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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e3b7d15 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53887 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53887) diff --git a/old/53887-8.txt b/old/53887-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b8696d8..0000000 --- a/old/53887-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4498 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Armenia and the War, by A. P. (Avetoon Pesak) -Hacobian - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Armenia and the War - - -Author: A. P. (Avetoon Pesak) Hacobian - - - -Release Date: January 4, 2017 [eBook #53887] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARMENIA AND THE WAR*** - - -E-text prepared by Cindy Horton, Martin Pettit, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/armeniaandwaran00hacogoog - - - - - -ARMENIA AND THE WAR - -An Armenian's Point of View -with an Appeal to Britain and -the Coming Peace Conference - -by - -A. P. HACOBIAN - -With a Preface by the Rt. Hon. Viscount Bryce, O.M. - - - - - - - -Hodder and Stoughton -London New York Toronto -MCMXVII - - - "They are slaves who fear to speak - For the fallen and the weak: - They are slaves who will not choose - Hatred, scoffing and abuse, - Rather than in silence shrink - From the truth they needs must think: - They are slaves who dare not be - In the right with two or three." - - LOWELL. - - -"_To serve Armenia is to serve civilization._" - -_W. E. GLADSTONE._ - - -"_We have put our money on the wrong horse._"[1] - -_THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY._ - - -" ... _a Government incurably barbarous and corrupt._" - -_THE DUKE OF ARGYLL._ - - -" ... _the Ottoman Empire ... decidedly foreign to Western -civilization._" - -_ALLIES' NOTE TO PRESIDENT WILSON, -January 11, 1917._ - - - - -INTRODUCTORY NOTE - - -The end of the war will leave Great Britain and her Allies the practical -arbiters of the destinies of Europe and the Near East. The predominant -part played in the prosecution of the war by Great Britain and the -British Empire will entitle them to an equally decisive voice in the -councils of the Peace Conference. That proud position carries with it a -supreme privilege as well as a heavy moral responsibility. That the -voice and weight of Britain and Greater Britain will be cast, on all -occasions, on the side of justice and liberty, there cannot be the -slightest doubt. But however just and fair-minded a judge may be, it is -impossible for him to dispense justice without hearing all sides of the -case before him. - -That is my plea for placing this statement of the cause of my afflicted -country before the British public, confident that, with its inherent -love of fair play, it will give my pleading a fair hearing. - -I am anxious to make one point clear. I hold no authority and claim no -right whatever to speak for the nation or any national or local -organization of any kind. The views set forth in this little volume are -the views of an individual Armenian who feels, as do no doubt all his -compatriots, that the Armenian blood that has flowed so freely in this -war, imposes upon every living Armenian the sacred duty of employing all -legitimate means in his power to secure to the survivors the justice and -reparation to which their numerous fallen relatives have given them an -overwhelming and indisputable title. They are my views, and the -responsibility for them rests on myself and myself alone. - -I have stated my views frankly. One or two of my friends were kind -enough to express the opinion that that might injure our cause. While I -appreciate their interest and solicitude, I do not share their fears. I -am convinced that the truth can never be unpopular with the British -public or prejudice a good cause. - -I have, of necessity, had to quote freely from many sources, and I take -this opportunity to express my apologies and indebtedness to the -authorities quoted, in particular to Lord Bryce and Mr. Arnold J. -Toynbee for very kindly permitting me to quote extracts from the Blue -Book. - -A. P. HACOBIAN. - -_London, -February, 1917._ - - - - -PREFACE - - -Of all the peoples upon whom this war has brought calamity and -suffering, the Armenian people have had the most to endure. Great as has -been the misery inflicted by the invaders upon the non-combatant -populations of Belgium and Northern France, upon Poland, upon Serbia, -the misery of Armenia, though far less known to the outer world, has -been far more terrible. - -When the European War broke out, in 1914, the Government of the Turkish -Empire had fallen into the hands of a small gang of unscrupulous -ruffians calling themselves the Committee of Union and Progress, who -were ruling through their command of the army, but in the name of the -harmless and imbecile Sultan. By means which have not been fully -disclosed, but the nature of which can be easily conjectured, this gang -were won over to serve the interests of Germany; and at Germany's -bidding they declared war against the Western Allies, thus dragging all -the subjects of Turkey, Muslim and Christian, into a conflict with which -they had no concern. The Armenian Christians scattered through the -Asiatic part of the Turkish dominions, having had melancholy experience -in the Adana massacres some years previously of what cruelties the -ruling gang were capable of perpetrating, were careful to remain quiet, -and to furnish no pretext to the Turkish authorities for an attack upon -them. But the rulers of Turkey showed that they did not need a pretext -for the execution of the nefarious purposes they cherished. They had -formed a design for the extermination of the non-Mohammedan elements in -the population of Asiatic Turkey, in order to make what they called a -homogeneous nation, consisting of Mohammedans only. The wickedness of -such a design was equalled only by its blind folly, for the Christian -Armenians of Asia Minor and the north-eastern provinces constituted the -most industrious, the most intelligent, and the best-educated part of -the population. Most of the traders and merchants, nearly all the -skilled artisans, were Armenians, and to destroy them was to destroy the -chief industrial asset which these regions possessed. However, this was -the plan of the Committee of Union and Progress, and as soon as they -began to feel, in the spring of 1915, that the Allied expedition against -the Dardanelles was not likely to succeed, they proceeded to execute it. -They first disarmed all the Armenians in order to have them at their -mercy; and in some cases, in order to make it appear that the Armenians -were intending to take up arms, they actually sent weapons into the -towns and then had them seized as evidence against the Christians. When -such arms as the Christians possessed had been secured, orders for -massacre were issued from Constantinople to the local governors. The -whole Armenian population was seized. The grown men were slaughtered -without mercy. The younger women were sold in the market place to the -highest bidder, or appropriated by Turkish military officers and civil -officials to become slaves in Turkish harems. The boys were handed over -to dervishes to be carried off and brought up as Muslims. The rest of -the hapless victims, all the older men and women, the mothers and their -babes clinging to them, were torn from their homes and driven out along -the tracks which led into the desert region of northern Syria and -Arabia. Most of them perished on the way from hardships, from disease, -from starvation. A few were still surviving some months ago near Aleppo -and along the banks of the Euphrates. Many, probably thousands, were -drowned in that river and its tributaries, martyrs to their Christian -faith, which they had refused to renounce; for it was generally possible -for women, and sometimes for men, to save themselves by accepting -Mohammedanism. By these various methods hundreds of thousands--the -number is variously estimated at from 500,000 to 800,000--have perished. -And all this was done with the tacit acquiescence of the German -Government, some of whose representatives on the spot are even said to -have encouraged the Turks in their work of slaughter, while the -Government confined its action to propagating in Germany, so as to -deceive its own people, false stories which alleged that the Armenians -had been punished for insurrectionary movements. - -All these facts, with many details too horrible to be repeated here, are -set forth in the Blue Book recently published in England, containing -accounts based upon incontrovertible evidence, and to which no reply has -been made, though some denials, palpably false, have emanated from the -Turkish gang, and some others from the German Government. - -The victims who have thus been put to death, a large part of the whole -Armenian people, belong to what is one of the oldest nations in the -world, which has been Christian and civilized ever since the third -century of our era. If any people ever deserved the sympathy of the -civilized world, it is they who have clung to their faith and the -traditions of their ancient kingdom ever since that kingdom was -overthrown by the Turkish invaders many centuries ago. They now appeal -to the Allied Nations who are fighting the battle of Right and Humanity -against the German Government and its barbarous Turkish allies, asking -that when the end of the war comes their case may be considered and -they may be for ever delivered from the Turkish yoke. Nowhere is their -hard case better known than in the United States, for it is the American -missionaries who have, by their admirable schools and colleges planted -in many cities of Asiatic Turkey, done more for them than any other -country has done, giving them light, consolation and sympathy. - - -The author of this little book is an Armenian gentleman belonging to a -family originally from Ispahan in Persia, but now settled in England. He -speaks with intimate knowledge as well as with patriotic feeling, and -states the case of his countrymen with a moderation well fitted to -inspire confidence. Upon the arguments he puts forward I do not venture -to express any opinion in detail. But those who know something of -Asiatic Turkey will recognize with him that the Armenians are, by their -intelligence and their irrepressible energy, the race best fitted to -restore prosperity to regions desolated by Turkish oppression. The -educated Armenians, notwithstanding all they have suffered, are abreast -of the modern world of civilization. Among them are many men of science -and learning, as well as artists and poets. They are scattered in many -lands. I have visited large Armenian colonies as far west as California, -and there are others as far east as Rangoon. Many of the exiles would -return to their ancient home if they could but be guaranteed that -security and peace which they have never had, and can never have, under -the rule of the Turk. May we not confidently hope that the Allied Powers -will find means for giving it to them at the end of this war, for -extending to them that security which they have long desired and are -capable of using well? - -BRYCE. - -_May, 1917._ - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] _After the massacres of 1895-1896, Lord Salisbury, who had himself -taken a prominent part in the consummation of the Treaty of Berlin and -the Cyprus Convention, frankly admitted the failure of the policy which -gave birth to these treaties, and the futility of relying upon Turkish -promises._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - PAGE - I. ARMENIA AS A WAR ISSUE--GREATEST SUFFERER - FROM TURKO-PRUSSIAN "FRIGHTFULNESS"--EFFECT - ON AMERICAN OPINION 1 - - II. ARMENIA AND REPARATION--ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM--CONDEMNATION - AND DEMAND FOR REPARATION INADEQUATELY EXPRESSED 10 - - III. "THE GENTLE AND CLEAN-FIGHTING TURK" 22 - - IV. ANGLO-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP A VITAL NECESSITY - FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS IN ASIA--MOSLEMS - AND TURKISH RULE--ARMENIANS PROGRESSIVE - AND DEMOCRATIC BY TEMPERAMENT 40 - - V. ARMENIA AS A PEACE PROBLEM--VIEWS OF THE - "MANCHESTER GUARDIAN" AND THE "SPECTATOR"--CAN - ARMENIANS STAND ALONE AMONG - THE KURDS?