The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-31

commission. There are several
men In present classes in West
Point indeed. who bear on their
arms the wound and service chew
rons they gained as privates in COM
bat divisions in the World war
As we talked. General Harbord
gave some OF his "reminiscences OF
his Armenian trip, which resulted
in the Senate refusing tc accept a
mandate over that country. He made
the trip with thirty men in seven
trucks, after tho World war had
ended and while we were poised
waiting to learn whether or not we
should accept tho responsibility for
the government and control Of Ar
menia.
The general spoke OF some Of the
hardships and dangers which his
little party encountered as he
gathered data for his report TO the
President, This report noted the
difficulties In the way OF a mandate
and the reasons which might over
come these, and St made no recon-
mendations one way or the other.
However, the report plainly showed
the amount of blood and treasure
which the Armenian mandate would
demand OF us.
THE country proved 10 be par
ticularly difficult after we passed
the almost dry bed OF the Araxes.
our repair truck had broken down.
Another truck was sent to look for
it, Shortly aftcrward my own car
broke down ano | transferred TO one
in which General Mosley rode with
an American Colonel and an Ar
mcnian officer.
This left US with only four We
hicles. The remaining Cadillac con-
tained the aids de camp and in one
of the other machines we're the Ar
menian and Turkish interpreters"
General Harbord smiled
The country was a little diff
ferent Just at that time. Whenever
we wished to converse with Arme-
mans the Turkish Interpreter hid
under the seat and the same stu
alton, but reversed, occurred when
the Turkish Interpreter acted on
our behalf with his own country
men. The two interpreters, however,
maintained n state of neutrality TO-
ward each other, at least.
I'VE had gone only short dis
tance on this particular day when
several shots were fired. We stop
ped and band OF Kurds came out
to US. The Turkish interpreter be-
gan to function with his coreligion-
lists and through him ! informed the
chief Of my own identity and that of
the party The chief was satisfied
that we were friendly, and not only
permitted us to go on but so that
none OF his friends would stop US
sent two of his party along.
Neither of these Kurds had ever
so much as seen an automobile be-
fore, but they caught on to the rules
OF the road right away. Standing on
the running Board as we moved
forward they would fluently curse
such luckless fellow countrymen as
manner of some motorists, would
demand loudly that their brethren
clear the way. with them on duty
we had no difficulty in progressing
until we reached the Euphrates at
a point in the very shadow of Mount
Ararat. Here ! sent the car con-
tanning the aids back TO look for the
missing vehicles and we prepared
to cross the stream.
"A draw prevented our doing so.
The Kurds worked alongside our
men for four long hours, while we
all showed and pushed. Finally
they recalled the existence OF de-
tour only a mile away which would
hp Il W dN WIN lllt HtAtSHlll VI blllB
ing the draw. Haying achieved this
knowledge so latterly the Kurds
guided us to that point and then
departed. In order that members OF
our party should greet them with
fricndiiness / gave them a note
subsequently the Kurd chief we
had seen before came up. He in
formed me that while he had been
satisfied that we We're not Armenr
ians another chief of his party had
refused to believe It and as a CON
sequence had made prisoners OF all
our people except the aids.
In the morning / walked to n
point from which / could see down
the road for miles. ] saw the most
welcome sight I have witnessed in
years-our trucks and cars coming
down the road. II appeared that
they had all been freed az dawn.
But one car had failed to show up
that Of the aids. II arrived some
time later.
1T bore a bullet hole in the rodl-
ator The windshield had been
smashed and one OF the aids had
been wounded slightly He ex-
planned that they had heard O shout
from the roadside, and had kept on,
and that the shout had been fol-
lowed by a vcritable volley, which
for a time bid fair to wreck the car
and kill the crew.
Then as they waited out Of the
darkness came the two Kurds who
made them understand that they
carried the note ! had given them
The aids opened the note and read
IL. II read: These Kurds are
friendly-treat them as SUCH. Ny
Two Kurds had proved Themselves
apt at delivering messages willy
unly."
The general left for the Army and
Navy club, whore Secretary weeks, (
General Pershiug and the members
of the general staff were giving
farewell dinner to the man who ga
years ago had joined the army, too
poor to buy even food.
Fame and fortune 20 large m cas-
ure have the army given Harbord
since, and as he walked off 20 the
final farewell. the writer thought OF
what Harbord has given in return.
Long, slow years OF post routine
dangers dared an Cuba and the Phil
ippincs. the World war. tire S. O. s,
Ch1tcau-Thicrry, scissors and Ar
mcn.a, ana then Ike a flash came
the. lette: he wrote on his retire.
ment--a letter which gives a better
picture of the man than I could ever
hope 70 give. In leaving the service
NE wrote:
Whenever occasion has offered
during nearly 80 years Of service, ]