Daily capital journal., January 12, 1918, Page TEN, Image 10

TEN"
THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON. SATURDAY, JAN. 12, 1918,
r-7
11
t Tk Iff
II M R 1
The appeal to America for relief for the outraged and starving people of Armenia and Syria
is, without exception, the most heartrending and urgent of any that has come to us since the
warhegan.
We have been eager to do our part in giving for the welfare of our sons and brothers in the
army, bowing that our best is but a beggarly sacrifice by comparison to theirs.
The appeal from Belgium is heartrending, as we know because we have learned about it
from reliable sources.
The situation in Armenia and Syria is worse, appallingly worse, by every comparison, and
our information cannot be questioned.
Relief work devolves' largely on American agencies and is being carried on with scrupulous
conscience in every detail, but is pitiably insufficient.
It has been assigned to us to carry the appeal to the people of Marion county. It must be
done with the greatest possible speed and must be met with the utmost generosity.
The Tragic Situation In Western Asia Calls For Immediate Response of
the Samaritan Spirit of the World.
Reports regarding the atrocities, deportations and
sufferings among: the peoples of Western Asia have been
so terrible as almost to challenge belief. They do stagger
the imagination of those who were not eye witnesses.
Personal testimony of many who lived through the
earlier period and information furnished by American
Ambassadors, Consuls, teachers, physicians, missionaries
and business men who have recently returned from
Turkey to Armenia confirm the worst. Documentary
evidence of an overwhelming character is also abundant.
At a history making conference held recently in New
York and participated in by 139 representatives of the
above classes the very people who know most about
actual conditions in the afflicted territory the following
statements were unanimously agreed to as well within
the facts:
At least 1,000,000 Armenians and Syrians- in Turkey
have perished during the past two years from massacre,
deportation, exposure, starvation, disease.
Over 2,000,000 are now homeless and in dire distress.
Thousands of Greeks deported from the sea coast of
Asia Minor are now in danger of starvation.
Four hundred thousand of those in need are orphans.
Little children scarcely able to feed themselves live abso
lutely alone in deserted homes. Seventy-five thousand
children under 12 years of age are starving in Syria and
the Lebanon district alone.
Sufferers in the Lebanon district recently were dying
at the rate of 1,000 a day.
Five hundred thousand refugees have fled the Turkish
dominions and in their temporary homes cry for help.
Relief is wisely and economically administered by.
absolutely reliable agents, but is pitiably insufficient.
Every dollar contributed goes for relief, none for
expenses.
The RED GROSS Is Assisting to the Utmost of Its Ability.
Every Humanitarian Agency in Christendom Indorses This Appeal.
President Wilson Urges Help
' In an appeal to the American People in
which he urges further contributions to the
relief of these stricken people, President Wil
son says: "Reports indicate that of orphans
alone there are more than 400,000, besides
women and other dependent children, reach
ing a total of more than 2,000,000 destitute
survivors. The situation is so distressing as
to make a special appeal to the sympathies
of all."
From Former Ambassador Oscar Strauss
"I am impressed with the increasing need
as the winter comes on. The cold is severe
through all the region of Asiatic Turkey
north of Syria and if these refugees are not
aided by relief from America many more will
perish."
From Consul Leslie A. Davis
"I believe there is no place in the world
where there is greater and more urgent need
of relief at the present time than among the
surviving Christian population in the Turkish
Empire.
"I speak from a personal knowledge of the
situation, as during the past three years I
have been located at Harpoot, and there was
brought into close contact with the distress.'
and misery of thousands of homeless- and
destitute women and children who are abso
lutely dependent upon charity for their sub
sistence. "It is to be borne in mind that very few of
these people have any way of earning money,
as owing to the existing conditions there is
no work to be obtained.
"The majority of these unfortunate women
and children are now in such a wretched and
helpless condition that they cannot long sur
vive if help is not received. Many did die last
winter for lack of food. Present conditions
are more critical than ever.
"Arrangements have been made by which
funds can continue to be sent there without
any risk of loss."
From First Secretary Tarler
'.There is no question as to the extreme
need. The distress among the stricken peo
ple is beyond any power of words to describe.
The American public can have absolute con
fidence that every dollar given is wisely and
effectively used for the saving of life."
From Consul Recently Returned from Aleppo
"The only thing the matter with your state
ment is that it is not strong enough. The
urgency of the demands are far beyond esti
mation. The 120,000 or so' dependent persons
in Aleppo and vicinity have no other re
sources for bread, and once' the relief stops
these people will disappeal from the face of
the earth. Disease is rife even among the
permanent inhabitants, irrespective of race
or religion, and the deported Christians will
be in an absolutely hopeless condition with
out the funds that have been and must con
tinue to be sent to them.
The local relief distributing committee in
Aleppo is very trustworthy and all funds for
warded there go to reliable .men who are in
tensely interested in the work in every
particular."
Many other consuls, ambassadors and trav
elers, speaking from personal knowledge, add
their testimony to the great need and to the
safety and integrity of the handling of relief
work and funds.