--AMERICAN OPINION AND THE FUTURE OF ARMENIA 50 - - VI. ARMENIA'S SERVICES IN THE WAR 66 - - VII. ARMENIA THE BATTLE-GROUND OF ASIA MINOR - AND VICTIM OF CONTENDING EMPIRES 81 - -VIII. THE BLUE-BOOK--THE EPIC OF ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM, - THE REVELATION OF HER SPIRIT AND - CHARACTER--"TRUTH" ON THE ARMENIANS: A DIGRESSION 94 - - IX. EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE BOOK 114 - - X. GREAT BRITAIN AND ARMENIA--THE LATE DUKE - OF ARGYLL'S VIEWS--AN APPEAL TO BRITAIN 140 - - XI. AN APPEAL TO THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE 160 - - - POSTSCRIPT 181 - - APPENDIX 189 - - - - -ARMENIA AND THE WAR - - - - -I - - ARMENIA AS A WAR ISSUE--GREATEST SUFFERER FROM TURKO-PRUSSIAN - "FRIGHTFULNESS"--EFFECT ON AMERICAN OPINION - - -The first official advance for peace made by Germany and her Allies, -although couched in defiant and menacing terms, was nevertheless an -unmistakable signal of distress, and has brought the world within -measurable distance of that just and durable peace which the Allies have -set out to achieve. The prospect of approaching peace has set on foot a -general reiteration of the issues at stake, and consideration of the -terms and problems of peace. Public attention in this country will -naturally be occupied, in the first place, with the momentous issues and -interests of the United Kingdom, the British Empire and her Allies -raised by the war and to be settled and secured by the impending peace. -It will therefore, I hope, not be considered amiss or premature for a -member of one of those small and oppressed peoples engulfed in the -vortex of the war who look to Great Britain and her Allies for -deliverance, reparation and the security of their future liberty, to put -before the British public his views, as well as facts and arguments that -may be of some service in enabling it to form a just estimate of the -claims and merits of one of the smaller problems which run the risk of -not receiving a full hearing at the Peace Conference, in the presence of -a multitude of larger and more important questions. - -The item in the Allied peace terms stated in their reply to President -Wilson's note, "the setting free of the populations subject to the -bloody tyranny of the Turks," is the bearer to Armenians of a message of -comfort and hope. It heralds the dawn of a new day that will mark the -end of the long and hideous nightmare of Turkish tyranny. - -If President Wilson, the American people, or other neutrals were in -search of evidence that would prove to them conclusively which of the -two groups of belligerents is sincere in its professions of regard for -"the rights and privileges of weak peoples and small states"; if Belgium -had not been violated and ravaged; if the _Lusitania_ and so many -hospital ships, liners and merchantmen had not been sunk without any -care as to the fate of the wounded, the children and women, the -non-combatant men and crews; if Zeppelins had not spread death and -destruction among women and children in their homes in the night; if all -these and so many other outrages had not been committed, and there had -been, in the whole course of the war, no other act of the Quadruple -Alliance in any degree contrary to the laws and usages of civilized -warfare and dictates of humanity, the single word ARMENIA would provide -that proof--a crushing, monumental proof--as to who is and who is not -sincere in the professions of regard for right, justice and humanity. -The spirit of desolated Armenia stands at the head of the phantom -spirits of outraged humanity, which must rise and shatter to atoms -every mask of benevolence, righteousness and injured innocence that the -protagonists of "frightfulness" may assume for the deception of their -own peoples and neutrals. - -But in the United States at least there is no need for any fresh proof -or explanation of the issue at this stage, and the martyrdom of Armenia -has contributed largely to that state of American opinion. I have little -doubt that President Wilson's Peace Note and speech to the Senate are -the first steps towards America casting her whole weight into the scale, -aiming at the realization of a just and lasting peace. - -The intense interest evinced by the people and Government of the United -States in the fate of Armenia and the Armenians is abundantly shown not -only by the generous gifts of money for the relief of the survivors and -the noble personal services by devoted missionaries and relief agents, -some of whom lost their lives in their work of mercy; but also by -diplomatic action on behalf of the Armenians in Constantinople (where -Mr. Morgenthau, to his great honour, struggled valiantly to stay the -hand of the ruthless oppressor), and by the prominence given to any and -every scrap of news concerning the holocaust in Armenia. It is no -exaggeration to say that, military operations apart, no incident of the -war, not excepting the violation and martyrdom of Belgium, has been -given more space and prominence in the American Press than anything -connected with the martyrdom of Armenia and Syria and the relief of the -refugees and exiles. - -In his reply to the Armenian deputation who on December 14, 1916, -presented to him an illuminated parchment from the Catholicos expressing -His Holiness's gratitude and thanks to the American nation, President -Wilson said, _inter alia_-- - - - "We have tried to do what was possible to save your people from the - ravages of war. My great regret is, that we have been able to - accomplish so little. There have been many suffering peoples as the - result of that terrible struggle, and _the lot of none has touched - the American heart more than the suffering of the Armenians_."[2] - - -Nothing in the war has brought home to the people of the United States -the moral issues of the war more strongly and vividly than the -unprecedented barbarities committed by the Turks in their diabolical -attempt to wipe out the Armenian race. No event of the war has been more -damaging to the Central Powers in the eyes of the United States. Here -they have seen the ruthless spirit of the twin enemies of humanity and -liberty--the Turkish _yatagan_ supported by the Prussian jack-boot--in -its hideous nakedness, at work in the depths of Asia, unrestrained and -unperceived, as they thought, by the light of civilization. - -This gospel of the jack-boot and the _yatagan_ will be best illustrated -by putting side by side two quotations, one from the _Tanine_, the -official organ of the Committee of Union and Progress in Constantinople, -and the other from a statement made by Count Reventlow in October 1915. -The _Tanine_ "invited the Government to exterminate or forcibly convert -to Islam all Armenian women in Turkey as the only means of saving the -Ottoman Empire."[3] Count Reventlow, the high priest of the gospel of -Brute Force and Militarism, writing in the _Tageszeitung_ in defence and -approval of Turkey's appalling crime, said that it was the Ottoman -Government's obvious right and duty to take the strongest repressive -measures against "the bloodthirsty Armenians"--the measures advocated by -the _Tanine_, which were carried out by Count Reventlow's worthy allies -on the Bosphorus with a completeness and ferocity that must have greatly -pleased him. - -The German Government and German apologists have made a great parade of -the use of Indian and African troops in Europe by the Allies. By all -reports, these troops have fought as clean a fight as any troops in the -war. I think that in the judgment of future historians no incident of -this war, whose history is so heavily shadowed on one side with -outrages and violations of the laws of civilized warfare, will meet with -so strong a condemnation as Germany's alliance with the Young Turks, the -declaration of a "holy war" at her behest, and its dire consequences for -the already sorely tried Christian subjects of the Turks. (It should be -remembered that Germany and Austria are signatories to the Treaty of -Berlin, Art. 61 of which was to have brought about "the improvements and -reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by the -Armenians," and to have "guaranteed their security against the Kurds and -Circassians." This point cannot be too strongly emphasized.) She could -have foreseen these consequences; and if she did not foresee them, she -could have stopped them when they made themselves apparent. Turkey's -entry into the war placed her Christian subjects in a position of great -peril, as it has been her custom to wreak upon them her vengeance for -defeats; while a state of war freed her from the moral restraint of -Europe. It was hoped that German and Austrian influence would check -this tendency. How cruelly events have shattered that hope! They have -proved that it was too much to expect humanity and the ordinary feelings -of chivalry and compassion for the honour and suffering of women and -children from the State policies of these great Christian Governments -and the majority of their agents in Turkey. I do not believe that this -ungodly and inhuman policy has received general approbation either in -Germany or Austria-Hungary. This is evident from the quotations from -German missionary journals in the Blue-book on the "Treatment of -Armenians in the Ottoman Empire."