Evening star., 1927-12-01


arrived and been officially received by
President Coolidge and the Secretary
Of State, Mr.. Kellogg. He is not well
coined by the former Ambassador to
Germany, Mr.. James w. Gerard. nor
by Mr. Gerard's secretary, who
chances to be an Armenian, MIR.
Cardeshian. Mr.. Gerard has publish
ed a protest against our receiving
any representative of Turkey, and
particularly alleges that Ambassador
Mouktar Bey is especially objection
able. because, he AYERS:
'In 1919 Mouktar Bey was men,
Der of Kemal's mission to Moscow.
This mission entered into an agree
ment with Moscow whereby Turkey
was to attack the Armenian Republic,
which was recognized by the allied
and associated nations, including the
United States.
"In August, 1920, Turkey attacked
Armenia, but was repulsed. She again
attacked her in September (while the
bolsheviki threatened her from the
northeast) and overwhelmed her. The
Turks then butchered, according to
an official bolshevist report, 10000
Christians in the region of Alex
andropol. and laid waste lat villages
and hamlets.''
* X * X
There has not appeared any con-
tradiction of Mr.. Gerard's history of
the Turkish atrocities. So recently
has Turkey thus justified the term of
horror given by all civilization-'the
unspeakable Turk
1t appears an oversight. however,
that Mr.. Gerard should recite only
the bloody butchering of 10000
Christians in 1920, while failing to
mention the million also butchered in
the years 1915 and 1916. There sure
ly cannot be greater horror over the
acts of one individual in having Off
cial part Gf he did in killing 10000
than the loathing by all civilization
of a people who dare gloat over their
hideous atrocities resulting in the
death of men, women and children to
the number equal to more than double
the entire population of Washington.
While Mouktar Bey may have been
a member of a commission conspir-
ing with the bolsheviki to commit
wholesale murder, he does not appear
to have been worse than Kemal, the
President of the Turkish Republic,
who sent the commission, and later
commanded the butchers who attack
ed the Christian Armenians. The
question of recognition, therefore, has
to do with the Turkish Republic.
rather than with the individual Am
bassador. Should the republic be
recognized at all?
In answer to Mr.. Gerard's protest, 1t
is affirmed officially that all American
business concerns having interests in
Turkey and also all American mis-
sionaries ask it's recognition. All other
nations have given full recognition to
Turkey. The League of Nations has
recognized it, in spite of the Leagues
inability to prevent the massacre, al
though the Leagues alleged function
is to prevent wars.
If the United States had accepted
the mandate over Armenia, which the
League in 1919 wanted us to take and
which President Wilson wanted to ac-
cept, we might have maintained an
American Army in Armenia and
fought battles with both Turkey and
Soviet Russia, in defense of an ideal
But there are Americans who object
to war, and especially protest against
sending American soldiers over the
world to fight and die for an alien
people. in a cause not affecting the
United States, more than it does all
civilization.
Diplomatic recognition of a govern
ment is not condoning the wicked acts
of that people. Wickedness must be
met and overcome by good example
and by missionary influences in the
spirit Of Christian principles; that is
not the part of a Department of State,
which deals, for national interests, ac-
cording to international law and prac-
tices of diplomacy
Our Christian missionaries in Tur-
key feel that their work will prosper
more safely when their Government
recognizes and holds responsible for
their protection q government de
facto of the bloody butchers with
whom they are dealing at the risk of
their lives.
"By what power may the United
States Government sit in judgment
upon the morality of any other gov
ernment while no American suffers
wrong? Let him who is without sin
cast the first stone! Let America-let
Christendom-first demonstrate the
high ideals of the Founder of Chris
tianity and take away the shame of
the highest murder percentage of the
world in time of peace before outlaw
ing 'barbarous' nations, untaught in
the mercies and love of Christ" Thus
speak our missionaries.
n X X X
Immediately after the World War
Armenia was given the status of an
Independent nation, through a treaty
made at Sevres in 1920. but Turkey
refused to ratify it. When the Turk
ish Nationalists came into power, in
1923, they scrapped that treaty of
Sevres. The conference of Lausanne,
ending in JSy. 1923. resulted in