INCIDENTS OF HUMAN SUFFERING THAT STIR THE SOUL
Child's Pitiful Appeal,
"America did not realize the hun
ger that existed in some parts of
Turkey. I can best illustrate it by
telling you about a little boy who was
brought to one of the hospitals. His
condition was such that he could not
eat solid food, but he cried for a
piece of bread. When the psysicians
told him he couldn't eat bread he said
he didn't want to eat it, he just
wanted to put it under his pillow so
that he could feel that food was
near.
Men Devour Melon Rind
Perhaps a faint conception of the
terrible hunger experienced by
thousands may be gained from this
little incident told by one of the re
turning consuls: "I was eating a
piece of melon," he said, "and was
paying little attention to the people
around me. I tossed aside the rind
when instantly a man pounced upon
it like a hungry wolf. He chewed
, on it for a few moments and then
he in turn tossed it aside. Another
man who had been watching him
with the eyes of a hawk picked it up
and devoured the rest."
Children Eat Dead Camel and Pick
drains from Dung of Animals in
Streets
An American doctor coming down
the mountain side from the Lebanon
noticed in the distance a throng of
children and wondered why so many
were gathered in one place. Upon
coming near he discovered that a
camel had died by the roadside and
these famished children were in des
peration picking the last shreds of
flesh from the skeleton of the fallen
beast. Children eagerly picking
grains from the dung of animals in
the street have become a common
sight.
American Women Compelled to Deny
Appeals of Children
Tender-hearted American women
have been compelled to steel them
selves against the sight of children
in the street dying for lack of food
to pass by without helping, having
no resources to warrant adding one
more to the number already being
fed.
Missionaries Select Which Must
Starve
A hard task is assigned the mis
sionaries, that of practically signing
the death sentence of children. For
example, in one case there were 480
children with funds sufficient for
only seventy. The missionaries were
forced to select the seventy and say
not to the equally or possibly more
destitute 360.
"I'm Hungry! Fm Hungry!"
So far as Syria is concerned Beirut,
Palestine and the Lebanon have suf
fered most. Many villages have be
come depopulated. An American
passing through a village last sum
mer saw only one house open. The
people had either migrated or per
ished. In one doorway sat a little
girl, apparently alone in the world.
She kept saying over and over, "Fm
hungry! I'm hungry!" The children
in all the villages look like old jnen
and women.
Children Eat Grape Vines and Leaves
In Aleith no grapes are expected
because the children have eaten the
shoots and young leaves. The mul
berry .orchards were planted with
wheat but in many cases children
have plucked the wheat to eat the
seeds clinging to the roots.
Generosity of Americans
Those who have survived so far
have been kept alive through the
generosity of Americans. All money
sent from America is received and
the distribution of food is effective.
In the coming winter the conditions
will become harder than ever, and
very few will survive unless ade
quate, regular contributions are
sent.
What an American Saw
An. American consular agent re
ports that in his daily walk from his
house to the consulate he counted as
many as twelve bodies of persons
who had died of starvation the pre
ceding night. Fifty-five per cent of
the population of the Lebanon are
reported dead from starvation, mal
nutrition and resultant disease.
The scenes are indescribable. They
can never be blotted from my mem
ory. I stood beside a trench which
was the grave of 2,000 victims. They,
too, all surrendered their arms upon
implicit promises that they would
then be spared. The moment they
became defenseless they were com
pelled at the point of the bayonet to
dig the trench, into which they were
forced and then hacked to pieces.
Soldiers boasted of their work with
axes, as being more economical than
expensive cartridges!
Thousands of Christians have been
driven from their homes in the
mountains of Armenia by the Kurds.
To prevent their return, if by chance
any survive the deportation, the
Kurds have destroyed all their
homes, even burning up the doors
and windows, with their frames. All
the fruit and nut trees and the vine
yards wrere destroyed; and to make
sure that there would be no wood
for rebuilding, the ' trees were cut
into lengths too short ' for boards.
Even the terraces that held the fields
on the mountain sides were broken
down. The work of centuries of
patient labor by a long suffering
people has been completely over
thrown. Great as is the tragedy of massa
cre, a greater tragedy was the forced
deportations, 100,000 women and
children from one district alone. It
is terrible to contemplate their fate
after the war. The nations should
provide means for searching out and
restoring any survivors to their
homes and loved ones.
The factsterrible, gripping, heartbreaking factsare here. The cry of anguish sobs
through them from beginning to end. Let the utmost measure of devotion be swift and sure.
Every cent contributed goes wholly to relief work. AO expenses are met by special contribu
tes given expressly for that puqjos
JOS. II. ALBERT, BEN W. OLCOTT, S. B. ELIOTT, W.T.JENXS, REV. J. R. BUCK, ROBERT S. GILL, R. A. HARRIS.
Do not wait to be seen and asked to give. Do it now. The campaign must be carried to every
heart and home, but yoa help carry it and thus make the work mutual
Hake all checks payable to S. B. Effictt Treasurer. Bring or send all contributions to Armenian-Syrian
Relief Committee, 521 Court Street, Salem, Oregon. Telephone 210.
Marion County Committee.
!
it
it
it
I
I
k
ft
Jk-Jft ft ft hA