Evening star., 1946-03-09
Letters to The Star
Argues for Armenian Union Will
Soviet Russia

TAI 6oSS Aoi TAI hSii0u oHIUH w ltN
Soviet Russia
To the Editor Of The Star:
Major George. Fielding Eliot in syn
dicated article of March 1, entitled DE
cisions Made by Americans Seen Shap-
ing Future OF World" gave the wrong
example when he picked as illustration
the long standing claims Of the Ar
menian people.
1t is true, as he pointed out, that
there are very few Armenians left in
Turkey-about 100000 out Of a former
fiourishing Armenian population OF 81
500 900.
Between 1894 and 1896 the Turks
massacred 300,0 900 Armenians, a num-
Der which does not include the scores
of thousands who died in the wake of
the carnage from hunger and disease
for the alleviation of which the Ameri-
can people through their missionaries
in Turkey did SO much. In 1909, under
the regime of the Young Turks. another
10000 were massacred in Cilicia. Be
tween 1918 and 1918 more than 1000, 600
OF them were destroyed through out
right slaughter and in the deserts Of
Arabia. In 1922, when Kara Bekir's
army Of modern Turkey invaded Kars
and Ardahan, another $4,000 were slain.
And in between these years and before
and after, Armenians have been put to
the sword or otherwise destroyed.
Since 1894 close to 500 900 Armenians
succeeded In escaping Turkey under
conditions which would furnish ma
terial for innumerable biographical and
historical novels such as Franz Werfels
The Forty Days of Musa Dagh."
Remnants to Return.
The Turks attempted to destroy the
Armenians in order to remain in per-
manent possession of their land. Now
the remnants of that people wish to
return to their homeland and live their
own lives as their ancestors did for
thousands of years. This is possible
only II the Armenian provinces now in
Turkey are joined to Soviet Armenia,
where for the past IS years the condi-
tions for their survival and growth as
q nation have been created.
The demand for territories from Tur-
key did not start with the Soviet Union,
but by the Armenian National Council
Of America, with Its memorandum, THE
Case OF the Armenian People," which
Its delegation presented to the United
Nations Conference on international
Organization in San Francisco on June
4, 1945. The press in Soviet Armenia,
which hitherto had been silent on the
territorial claims Of Turkish Armenians
in the world at large, carried the full
story OF that act Of Armenians abroad.
while since the government of Soviet
Armenia has taken definite steps for
the repatriation of hundreds of thou
sands Of those Armenians who wish to
return to their homeland.
1t is possible that the claims of the
Armenian people coincide with the in
terests Of the Soviet Union, but why
should over 200 900 human beings suf-
fer for that? Is 1t not time that the
Armenian question were handled apart
from the interests Of this or that major
power?
Questions for Critics.
If international politics for the past
three-quarters Of . century failed to
settle the Armenian question, and the
Soviet Union did, whose fault Is 1t? If
there is no alternative for the repatria-
ton OF Armenians throughout the world
except by the joining to Soviet Armenia
the Armenian provinces seized and kept
by the Turks, why raise a Red scare
about the matter? And If loyal Ameri-
cans Of Armenian origin and other
distinguished Americans who are stand
ing by them are. as full-blooded Ameri-
cans, attempting to enlighten the rank
and file of the American people about
the long-standing claims for justice and
humanity for over 1 900 900 refugees of
30-odd years, why dub them as un-
American or imply their disloyalty to
America?
President Woodrow Wilson did draw
the boundaries between Armenia and
Turkey in 1920 in response to the in
vitation Of the Supreme Council of the
Allied powers, so as to include in the
Armenian republic about so per cent
OF the lands occupied by Armenians
previous to the Turkish massacres and
deportations. Less than 10 per cent of
historic Armenia is now in the hands
Of Armenians.
Again, in 1920, Secretary of State
Bainbridge Colby did say that: AR
menia must have the good will and
protective friendship of Russia If 1t is
to remain independent and free" And
today, less than one-tenth of Armenia.
In its own way, is free and independ-
ent," due to the benefits of that pro
tective friendship of Russia" of which
Mr., Colby spoke.
The particular Armenia for which
President Wilson and other distin-
guished Americans worked during and
after the First World War is the same
Armenia that exists today, as far as
Armenians in the world at large are
concerned.
CHARLES A. VERTANES.
Executive Director Armenian National
Council Of America.
No Entertainers at Front
To the Editor of The Star.