[4] It is also proved by the protests -addressed to the Imperial Chancellor by several Catholic and Protestant -organizations. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[2] Quoted in _The New Armenia_ of New York, January 1, 1917. The -italics are mine. - -[3] Quoted in _Guerre Sociale_ (Paris), September 16, 1915. - -[4] _The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire._ Documents -presented to Viscount Grey of Fallodon, Secretary of State for Foreign -Affairs, with a preface by Viscount Bryce (Hodder & Stoughton). - - - - -II - - ARMENIA AND REPARATION--ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM--CONDEMNATION AND - DEMAND FOR REPARATION INADEQUATELY EXPRESSED - - -The Governments of the Allies have unanimously declared that peace is -only possible on the principles of adequate reparation for the past, -adequate security for the future, and recognition of the principle of -nationalities and of the free existence of small states. - -"Reparation" means no doubt in the first place reparation for the wanton -and ruthless destruction of unoffending and defenceless civilian lives -and property. - -It is characteristic of the British sense of justice and fair play that -Belgium, France and Serbia should be given the first place in their -demand for reparation, for, of course, there are the British victims of -"frightfulness," Zeppelin and submarine victims and the victims of -judicial murders to be atoned for and recompensed. - -This unanimous demand for reparation to the smaller nations for all they -have suffered as a result of the brutal and unscrupulous aggression of -their more powerful neighbours, and their security and free development, -augurs well for the future. It is an earnest given by the Entente Powers -to the world, of the sincerity of their declarations regarding the -unselfish, just and worthy objects which they entered the war to attain. - -I must be excused, however, if I confess to feeling not a little -perplexity at the fact that, in discussing the peace terms, the great -organs of British public opinion, with some notable exceptions,[5] have -made little or no reference to Armenia in the demand for penalties, -reparation and redemption. This fact must have impressed Mr. Arthur -Henderson, who, in his reference to Armenia quoted more fully elsewhere, -remarked that " ... Armenian atrocities _were not much talked about_ -here ... etc." My anxiety will be understood when I point out that for -us it is not a question of a little more or less territory, a little -larger or smaller indemnity. For us more than for any other race -involved in the war it is a question of "to be or not to be" in a real -and fateful sense: the rebirth of Armenian nationality from the -profusion of its lost blood and heaps of smouldering ashes, or the end -of that long-cherished and bled-for aspiration, and the consummation of -the "policy" of Abdul Hamid and the Young Turks. - -The first general discussion of the terms of peace has coincided with -the publication, as a Blue-book, of Lord Bryce's comprehensive -documentary evidence on the attempt of the Turks to murder the Armenian -nation in cold blood. I gratefully acknowledge the fact that many -newspapers wrote sympathetic editorial articles or reviews on the -Blue-book, emphasizing, with incontestable force, that this conclusive -evidence of the abominable crimes committed by the Turks in Armenia -without any protest from official Germany, is a crushing reply to the -German Chancellor's protestations of solicitude for humanity. - -But, opportune as has been the immediate effect of this fresh evidence -of Lord Bryce's noble and untiring labours in the cause of humanity, as -a tragic and terrible exposure of the irony of the Central Powers' -professions of pity for suffering humanity, that is surely not the only -or the principal moral to be drawn from these haunting pages. They -constitute a terrible and lasting reproach to the European diplomacy of -our time. They unfold to the horrified gaze of mankind a vast column of -human smoke and human anguish rising to the heavens as the incense of -the most fearful yet most glorious mass-martyrdom the world has ever -seen, but casting a shadow of lasting shame upon Christendom and -civilization. The unparalleled outburst of barbarity they reveal did -not come as a surprise. Europe had heard its premonitory rumblings these -last forty years. As far back as 1880 the representatives of the Great -Powers in their famous and futile Identic Note to the Sublime Porte, -said: "So desperate was the misgovernment of the country that it would -lead in all probability to the destruction of the Christian population -of vast districts." The massacres of 1895-1896 and 1909 cost the lives -of 250,000 to 300,000 Armenians. But most of the European statesmen of -the day persistently refused to believe that "the gentle Turk" was -capable of such bursts of unspeakable barbarism; while Bismarck declared -openly that the whole Eastern Question was not worth "the bones of a -Pomeranian grenadier." His successors have followed and improved upon -his ruthless, unchristian policy, and Europe sees the result. - -With due respect to the small minority of humane Turks, who, I dare say, -are themselves shocked at what their rulers, their soldiery and populace -have proved themselves capable of, the Turk as a race has added yet -another and vaster monument than ever before to the long series of -similar monuments that fill the pages of his blood-stained history, in -proof of the unchangeable brutality of his nature. You cannot reason or -argue with him. Nor can you expect justice or ordinary human feelings -from such a nature. The only sane and honest way to deal with him is to -make him innocuous. It is official Europe that is to blame for leaving -him so long at large and his prey at his mercy. It is European diplomacy -of the past forty years that is responsible for looking on while the -relentless mutilation was going on limb by limb, until Moloch saw his -chance in the war and all but devoured his hapless victim, with the -tacit acquiescence of the Governments of two great Christian empires, -and the applause of Count Reventlow and his disciples. - -How is it to be explained that this deliberately planned destruction of -more than half a million human beings by all the tortures of the Dark -Ages, and the deportation and enslavement worse than death of more than -half a million, have not aroused the righteous wrath of the great -British writers and thinkers of the day to nearly the same extent as the -martyrdom of Belgium? How is it that great writers and poets have not -felt the call of expressing to the world in the language of genius the -stupefying horror as well as the moral grandeur of this vast, -unparalleled tragedy?[6] Great Britain has always been, and is to-day -more than ever, the champion and "the hope of the oppressed and the -despair of the oppressor." That sympathy, horror and indignation exist -in this country in the fullest measure there is not the slightest doubt. -One sees proofs and indications of their existence at every turn. But -why, in Heaven's name, is it not proclaimed to the world that the -culprits may know and tremble and stay their hand? Bishops have been -burnt to death, hundreds of churches desecrated, and ministers of Christ -tortured and murdered; hundreds of thousands of Christian women and -children done to death in circumstances of unspeakable barbarity and -bestiality. Why are the Churches of Great Britain and all Christendom -not raising a cry of indignation that will reverberate throughout the -world and strike the fear of God into the hearts of these assassins and -all powers of darkness? Why is not a word said as a tribute, so richly -deserved, to the heroic and indomitable spirit of the men and women and -even children who chose torture and death rather than deny their Christ, -sacrifice their honour or renounce their nationality?[7] Here is -assuredly the most inspiring example of all times of the triumph of the -spirit of Christ and the fidelity in death to conscience, personal -honour and independence, over savage fury and brutal lust at the highest -pitch ever attained in them by fiends in human form; a triumph and an -example more inspiring, and with a deeper and more lasting significance -for humanity and Christianity, perhaps, than this great and terrible war -itself; and the Churches and spokesmen and writers of great Christian -countries, belligerent and neutral, pass over that aspect of the Great -Tragedy almost in complete silence! - -I do not ask tributes for the martyrs; let their praise be sung by the -hosts of heaven. Nor is this a complaint; and it would be a presumption -on my part to assume the rôle of critic or mentor to leaders of -religion, thought and learning in great Christian countries. It is far -indeed from my intention to assume such a rôle. But these are facts -which I contemplate with inexpressible sorrow, almost despair--facts -which perplex and puzzle me and which surpass my understanding. Perhaps -my judgment is dimmed and embittered by my nation's sufferings. If that -is so, is any one surprised that the Armenian soul should be bitter -to-day, bitter with a bitterness, anguish and indignation such as the -soul of man has never tasted before, or any people can possibly imagine? - -Some papers speak of the sufferings of the Armenians being _equal_ to -those of the Belgians. - -Armenians know, if any one does, what bondage and suffering under the -tyrant's heel mean, and they yield to none in their profound sympathy -and admiration for heroic Belgium, Serbia and the occupied parts of -France. The martyrdom of 5000 unoffending Belgian civilians is a -horrible enough episode, but surely there is some difference between -5000 and 600,000 victims, to say nothing of the 600,000 who were -enslaved, forcibly converted to Islam, and driven in caravans of torture -and death to the Mesopotamian deserts.[8] What is the condition of -these unfortunates, and how many have survived, must remain a dread -secret of the desert until the end of the war. - -Is it because the victims are Armenians, mere Armenians so used to -massacre, so long abandoned by Europe to the lust and pleasure of "the -Gentle Turk"? That may be so in the eyes of men. But there is God, and -in His eyes the life and pain and torture and death of an Armenian -child, woman, or man are the same, exactly the same, as those of any -other child, woman, or man without exception. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[5] Armenians are especially indebted to the _Manchester Guardian_ and -_The Times_ for their valuable services to their cause, humanity and -truth in exposing the reign of terror in Armenia and the Turk's -affectation of "clean-fighting." Part 101 of _The Times History and -Encyclopædia of the War_ was the first detailed account of what had -happened in Armenia since the outbreak of war, and I may add that, -considering the difficulties of obtaining information, it is a -remarkably well-informed account. - -[6] Mr. Israel Zangwill concludes a moving and eloquent tribute to the -agony of Armenia in _The New Armenia_ (New York) of March 1, 1917, -entitled "The Majesty of Armenia," in the following words--"I bow before -this higher majesty of sorrow. I take the crown of thorns from Israel's -head and I place it upon Armenia's." - -Is it not a strange fact that of all contemporary authors and publicists -of note, it should have fallen to a famous and gifted Jew to pay the -first tribute to "the majesty" of Armenia's martyrdom for the Christian -faith? - -[7] Mr. P. W. Wilson's sympathetic and appreciative articles in _The -Westminster Gazette_ and _The Daily News and Leader_ of February 3, -1917, appeared after the above was written. While I am most grateful to -Mr. Wilson and the two great organs of British public opinion, I avail -myself of this opportunity to make one or two observations on some of -the points Mr. Wilson has raised-- - -"The first impulse of the refugee" has not only been "to start a shop" -but also to start a school and improvise the means of continuing the -publication of the newspaper he was publishing in Van before the exile, -as the Belgians have done here under more favourable circumstances. The -toleration practised by Armenians and their Church is not due to -adversity, but the true understanding of Christianity. The spirit of -toleration breathes through the pages of the history of the Armenian -Church from the earliest times. - -Mr. Wilson says: "It is doubtless regrettable that the Armenians should -have failed to recommend their progressive conception of life to the -Moslems around them." This is a striking example of the misconception -that so often exists in the minds of even the most sympathetic observers -of Armenian affairs. Mr. Wilson knows no doubt for how much prestige -counts in the East. If the European missions with all the prestige of -their great nations, governments, embassies, consulates, etc., behind -them (to say nothing of the unlimited funds at their disposal) have had -such little success in Moslem countries, is it reasonable to blame the -Armenians, oppressed, harried, tortured, massacred, plunged into the -depths of misery, for not having fared better? What respect could the -Armenian's religion inspire among his Moslem neighbours who murdered his -bishops and priests, desecrated his churches and inflicted the most -revolting insults upon the outward symbols of his faith, while his -powerful co-religionists stood by and did nothing? Under these -circumstances what better service could the Armenian render his religion -than die for it? In happier days, the early Armenian Christians were -largely instrumental in converting the Georgians. - -[8] It is some consolation to know, as some reports say, that the Arabs -have treated these unfortunates kindly. It is an indication of--and a -credit to--their superior civilization. - - - - -III - - "THE GENTLE AND CLEAN-FIGHTING TURK"[9] - - -The Allies have declared in their reply to President Wilson that one of -their aims is "the turning out of Europe of the Ottoman Empire, _as -decidedly foreign to Western civilization_." - -This fact of the Turk being "decidedly foreign to Western civilization," -affirmed on the authority and conviction of the Governments of four of -the greatest and most advanced nations of Europe, needs no further -proof. Nevertheless it seems desirable, in the interests of truth, to -endeavour to dissipate the misconception that has been created by the -extraordinary myth of "the clean-fighting Turk." - -There has been a disposition in this country, natural and intelligible -under the circumstances, to attribute the recent (let us hope the last) -and most terrible of the Armenian massacres wholly or largely to German -influence. That the German Government had it in its power to stop this -gigantic crime if it had so wished, there is no doubt. It seems likely -also that the Turk applied to his brutal scheme the method and -thoroughness he had learned from his German ally. But seriously to -assert, as some writers and speakers have done, that German influence -instigated the massacres, is to shut one's eyes to the Turk's record -ever since he became known to history. One need only turn the pages of -his history--a veritable chamber of horrors--to convince oneself that -massacre, outrage, and devastation have always been congenial to the -Turk. - -Without for a moment wishing to absolve the German Government of its -responsibility, before God and humanity, for not exerting its influence -to save more than a million absolutely innocent human beings from death, -slow torture, and slavery: the fact, nevertheless, remains that Hulagu, -Sultan Selim, Bayazid and Abdul Hamid were not under German influence, -that there were no Germans at the sack of Constantinople or the -massacres of Bagdad and Sivas, or, in more recent times, at the -butcheries of Chios, Greece, Crete, Batak, Macedonia, Sassoon, Urfa, or -Adana. The Turk, in fact, has nothing to learn from his Teutonic ally -in "frightfulness"; he has a great deal to teach him. I readily admit -that there are some Turks who are gentle and good men. Some of these -have risked good positions and even their lives to protect Armenian -women and children. But most unfortunately for us, for humanity and for -the Turks themselves, such good Turks are few and far between. - -It is true that orders for the extirpation of the Armenians were issued -from Constantinople, but can any one imagine such revolting orders -_being carried out_ by "gentle and clean-fighting" troops and people? I -shall be much surprised if any unprejudiced man or woman in any -civilized country believes that any but the Turkish populace and -soldiery would be capable of carrying out such orders. History at any -rate has given us no such evidence. - -I believe that, under a just and honest government and better -influences, the Turkish peasant will, in course of time, lose his -proneness to cruelty, for he has good qualities. But if this war is -intended to see the end of tyranny, oppression, brutal religious and -political persecution and the discontent and unrest that such -conditions always produce; if it is to prevent the possibility of a -repetition of the hell that the Turks have let loose in Armenia since -they entered the war and _so often before the war_; then it is clear -that never again must the Turk be allowed to possess the power over -other races, which he has so abominably abused ever since he "hacked his -way through" to the fair, fertile and once highly prosperous country -which he has devastated and converted into a charnel-house. - -The Armenians of Turkey had no separatist aspirations. They knew that -was impracticable. Nothing would have suited them better than a reformed -government in Turkey, that would give them security of life, honour and -property, the free development of their national and religious -institutions and an approach to equality with Moslems before the law. On -the promulgation of the Constitution, all the Armenian revolutionary -societies were transformed into peaceable and orderly political parties -as by magic. They had great hopes of achieving these aims and the -regeneration of the Ottoman Empire from within in co-operation with the -Young Turks before the war, and they gave the Committee of Union and -Progress (was there ever a more incongruous misnomer?) all the support -they could, which was by no means negligible; but they had not long to -wait to be completely and bitterly disillusioned. The Adana massacres -gave their hopes the first blow. The Armenian leaders proved too earnest -and sincere democrats for the Committee leaders who, with few -exceptions, were actuated, as events proved, more by inordinate personal -ambition than the "liberty" and "equality" which they so loudly -proclaimed and which have proved such a hideous mockery. The -chauvinistic wing soon gained complete ascendancy over the party, which -resolved on the covert or forcible "Ottomanization" of all non-Turk -races of the Empire (as is proved by the recent exposures of the Grand -Sheriff of Mecca), and ended by joining the Germans in the war in the -hope of conquering Egypt and the Caucasus. - -It is a mistake to think that Germany forced Turkey into the war -against her will by the presence of the _Goeben_ and _Breslau_. Those -who had any knowledge of Turkish affairs had no doubt of the existence -of a military understanding between Germany and Turkey for some years -before the war. The arrival of a military mission at Constantinople -under Liman von Sanders left no doubt on that point. - -On the outbreak of the European war, the Armenian Dashnakist Party met -in congress at Erzerum to determine the attitude to be observed by the -Party in relation to the war. Hearing of this, the Young Turks forthwith -sent representatives to ascertain the attitude of the Party in the event -of Turkey going to war against Russia. (See Blue-book, p. 80.) This took -place some weeks before the arrival of the _Goeben_ and _Breslau_ at -Constantinople. Nor was the war as unpopular with the Turkish masses at -the outset as is thought by many. If that were so there would have been -a revolt against the Young Turks, and Turkey would have been detached -from the Central Powers long ago. It may be less popular now, because -their dreams of conquest have been shattered and the whole country is -suffering. No Turk, Young or Old, had any particular objection to the -prospects of the conquest either of Egypt or the Caucasus, and many of -them aimed at a Moslem Triple Alliance between Turkey, Persia and -Afghanistan under German auspices, and even dreamt dreams of an empire -that would ultimately embrace India and the whole of Northern -Africa![10] - -The Young Turks have tried their hand at the government of the Ottoman -Empire, and have failed more completely and proved infinitely more cruel -and brutal than the old Turks. Besides this, their betrayal of the -Entente Powers and the vast and unprecedented crime which they have -committed against humanity have left only one solution possible that -holds out any promise of peace, justice and normal progress in the -future. That one solution is, to draw up a new map of the Ottoman Empire -on the basis of nationality and historical