Evening star., 1924-11-04
1900 ORPHANS GET.
AID FROM AMERICA
Institution for Armenians Is
Largest in WorId-Vic-
Tins of War.
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
ALEAANDROPOL Armenia, Novem-
Der Far out on the broad. barron
upland plateau which divides Rus
sian Armenia from Turkey and Persia
Is small group of American men
and women who are conducting Tho
largest and most unique orphanag
IN the world. In their care and un-
der their tutorship are $4,000 Arme-
man boys and girls who have been
salVaged from the wreckage Of war
and ruin in Asia Minor They are
Kept alive by the nickels and dimes
Of American children and by contri-
buttons of food and clothing from the
American people.
Five thousand of the orphans are
girls from to years old These
are In charge of Miss Janet Mckay
of Buffalo. \. y, who is called by the
natives the mother of Armenia"
MISS Mckay looks after her great
family Of adopted children with all
the care. solicitude and affection of
an American mother Nothing will
persuade some Of the smaller of the
children that she is not their real
mother.
Parents Lost in War;
They did not know what childhood
was until the Americans supplied them
with toys, games, pictures. taught them
the spirit of play and made it possible
Tor them to romp and frolic on the
broad fields of their native country.
TO see great masses of them at play.
IN their Immaculate garments of
white, their clean, bronzed happy faces.
IS sight that cannot fail TO affect the
American visitors pride and emotion.
Before the Americans came to Ar
menia so per cent of these children
We're affected with trachoma, con-
JunctiNitiS and other eye diseases.
All were suffering acutely from the
effects of inanition and exposure.
The death rate was about so a DAY.
Young physicians from the United
states Army and American nurses
took the children in hand and
brought them back to health and
happiness. Today the death rate is
about one every three months
When the correspondent visited
Alexandropol this vast multitude of
children assembled on a great CAM
pus and formed, in gigantic letters.
the words America, We Thank YOU
as an expression of their gratitude
Tor the help they received from the
adults and children Of the United
states. Viewed from the great stone
military barracks which surround
the campus. the scene was inspiring
and touching. The BoIsheyik au-
tnoritieS refuse to allow the children
to have American flags. SO the or
phans carried instead great white
towels bearing the stamp Medical
Department, United States Army"
These they waived enthusiastically.
crying, Long live the United States
long live the American people"
The entire work of cooking. sew
ing. washing and bedmaking at the
orphanage is done by the orphans
themselves. The American personnel
numbers less than %, a remarkable
fact when it is considered that there
is a whole city of children to look
after.
Armenia is yet too poor to support
these children, although some steps
are being taken 10 this end so that
the Americans will continue to care
for them until means are found of
placing them with families or finding
employment for them in the country.
From the age OF ) the orphans are
taught sewing. embroidering basket
making, woodworking. dressmaking
and other useful arts. The older chill
dren are instructed in the mechanical
arts, in farming, dairying and cattle
raising.