Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-06-20
View of Mt. Ararat

ANASHDoio Tic DdDylO1IdIlS, the MeQoS
and Persians, the Seleucidae, the Ro-
mans. From shortly after the Begin
ming of the Christian era until 632,
when the country fell to the Byzan-
tines, was Armenia's age Of independ-
ence.
The apex of power and culture was
reached during the latter part of that
period. Then, as Viscount Bryce put
it, with tragic suddenness "the devel-
opment of the race was arrested just
when their capacities were beginning
to bear fruit"
Since that time the Armenians have
really never had chance. In 636
they were conquered by the Arabs and
ruled by governors appointed by the
caliphs. They became part of the en-
pire of the Seljuk Turks until it split
up in 1857. They were raided and har-
assed by the Asiatic nomads bound
westward, finally by the devastating
| Timur-the-Lame. Their nobility had
| fled to Bysantium with the coming of
the Arabs. After Timur many of the
common people migrated to Cilicia. In
| the Sixteenth century the OSmanli
| Turks and the Persians shared the
| dominance Of old Armenia. Then in
| 1928 the Russians pushed south to take
hand in the division of the old Ar
menian territory. In 1873 Russia made
her farthest southwark advance, con-
quering the Turkish-Armenian San
| jaks of Batum, Arabian and Kars.
Since then the Armenians have lived
with varying fortunes under the three
| Jurisdictions, those of Turkey, Persia
and Russia.
Much of the bloody suffering that
has befallen the Armenians of Turkey
during the past half century is as
cribed indirectly to Russia. The Ar
menians under Turkish rule had been
impoverished and oppressed for long
time. Russian assumption of their
championship, and her demands for re-
forms incensed the Turks; and after
the unprincipled Abdul Hamid II be-
! came sultan and realized that Russia
was being checkmated by the "conceit
of Europe" all restraint was removed
and wholesale massacres took place.
Probably million or more Armenians
/ lost their lives in these horrible
slaughters. OF these 100000 were done
to death. It is estimated, during the
World war.
Independence Not Restored.
For a brief period after the armis-
tice the Armenians dreamed of re-
stored independence in their old home
land. But the patriotic fervor which
this dream aroused only served to
draw down on their heads increased
persecution from the Turks when the
scheme fell through. Hundreds OF
thousands of refugees fed from Turk
ish Armenia to Russian Armenia and
augmented there famine conditions
which, in turn, took their toll of many
thousands. 1t vas under these condi-
lions that American relief measures
probably saved the lives of myriads.
What was recognized as Russian Ar
menia before the World war, the re-
gion which served as the refuge OF Ar
menians, has been markedly lessened
in extent by postwar treaty between
| the Turkish nationalist and soviet
Russia. BY this agreement, known as
the Treaty of Kars, Turkey has had re-
stored to her most of the areas con-
duered by imperial Russia in 1878. The
Sanjak of Batum Is practically inter-
nationalized while the Sanjaks OF Ar
| dahan and Kars are coded. Only the
Erivan district, about $4,000 square
miles in extent, is retained under Rus
sian control. In this territory live l.
100000 of the probably 100000 Ar
menians. The district is organized as
the Armenian soviet republic and,
with the adjoining republics of Geor-
| gia and Azerbaijan, makes up the
Transcaucasian Socialist Federated
Soviet republic, one of the associated
republics" Of soviet Russia.
The vague region of Armenia, like
| the spirit of its people, centers around
a noble mountain 'lnown to all the
world: Ararat, a thousand feet higher
| than Mont Blanc. The tradition OF
Noah is a circumstantial story to the
Armenians They will show one the
very spot where the ark grounded and
they assert that this most important
debarkation point is still guarded by
genii with flaming swords. To the
southeast of Ararat lies the town of
Nakhichevan, meaning FIRST dwelling,
which was founded, tradition has 1t,
by Noah after he planted the first vine
ON the slopes of Ararat. Besides its re-
! ligious and traditional significance,
/ Ararat Is a gigantic political marker.
! # is a common "corner" of Russia,
Persia and Turkey.