rights, reparation in -proportion to services and sacrifices during the war, and the proved -aptitude of the races concerned for progress and development on the -lines of Western civilization. - -There has long existed in Europe a school of politicians who have always -asked: "If you eliminate Turkish rule over the Turks' subject races, -what will you put in its place?" After what has happened in Armenia and -Syria, he would be a bold man or a prejudiced man who would deny that -_any_ change will be an improvement. - -The unfitness of the Turk to govern alien, and especially Christian -peoples has been proved by such an overwhelming accumulation of -historical evidence and rivers of innocent Christian blood, that to urge -the contrary must appear like an attempt to obscure the sun by the palm -of the hand. - -If this war is to bring peace and progress to Asia Minor instead of -chronic anarchy, bloodshed and devastation as in the past, there must be -an end of Turkish domination over alien races in any shape or form. By -all means give the Turk the chance of governing himself in the provinces -inhabited purely by Turks. - -During the Turkish retreat from Thrace in 1913, the evidence of -newspaper correspondents was that the Turk was leaving Europe in the -same state--moral, material and intellectual--as he entered it four -centuries ago. The fact is, that centuries of contact with civilization -has made no difference to the nature of the Turk. War brings to the -surface the true nature of a people as nothing else can. The Turk has -proved by his conduct in this war that he is as cruel and brutal as he -was when he first swooped down as the scourge of God in Asia Minor one -thousand years ago. By centuries of conquest and domination he has -acquired an attractive free and easy outward manner which has stamped -him a "gentleman" in the eyes of European travellers. But the same -"gentleman" who will charm you with his manner will murder or enslave -any number of women and children without the slightest twinge of -conscience. Such is the Turkish "gentleman." The Turks are to-day -proving their gratitude for a hundred years of British and French -support by throwing the whole of their man-power and resources--largely -built up by British and French capital--into the scale on the side of -Germany. They have put at the disposal of Germany and held for Germany -the land routes by which alone she can hope to threaten the British and -French colonial empires. They have done their best to do England and her -Allies all the injury they can, and have given the enemies of England -all the help they can. And still the Turk and even the Young Turk have -friends and protectors in this country.[11] This, to my mind, is the -most astonishing phenomenon of the whole war. It must appear strange to -thinking Moslems that there should be found, in great and mighty -Christian countries, respected and prominent men who defend the Young -Turks at the very moment when their _protégés_ are persecuting and -massacring their weak and defenceless co-religionists in countless -thousands. I gravely doubt whether such an act is calculated to enhance -the prestige of Christianity in the eyes of the Moslem world. - -Have the apologists of the Turks ever put themselves this question: "If -under German influence the Turks have been capable of attempting the -cold-blooded murder of a whole nation, how is the fact to be explained, -that under the same influence they were able to gain the reputation of -'clean fighters'?" - -The irony of it all is, that in a war in which more than twenty -different nations are engaged, the Turk and the Turk alone among the -belligerents should have gained the epithet of "clean-fighter," though, -note well, from one of his adversaries only. How is this fact to be -explained? Is it seriously claimed that the Turk has proved himself, -under the test of war, superior in morals and chivalry to all the -nations of Europe? - -Turkish mentality is not understood in Western Europe. The Turk has a -fanatical bravery which, however, easily degenerates into brutality. The -Russians, Rumanians and Serbs have fought the Turks for centuries. It -would be interesting to have their opinion of his "clean-fighting" -qualities. The fact is, the Turk knows he may need English help again -some day. He knows that there has long existed in England a school of -politicians which has believed that British interests in the Near East -will be best served by supporting the Turk. He knows that England has -millions of Mohammedan subjects who have still some sympathy for him on -religious grounds, and whose susceptibilities Englishmen are naturally -anxious to avoid hurting. He also knows that the British soldier is a -chivalrous warrior who gives full credit to his adversary for any good -qualities he may seem to possess. He understands the power of public -opinion in England. He sees, in short, that there is in England a -fertile and responsive psychological soil ready to nurture and fructify -a hundred-fold the smallest show of "clean-fighting" he may make. -Accordingly, the order goes forth to the Turkish soldier to be on his -best behaviour whenever and wherever he is fighting British troops, and -the Turkish soldier obeys with the blind obedience which is his chief -characteristic. - -That is the true explanation of the amazing fact that so many--though -not all--British officers and soldiers have written or spoken of the -Turk as a clean-fighter. It is well-known that some wounded Australians -who had the misfortune of falling into the hands of the Turks were most -brutally mutilated in the early part of the Dardanelles campaign. A -wounded and gallant young New Zealander told me at a Hampstead hospital -that the Turks "put three bullets into him," while he was being carried -to the rear of the fighting line on a stretcher. (In case my remarks -concerning the clean-fighting qualities of the Turk should be -misconstrued or misrepresented as in any way implying a doubt as to the -evidence of British officers and soldiers, I wish to say emphatically, -what hardly needs affirmation, that I regard such evidence as absolutely -above doubt or question.) - -The Russians said in one of their official _communiqués_ that a number -of their wounded had been mutilated by the Turks. - -Two Russian hospital ships have been deliberately torpedoed by -submarines manned by Turks and flying the Turkish flag. - -I do not of course suggest that there are no really clean-fighting men -among the Turks. There must be many such. It should be borne in mind in -this connection that, in the early stages of the war, the Turkish army -contained a considerable sprinkling of Christians--Greeks, Armenians, -Syrians, etc. But to label the Turks _as such and as a whole_ as clean -fighters and gentle folk is to admit the success of the most subtle -propagandist make-believe of the war and the biggest hoax ever played -off by Oriental cunning upon a chivalrous and unsuspecting adversary. - -Armenians have known the Turk for centuries. They have known him _as he -is_, not as he affects to be in the presence of a European, and they can -claim credit for some knowledge of the subject. I venture to predict -that there is severe disillusionment in store for those who still -believe in the genuineness of Turkish "clean-fighting" and "chivalry," -when the British prisoners in Turkey return. Strange indeed must be -this Turkish conception of chivalry to sanction the enslavement and -slaughter of women and children in hundreds of thousands, instead of -protecting them and their honour as the ordinary code of chivalry -demands. - -A Reuter telegram from Cairo published in _The Daily Chronicle_ of -February 13, 1917, contained the following-- - - - "It is learnt on reliable authority that the British, French, and - Russian prisoners who are employed on the construction of the new - line are treated most roughly by the Germans and Turks, and that a - large number are falling ill from dysentery and filling the - military hospitals at Aleppo. Those who have not been attacked by - dysentery have fallen victims to other diseases, resulting from bad - food, rough treatment, and overwork. - - "One of the tricks adopted by the Germans and Turks, in order to - throw dust in the eyes of the British regarding the treatment of - prisoners, was the honour paid to General Townshend, who was - returned his sword and accorded the best treatment possible. They - brought him to Constantinople, and made him write a letter of - thanks for the good treatment he and his men had received at the - hands of the Turks. - - "General Townshend did not know at the time he wrote this letter - what misery and hardship were awaiting his unhappy troops." - - -I may here quote in support of my contention one of the foremost living -European authorities on Near Eastern affairs, and one who certainly will -not be suspected of anti-Turkish prejudices--I mean Colonel Sir Mark -Sykes, M.P. Addressing a meeting at Kew on January 17, 1917 (I quote -from _The Near East_ of January 19, 1917), Sir Mark said-- - - - "The Turk, who in the last ten years had thrown back to the - primitive Turanian Conqueror, was not content with dominating, but - was now engaged in exterminating the Armenian, the Syrian - Christian, and the Arabs, and was even now beginning to bully the - Jews. The Turk had overthrown Islam as Prussia had overthrown - Christianity. Prussia had replaced God by Thor and the Cross by - his hammer. The Turk had replaced Mohammed by Oghuz and Allah by - the "White Wolf" of the primitive Turks. No belief was to be placed - in that cloak of chivalry under which in exceptional cases the Turk - tried to hide his abominable acts.[12] He might treat General - Townshend well; but how was he treating the thousands of Indians - and Englishmen in his hands? If it were possible that the - Teuton-Turanian federation of violence could win this war it would - be twenty generations before mankind regained its liberty." - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[9] Since this chapter was written, the following authoritative and -important piece of evidence on this much-debated subject has appeared in -_The Weekly Dispatch_ of March 4, 1917, from the pen of General Sir -O'Moore Creagh, V.C.