.
Mr. Nickrey's report estimates that
az least. 100000 persons, chiefly
Armenians and members of cxlcd
subject races arc living in the Near
East today who would have persisted
had it not been for American relief.
There are approximately 100000
children who have been kept alive and
are safe today chiefly because they
are under the protection of Ameri-
2an relief workers, the report states
Mr.. Nickrey and his associates in
'ormed Congress that conditions are
,OrSe throughout the Near East to-
ny than they have been at any time
nee the armisticc. This is attribut
/ to the enforced exile of Armenian
people from their ancestral homes
in Central Turkey, the warfare be-
tween Turkish NationalistS and the
Greeks, the cutting off of food sup
plies from the north and the influx
# tens of thousands of Russian.
;r2ck. Jewish and other refugees
rom the famine areas Of Russia.
Scores of deaths are reported TO be
occurring daily from starvation in
E.riyan, AloXandropo1, Karakliss and
cities Of Russian Armenia; while
hundreds of thousands of Armenian
refugees from Cilicia and Anatolia
are today homeless and dependent
upon American relief.
1t is asserted in the report that
there are at least 100000 orphans
or dependent children in the territory
where the Near East Relief operates
who cannot be cared for with its
present resources.
More than q thousand American
citizens engaged in the distribution
of this SG3,S0O.000 since 1915. OF
these $50 are now stationed
IN relief ccnters in the form~
or ottoman Empire caring for
the orphans. refugees and destitute.
Many Of these are volunteers giving
their services without pay or at q
,,.,.>
Several of them have given their
lives by contracting contagious dis
eases while at their work of relief
A disproportionately large number
of the refugees are declared TO be or
ph2ncd children whose parents per-
| ishcd in the masSacrcS and deporta-
tions or subsequent hardshipS of the
war. Many of them have no living
relatives to give them even partial
support and some of them were Or
phanCd SO young that they do not
know their own names and have been
given names by the American Relief
workers. Fifteen thousand of them.
said to be the largest assemblage of
orphans in the worlds history, are in
one orphanage at AleXandropol and
the Near East Relief has 12S other
orphanages in various portions Of the
former Ottoman Empire. Besides it
has two large orphanages in Pales-
tine and moro than 1000 orphan
children arc supported in Syria.
The report shows that the Near
East Relief maintains 20 hospitals,
50 clinics and conducts or supcrvises
special dispcnsGry or sanitary work.
Wherever practical the refugees
are required 70 90 industrial work
either outside or within the institu-
tons. The orphans in the AlcXan-
dropol homo recently produced 49,
600 pair; of socks in one week.
American tractors and seed wheat
recently have been sent under the
direction of experienced American
agriculturists to enable the refugees
to become self-supporting by farm
ing.
In the past year more than 2,000,-
GOO pounds of old clothing have been
sent to the refugee camps and the
report states that IAN old suit from
America is worth more in purchas
ing power than government notes for
100000 rubles."