Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-02-06
SUFFERING IN
ARMENIA TOLD
! OF BY PARKER
Brother of Brownsville Man
Worked Among Starving
Describes Conditions

Rev. l.. A. Parker, formerly rec.
tor of Trinity Episcopal Church al
Victoria, and brother of +. ii.
Parker, United States department Of
justice agent i'm Brownsville, is
working with the Near East Relief
in Armenia. and i'm recent letter
to his mother at Victoria tells of
"almost unbelievable conditions
that exist in Armenia.
DIR. Parker visited in Brownsville
early last summer, before leaving
for the Near East. He went first rC
Tiflis, capital of the Georgia repu0-
lie, and with other relief workers
went inland into the Caucasus re-
gion. ell is now in the heart Of the
Holy Land, helping in the distribT
tion Of food and clothing anon,
thousands Of Armenans The weatn
er in Armenia during the winter
months is much like that eXpcrienc-
ced by the Eskimo. according 70
Mr.. Parker, and throughout HI let
ter he mentions the bitter cold and
the scant raiment 'gnrn by tn. pcp
pie.
A part Of his 'e.t,r forwarded 10
his brother here. follows:
1T is horrible" he wrDtN. "O0
the way ere our rci,roll car was
held owe, = tt IN a al. ;o~n \
blizzard ragged outside and half-clad
men, women and children fhrouged
the platform. begging US 10 permit
them to enter our cars. During al
of the night there was II al time5
crowd of these people WHO fire.
auentlv tried to force the doors Of
our cars. But it was no warmer
inside the car than it was out where
they were.
1.-THE conditions were dreadful
dreadful Refugees have come to
the cities and hamlets from every
direction. In the cities the streets
and parks are full of human beings
who are on the verge Of death from
maInutrition and exposure TO the
cold, biting winds that sweep the
barren country during these cold
months.
"They have no food. Never in my
life have | seen so many emaciated
women and children. They beg pite-
ousiy for bread. That seems TO be
their idea of a meal-a bit of bread
perhaps but hard crust. fit only
for the palates of the lowest ami
mails.
Tine word America means life
and death to these people. And
they know it. They treat the relief
workers much after the fashion one
might treat a king or messenger
from Heaven. II is America that
they depend on for their daily eXis-
tence. feel sure that il the peo-
pie of the nation were 70 cut off
the supplies they have been sending
these Armenians il would mean sure
dc2th for Thousands VINO otherwise
would survive and some day make
useful citizens of the now Armenia
which is sure to spring from the
ruins Of tho once prosperous and
lanrv Republic of Armenia.
Before coming over here
thought | knew of the plight of the
Armenians. thought ! had broad
conception Of the conditions existing
over here But, unon landing in
Armenia. | found that knew moth
ing. knew only whet nv assoc'at
O. in the Near East Relief had told
rle. But since coming over here,
which. although il seems ages. has
not been so long ago at ell. | have
learned things that would not have
believed possible had ! heard Of
them before making this Journey
.cross the seas that ! might enter
this stricken country 10 help mete
charity 10 its inhabitants.
"Here where | am there is a daily
bread line in which more than 500
children. many of them scarcely
able to walk. strnd for hours that
they might be served a bit of bread
and a bowl Of soup. which is given
IN them BY the workers Of the Near
Fast Relief in this district. But
this bread line mems nothing to the
workers who have been through Ar.
meria. 1t is bat ono Of many and il
not classed among the large ones
that are held fartEer inland
TO REDUCE ARMY