The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-10-30
Armenian Conditions
Portrayed
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menians were very grateful for
the articles. The children were
kept in an old army barracks
which had to be thoroughly reno
waited and rooted in before they
could be occupied. These were the
conditions two years ago under
the first independent government
that Armenian government had
ever had. Then word came that
the Turkish army was advancing
and that the Armenian army had
been defeated. After the sacking
and burning of the city Of Kars
the refugees began to pour into
AleXanderpole with their awful
stories The Americans stayed in
the city and saved their property
by placing American flags over
their buildings.
The speaker emphasized to all
his addresses how the Turks re-
spected the American flag and the
khaki uniform of the United
States soldier and how very few
outrages were perpetrated on
property belonging to Americans.
When the Turks reached Alex
anderpole the officer in charge
agreed to leave our orphanage
alone and they kept their word.
The speaker said this period
of comparative quiet was soon
broken by the announcement that
the bolsheviks were coming to the
city. These came and we were
unfriendly. They stopped our
source of supply for wood and the
children in the orphanage were
warm only nights. They would not
have been Wapm then if you people
in this country had not sent them
thick clothing and blankets for it
was 20 below zero at the time.
Fifteen bolsheviks came and said
we were under arrest and would
be held as hostages for more food
for their farm. We appealed to the
Turks for protection and Turk
ish officer came and literally kick
ed them outdoors.
Following this invasion came the
Russian "Reds" who were kind to
us and thanked us for all we had
done for the children, for the
young folks at our orphange in
cluded a number Of Russians. But
our rations under the previous re-
gime had been reduced from 50
sacks of flour to Is sacks a day
and the death rate at the orphan
age was 200 q week All the chill
dren had to be buried naked in
trenches as we had not clothes
enough for them.
In the spring we left the city
where the Turkish army had told
US we must stay through the
winter and then we knew why they
had issued this order for by the
roadside we saw the frozen bodies
of 10000 Armenian men, women
and children that had been massa-
cred by the Turks in the fall. This
shows the Inconsistency Of the
Turk He is friendly with the
but there is no limit to
his awful acts on the Armenians.
The same story, Mr.. Brown said.
could be told of conditions today
in Smyrna, Thrace and the islands
OF the Aegean sea. In closing he
it upon his audience that
any clothing sent now would reach
Armenia in a month and be the
means Of saving many lives in
the cold winter that was fast APP
preaching.
At the Sunday school session
Mr.. Brown told the organization
Of the Boy and Girl Scouts at the
and of the fun the
boys had in their boxing matches.
He said there were $4,000 orphans
in Armenia today and that help
would be needed for sometime to
come.
At the mission study class at
the South church Sunday evening |
Mr.. Brown said that a little Ar
menian girl upon hearing that
he was coming home told him to
thank and kiss everybody in Am
erica for what they had done for
the people overseas. He said the
bolsheviks were trying to educate
the children to adopt the Russian
forms Of government and were
spreading their propaganda
the movies. At one of
these entertainments the leader
asked the children if they wanted
to be bolsheviks and instead of
getting an affirmative answer they
all shouted that they wanted to be
'Americanskis" Mr.. Brown said
they were not trying to make
American citizens out of the young
folks but were trying to impress
upon them the principles of a
form of government where there
was liberty and freedom rather
than oppression, atrocities and 4
graft.