-- - -" ... I have experience of the Turk. He is a merciless oppressor, whose -real character is often hidden behind a pleasant manner, and who is -ready to cut your throat with a sort of savage courtesy. Appeal to his -fanaticism, and in the trenches he has no fear of death; but he is very -subject, in case of reverse, to cowardly panic, which to a considerable -extent detracts from his worth as a soldier.... - -"I know some of our men who have met the Turk both on the Tigris and in -Gallipoli speak of him as a clean fighter. Certainly when he meets his -match he fights fairly enough, but when he is an easy victor he is -remorseless and merciless; and robs, murders, and ravishes with the -unrestrained savagery which lies at the base of his character. The -British prisoners taken by the Turk in the present war have been -disgracefully treated, and, as we know, denied clothing, medicine, and -the ordinary necessaries of life, starved, and even refused shelter in -extremes of heat and cold. The people who are always ready to praise the -Turk as a clean fighter should remember that he has a lot to answer for -in the present war." - -[10] See Appendix, p. 188. - -[11] See Sir Edwin Pears's article in _The Contemporary Review_, October -1916. (I note this with the deepest regret, for Armenians are under a -heavy debt of gratitude to Sir Edwin Pears for his generous and -authoritative defence of their cause in the past.) - -[12] In reply to a question by Colonel Yate in the House of Commons on -February 12, 1917: "Mr. Hope said repeated representation had been made -to the Turkish Government to allow U.S. representatives to visit the -camps, but up to now without success. Efforts, however, would be -continued. Information had reached the Government that the conditions -under which officers were interned were fairly satisfactory, but the -condition of other prisoners was deplorable."--_Evening Standard._ - -_Truth_ says, in its issue of February 21, 1917: "I have in my -possession a letter written last autumn by a British Army officer, one -of the defenders of Kut, who was then at a place called Vozga, 160 miles -from Tigris Valley railhead. The unfortunate prisoner complains bitterly -of the privations which he and others have to endure at the hands of the -Turks." - - - - -IV - - ANGLO-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP A VITAL NECESSITY FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS - IN ASIA--MOSLEMS AND TURKISH RULE--ARMENIANS PROGRESSIVE AND - DEMOCRATIC BY TEMPERAMENT - - -The exaggerated panegyrics on the virtues of the Turk, while the Turk is -at war with England and her Allies and Turkish emissaries are busy -making all the mischief they can among loyal subjects of the British -Empire, exploiting religion as a weapon of squalid intrigue, point to -the existence of influences which have been at work ever since Turkey -joined the war, to screen from public view and to palliate the enormity -of Turkish perfidy in making common cause with England's enemies in the -hour of England's difficulty. These same influences seem to regard with -disfavour the growth of Anglo-Russian friendship and would apparently -not be sorry to see some hitch or other occur that would weaken or -endanger the permanence of that friendship. - -This may be an unfounded assumption, and I hope it is. But if these -pro-Turkish and anti-Russian influences exist in fact, and gain enough -strength to exercise any influence on the course of events after the -war, it will be a calamity for the smaller nations of the Near and -Middle East, and in fact for all Asia. It will be a hindrance and a -deterrent to the tranquillity and development that has been so long -denied to these regions. Close and cordial friendship between England -and Russia are almost as indispensable a condition of life and growth -and progress to these backward countries as light and heat. It is -scarcely for me to say that it is also necessary for the future peace of -Asia and the world. The unnatural and unfounded mutual distrust that -shadowed Anglo-Russian relations throughout almost the whole of the past -century has been chiefly responsible for the woes and miseries of the -peoples of the Near East, Moslems as well as Christians. It has kept -back the clock of progress and civilization for at least fifty years. We -have felt its effect in our daily lives and regard any prospect of its -return with the utmost apprehension and regret. Pan-Turanian intrigues -under the cloak of Pan-Islamism will not end with the war. They will be -continued after the war by their protagonists, whose chief concern is, -not the interests of the Mohammedan religion, but the unscrupulous -exploitation of religious sentiment for personal ends, and the -disturbance of the tranquillity and ordered government which in the -present chaotic state of these countries are only possible under the -strong and just arm of British, Russian, or French protection. Any -weakening in Anglo-Russian friendship would give these intriguers their -chance, of which they would not be slow to take the fullest advantage, -with injurious consequences to the countries concerned and to the -general interests of peace. The best elements of Islam, and specially -the peasant populations which form the vast majority of the Moslem -world, know and have proved by their loyalty that they have nothing to -fear from Britain, Russia and France, who have always not only -respected, but fostered their religious interests and given them, in -addition, the inestimable blessings of freedom, justice, security and -prosperity such as they could never expect to enjoy under any other -régime. - -It is idle to pretend that any subject race loves any form of -domination for its own sake. But many races and countries in Asia and -Africa are so situated that independence is beyond the bounds of -practicability. Any change would result in an exchange of one domination -for another. Some forms of domination are sincerely welcomed because, as -against the evil of domination, they have not only conferred upon the -peoples under their rule benefits and blessings which they themselves -could not possibly have achieved, but have allowed them freedom of -development on their national lines. Such in varying degrees is the -nature of British, French, Russian, and I may add, Dutch dominion over -the alien races under their rule. What has Turkish domination been to -its subject races? An unmitigated curse to Christian, Moslem and Jew -alike, with this difference, that while the Moslem and Jew have been -reduced by merciless taxation and robbery to extreme poverty, the -Christian races have been bled almost to death. The Turks have -deliberately fostered the criminal propensities of large sections of -their people and encouraged their free indulgence to check the growth -and progress of the moral and civilizing elements in their dominions. If -some of the Moslems of India, Egypt or Tunis, whose sympathy with the -Turks on religious grounds every one will understand and respect, would -live under Turkish rule for a few months, I have no doubt they would be -completely cured of their love for the Turk as such, hasten back to -their homes and beg the British and the French to remain in their -countries for ever. Similarly, if it were possible for the most rabid -pro-Turks in this or any European country to live some time under the -Turk, disguised as Armenians or Syrians, they would also be cured and -more than cured of their admiration for the Turk; then only would they -come to understand his real nature. - -The following account of the experiences of some Indian pilgrims at -Kerbela at the outbreak of war, which appeared in _The Times_ of June 6, -1916, bears out my contention-- - - - "The Bombay Government have published the story of an Indian Moslem - pilgrim, Zakir Husain, who recently escaped from Kerbela (Baghdad - Vilayet), whither he went on pilgrimage with his mother and sister - in the summer of 1914. - - "Zakir Husain states that after the outbreak of war all routes - homewards were blocked, and the many Indian pilgrims at Kerbela - were subjected to the utmost discomfort and cruelty. The Turkish - authorities issued orders that the goods and women of Indians were - the legal property of those who plundered them. Their houses were - searched, their goods taken, and dozens of Indians were arrested - and deported to the Aleppo side, while their families and children - were left in Kerbela. - - "Throughout these fourteen months," he continued, "we never got - meals more than once a day. We could not get any work, and - consequently we had to beg from door to door in order to get a few - scraps of bread to eat, and the state of the women and children was - worse even than that of the men. For a man to be an Indian was - considered a sufficient reason by Turks to torture and imprison - him. We protested that we were Moslems, but they never paid heed. - They themselves are no Moslems, and do not act according to the - precepts of Islam. According to what I heard, the Indians in - Nejef, Kazimain, and Baghdad have also been treated in the same - cruel way as we were; hundreds have been deported and their houses - pillaged." - - -The following from _The Times_ of December 26, 1916, is another -illustration of the way Turks treat Moslems of another race who refuse -to become the blind slaves of their political madness-- - - - "Emir Faisal, commander of the Arabian forces in the vicinity of - Medina, has telegraphed to Mecca stating that the Turks have hanged - and crucified and employed every species of barbarity against the - population of Medina." - - -Turn now from that picture to the following appeal made to Armenians by -one of their principal Tiflis daily papers, _Mschak_ (Labourer), of May -16, 1915-- - - - "To-day the Moslem Benevolent Society is organizing a collection - for building and maintaining a shelter for the children of the - (Moslem) refugees. War causes suffering to the population of the - country without distinction of race or creed. Moslems as well as - Christians have to face the effects of the war, therefore the - scheme of the Moslem Benevolent Society to establish a shelter for - the children of Moslem refugees is deserving of all sympathy and - support. We are convinced that the Armenian community also, having - in mind the universal idea of humanity, will take part in the - collection and do their duty as a humane people and good - neighbours." - - -These incidents, small in themselves, bring into strong relief the -difference between the mentality and degree of civilization of the two -races. The Armenian appeal on behalf of refugee Moslem children at a -time when one half of their own race was in the throes of the most -ferocious of the numerous attacks made upon its existence, is also -incidentally a reply, more trenchant than the most eloquent argument in -words, to those pro-Turks who have from time to time expressed fears for -the rights of the Turks, Kurds, Tcherkesses, Kizilbashis, etc., in an -autonomous Armenia. Such a fear is either due to ignorance of the -characteristics of the races concerned, or to prejudice. It is -inconceivable that any Armenian Government would tolerate, much less -impose upon orderly and good citizens, an injustice which Armenians -have themselves endured and struggled against for generations, and which -is, for that reason, abhorrent to their very nature. A study of the -Armenian Church organization will prove to the most sceptical that the -Armenian temperament is essentially democratic. In the smallest village -the candidate for priesthood must be elected by a vote of the -inhabitants before he can be ordained by the bishop of the diocese. The -Armenian deputies in the Russian State Duma as well as the late members -of the Ottoman Parliament are and were supporters of the Progressives. -Armenians who have risen to positions of influence in the service of -foreign countries have invariably used their influence in the cause of -progress. General Loris Melikoff as Minister of the Interior had -actually prepared a scheme for the reform of the Government of Russia -when his Imperial Master, the Czar Alexander II, died, and the scheme -was shelved. Nubar Pasha, the famous Egyptian-Armenian statesman, for -many years Prime Minister, was largely responsible for the abolition of -the _corvée_ in Egypt, and the introduction of many other reforms. The -writer of Nubar Pasha's biography in the _Encyclopædia Britannica_, -referring to his substitution of Mixed Courts in place of the -"Capitulations," says (Eleventh Ed., Vol. 19, p. 843), "That in spite of -the jealousies of all the Powers, in spite of the opposition of the -Porte, he should have succeeded, places him at once in the first rank of -statesmen of his period." Prince Malcolm Khan, for some years Persian -Minister in London, sowed the first seeds of constitutional government -in Persia, for the defence of which another Armenian, Yeprem Khan, laid -down his life while leading the constitutional struggle against Mohamed -Ali Shah. The first constitution of the Ottoman Empire, known as the -Midhat Constitution, was largely the work of Midhat Pasha's Armenian -Under-Secretary, Odian Effendi. These are but a few outstanding -instances. It must appear inconceivable to right-minded men that a race -with such a past record, achieved under all sorts of handicaps, will -either establish a régime of tyranny over other races or prove incapable -of self-government after a transition period under European advisers, as -is alleged by some. - - - - -V - - ARMENIA AS A PEACE PROBLEM--VIEWS OF THE "MANCHESTER GUARDIAN" AND - THE "SPECTATOR"--CAN ARMENIANS STAND ALONE AMONG THE - KURDS?--AMERICAN OPINION AND THE FUTURE OF ARMENIA - - -Although the Allies have declared in their reply to President Wilson -that one of their aims is "the liberation of the peoples who now lie -beneath the murderous tyranny of the Turks," no official or -authoritative statement has yet been made by the Allied Governments as -regards the precise future status of Armenia. Mr. Asquith in his -Guildhall speech spoke of "reparation and redemption." M. Briand in a -letter to M. Louis Martin, Senator of the Var, published in the _Courier -du Parlement_ (Paris) of November 12, 1916, says: "When the hour for -legitimate reparation shall have struck, France will not forget the -terrible trials of the Armenians, and, in accord with her Allies, she -will take the necessary measures to ensure for Armenia a life of peace -and progress." M. Anatole France, in his speech at the great "Homage à -l'Arménie" meeting in the Sorbonne in April 1916, used these words: -"L'Arménie expire, mais elle renaitra. Le peu de sang qui lui reste est -un sang précieux dont sortira une postérité héroïque. Un peuple qui ne -veut pas mourir ne meurt pas. Après la victoire de nos armées, qui -combattent pour la liberté, les Alliés auront de grands devoirs a -remplir. Et le plus sacré de ces devoirs sera de rendre la vie aux -peuples martyrs, a la Belgique, a la Serbie. Alors ils assureront la -sureté et l'independance de l'Arménie. Penchés sur elle, ils lui diront: -'Ma soeur, lève toi! ne souffre plus. Tu es désormais libre de vivre -selon ton genie et foi!'"[13] - -M. Paul Deschanel, the President of the French Senate, and M. Painlevé, -Minister of Public Instruction, spoke in more or less similar terms. - -The most recent authoritative reference to Armenia--and one which is of -special importance, coming as it does from a member of the Inner Cabinet -or War Council--is Mr. Arthur Henderson's statement in his conversation -with the correspondent of the _New York Tribune_, reported in _The -Times_ of January 8, 1916, as follows: "Speaking of the part of Turkey -in the war, Mr. Henderson said that though Armenian atrocities were not -much talked about here, they had undoubtedly made a deep impression on -the minds of the working population, who, he thought, were determined -that never again should a Christian nation be under the yoke of the -Turk." These are comforting words indeed to Armenians, as were those of -Mr. Asquith at the Guildhall. Nothing could give the Armenian people -more comfort and hope for the future than this assurance of the British -working man's sympathy--of which they never had any doubt--and his -determination to see them freed from the Turkish yoke once and for all. - -But here again Mr. Henderson--no doubt for very good reasons--gave no -intimation of the intentions of the British or Allied Governments -concerning the new status of Armenia after its liberation from the -Turkish yoke. - -It has been suggested that American opinion would favour annexation by -Russia as a means of putting an end to Turkish atrocities and -misgovernment of Armenia. This reading of American opinion is not -supported by President Wilson's statement in his historic speech to the -Senate that "no right anywhere exists to hand peoples from sovereignty -to sovereignty as if they were property." All the Allied countries, and -probably all neutrals, are determined to see the end of the Turkish -reign of terror in Armenia. But _annexation_ by Russia or any other -Great Power, before the blood is dry of hundreds of thousands of -Armenians sacrificed for their faith and passionate adherence to their -ideal of nationality, must seem particularly unjust to all fair-minded -men in all countries, especially the great American democracy, who -themselves put an end to misgovernment of a much milder kind in Cuba, -but did not annex it. Indeed, having herself, jointly with her Allies, -solemnly laid down the "recognition of the principle of nationalities" -as one of the terms of peace stated in the Allied Note to President -Wilson, it seems unthinkable that Russia, on her part, would entertain -the intention of _annexing_, and especially of annexing a country and -people who have paid a terrible price largely on account of their -sympathy with and support of the Allied cause, and rendered services the -value of which Russia herself has generously recognized. - -It is argued in some quarters that the Armenian highlands are a -strategic necessity to Russia. There is a "scrap of paper" ring in such -an argument, and I for one cannot believe that the justice-loving -Russian people would allow such considerations to override a solemn -pledge and the principle of common justice. An Allied protectorate with -Russia acting as their mandatory would place these strategically -important regions under practically as effective a Russian control as -outright annexation, while it would have the additional advantages of -giving real effect to the "recognition of the principle of -nationalities," and avoiding injustice, injury and affront to the -national sentiment of a people which has endured such grievous -sufferings and sacrifices to uphold that sentiment. - -As I write, two important references to the future of Armenia have -appeared in the Press. One in the _Manchester Guardian_--that old -and constant champion of wronged and suffering humanity--quoted -by _The Times_ of December 30, 1916, as follows: "Another word -remains--Armenia--a word of ghastly horror, carrying the memory of deeds -not done in the world since Christ was born--a country swept clear by -the wholesale murder of its people. To Turkey that country must never -and under no circumstances go back...." - -The other reference is made by the _Spectator_ in its issue of December -30, in a leading article entitled "The Allied Terms." It says-- - - - "The process of freeing nationalities from oppression must be - applied organically to the Turkish Empire. The Armenians, or what - remains of the race, whose agonized calls for help and mercy have - been heard even through the din of the present war, will probably - have to be placed under the tutelage of Russia. They could not - stand alone among the Kurds." - - -If by "Russian tutelage" the _Spectator_ means the setting up of a -self-governing Armenia under Russian suzerainty, that would amount, in -my opinion, to the approximate realization of the hopes and aspirations -of the Armenian people, provided that by "Armenia" is understood the six -vilayets and Cilicia; provided also that Great Britain and France -retained the rights of Protecting Powers as in the case of Greece. -Anything short of this, any parcelling out of Armenia, either by -annexation or "tutelage" of different parts under different Powers, -would not only be irreconcilable with the "recognition of the principle -of nationalities" which the Allies have solemnly declared to be one of -their principal aims and terms of peace; it would imply an outrage upon -the ideal of nationality which is the ruling passion of Armenians -everywhere. Lynch, the great Armenian authority, has called the -Armenians "the strongest nationalists in the world." This ideal of -nationality has grown stronger, more alive and resolute than ever by -their services and unimaginable sufferings and sacrifices in the war. -"The little blood that is left them" has become doubly and trebly -precious to the survivors. They rightly feel that they have established, -and more than established, their title to autonomy and a strong claim -upon the whole-hearted support of the Allied Powers to enable them to -stand on their feet again and make a fair start on the road to -nationhood. If Armenia is cut up and parcelled out without regard for -this fervent living sentiment of Armenian nationalism, and their high -hopes and expectations are dashed to the ground, it will conceivably -engender in all Armenians a deep sense of wrong and injustice, an -intense discontent with the new order of things, that are not likely to -conduce to that contentment and that smoothness of relations between the -governors and the governed that are the essentials and the fundamental -preliminary steps towards setting these much-troubled regions on the -road towards good government, progress and civilization. - -The "principle of nationalities" and of "government by the consent of -the governed" will be applied all along the line: Belgium, -Alsace-Lorraine, Serbia, Poland, Bohemia, Transylvania, Arabia, Syria, -Palestine, will have restored to them or will be granted the forms of -government most acceptable to the peoples concerned. These true and -righteous principles, which will herald the dawn of universal justice -and morality in the treatment of their weaker brethren by the Great -Powers of Europe, will cease to operate only when Armenia comes to be -dealt with. Armenia alone, who has suffered the most tragic, the most -grievous and heartrending Calvary, shall be denied an Easter. Why? -Because the Armenian people have lost too much blood; because they have -paid too high a price for their fidelity to their faith, the -preservation of their distinctive national life and their strong support -of the Allied cause. That would be an unspeakably cruel and bitter -climax to the unending nightmare of Turkish tyranny, the Great Tragedy -and martyrdom of the Armenian people. It will be nothing less than a -confirmation of the death sentence passed by Abdul Hamid and the Young -Turks on the ideal of Armenian nationality. - -Let those who speak lightly of _annexation_ by Russia put themselves in -the place of the tens of thousands of Armenians who have lost wife and -children, sons, brothers, fathers, near or distant relatives, both in -massacre as well as in what they understood to be a sacred struggle for -liberty, to say nothing of their complete economic ruin. They would be -much more or much less than human if they did not feel a deep and -smarting sense of wrong at seeing all their appalling sacrifices and -important services result in a mere exchange of the _Kaimakam_ for the -_Chinovnik_. It is far indeed from my purpose to put the two types of -official and the respective systems of government they represent on the -same level. They differ as day from night. In my opinion and to my -knowledge the vast majority of Armenians will welcome Russian suzerainty -with sincere satisfaction. But, after the ordeal of blood and fire -through which they have passed, they must feel, as I believe they do -feel with ample justification, that they have a right to a voice and a -liberal measure of participation in the government of their own country. - -I cannot do better than quote here a passage from Mr. Gladstone's great -speech on the Treaty of Berlin, which is applicable to Armenia, and than -which there could be no wiser, more just or authoritative guidance for -the formation of a sound and just view on the Armenian and kindred -problems-- - - - "My meaning, Sir, was that, for one, I utterly repelled the - doctrine that the power of Turkey is to be dragged to the ground - for the purpose of handing over the Dominion that Turkey now - exercises to some other great State, be that State either Russia or - Austria or even England. In my opinion such a view is utterly - false, and even ruinous, and has been the source of the main - difficulties in which the Government have been involved, and in - which they have involved the country. I hold that those provinces - of the Turkish Empire, which have been so cruelly and unjustly - ruled, ought to be regarded as existing, not for the sake of any - other Power whatever, but for the sake of the populations by whom - they are inhabited. The object of our desire ought to be the - development of those populations on their own soil, as its proper - masters, and as the persons with a view to whose welfare its - destination ought to be determined." - - -It may be argued that things have changed since 1878. The answer to that -is that principles are immutable. The only change is the cruel reduction -of the Armenian population. I ask, first of all: "Is it fair and right -and just that we should suffer massacre and persecution for generations, -and when the time for reparation comes, should be penalized because so -many of us have been massacred?" Secondly, it should not be forgotten -that although the Armenian element of the population has been reduced, -the Turks and Kurds have also suffered very considerable losses. -Thirdly, the Armenians are much more advanced intellectually to-day than -they were forty years ago, while their neighbours--Turks, Kurds, and -others--are stagnating in the same primitive state as they were -forty--or, for that matter, four hundred--years ago. Another -circumstance which adds materially to the chances of success of an -autonomous Armenia is the existence of a number of nourishing Armenian -communities of various sizes in other countries--in the Russian Caucasus -and the Russian Empire, Persia, the United States, Egypt, the Balkans, -France, Great Britain, India, Java, etc.--which are at the present time -looking forward with enthusiasm and readiness for sacrifice, to "do -their bit" in the sacred work of the reconstruction of their stricken -and beloved Motherland. - -Coming to the _Spectator's_ contention that "they (the Armenians) could -not stand alone against the Kurds," I can assure the _Spectator_ that -there is no cause whatever for apprehension on that score, if only the -Russian Government and Army authorities will agree to allow the -Armenians to organize under their guidance and supervision, immediately -after the war, a number of flying columns from among discharged Armenian -volunteers and soldiers in the regular army, for the specific purpose of -carrying out a "drive" from one end of the country to the other and -disarming the Kurds. The Armenian volunteers, of whom I speak in another -chapter, have had a good deal of fighting to do with the Kurds during -the war and have proved more than their match, in many cases against -superior numbers. - -The prevailing erroneous belief that the Armenians "could not stand -alone among the Kurds" has its origin in the fact that for centuries (up -to 1908) Armenians have been an easy prey to the Kurds by reason of -their being prohibited to possess or carry arms on pain of death, while -the Kurds were supplied with arms from the government arsenals, and -encouraged and supported in every way by the central government to -harass the Armenians. What chance would the bravest people in the world -have under such circumstances? Since 1908, when the prohibition of -carrying arms by Christians was relaxed, it is a well-known fact, -attested by European travellers, that Kurds never attacked Armenian -villages which they knew to be armed. Zeytoon and Sassoon have -demonstrated beyond question that when Armenians have met Turks on -anything like equal terms, they have proved their match. These isolated, -compact communities of fearless mountaineers were never entirely -subjugated by the Turks until the outbreak of the present war, when the -Zeytoonlis were overwhelmed by Turkish treachery and the Sassoonlis died -fighting to the last man and woman (_see_ Blue-book, pp. 84 and 87). - -In 1905 the Tartars, who are nearly twice as numerous as the Armenians -in the Caucasus, made a sudden attack upon the latter in the Hamidian -style. But thanks to the equity of Russian government, Armenians in the -Caucasus were as free to carry arms as Tartars, so the Tartars soon -regained their "humane sentiments" and offered peace to stop further -bloodshed. I would recommend those who entertain any fears of Armenians -being able to defend themselves against Kurds or Tartars to read -Villari's _Fire and Sword in the Caucasus_ and Moore's _The Orient -Express_. - -At all events Europe will not be taking any risk in giving the Armenians -the opportunity of proving that they can "make good" in spite of the -Kurds, and also, as we hope, can gradually civilize the Kurds and other -neighbouring backward races.[14] - -As far as I know (in fact I have no doubt about it), Armenians are -prepared to take the risk of "standing alone among the Kurds", provided -that the Entente Powers afford them the necessary assistance during the -first few years of reconstruction and initiation, and above all, -provided that they enjoy the whole-hearted and benevolent good-will of -Russia, for which, it is as certain as anything human can be, their -great protector and neighbour will reap a rich harvest in the future--as -rich a harvest as that which Britain is reaping to-day for her act of -justice and statesmanship in South Africa. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[13] "Armenia is dying, but she will be born again--the little blood -that is left to her is the precious blood from which will arise a heroic -posterity. A people that refuses to die will not die. After the victory -of our armies, which are fighting for justice and liberty, the Allies -will have great duties to fulfil. And the most sacred of these duties -will be to bring back to life the martyred peoples, Belgium and Serbia. -Then they will assure the security and independence of Armenia. Bending -over her they will say to her: 'Rise, sister! suffer no more. Henceforth -you are free to live according to your genius and your faith!'" - -[14] Armenians have from time to time opened schools for Kurdish -children, but their efforts were not successful, mainly owing to the -unfriendly attitude of the Turkish authorities. - - - - -VI - - ARMENIA'S SERVICES IN THE WAR - - -I have spoken earlier in these pages of the services of the Armenians to -the Allied cause in the war. What are these services? - -The Armenian name has been so long and so often associated with massacre -that it has given rise to the general but utterly unfounded belief by -those who have not gone deeper into the matter, that Armenians are -devoid of physical courage and allow themselves to be butchered like -sheep.[15] Where this belief is not based upon ignorance of the facts -and circumstances, it is, I am bound to say, a particularly dastardly -piece of calumny upon a people who have groaned for centuries under a -brutal tyrant's heel, with an indomitable spirit that has ever been and -is even to-day the Turk's despair. The struggle that has gone on for -five or six centuries between Armenian and Turk symbolizes, perhaps -better than any event in history, the invincibility of the spirit of -Christianity and liberty and the ideal of nationality against -overwhelming odds of ruthless tyranny, the savagery of the Dark Ages and -the unscrupulous and mendacious exploitation of religious passion. That -struggle has been as unequal as can well be imagined, but we have not -permitted the forces of darkness to triumph over the spirit of Light and -Liberty, though the price paid has come very near that of our -annihilation. Nevertheless, we have been able, in this world-wide -struggle, not dissimilar to our own long struggle in the moral issues -involved, to render services to the cause of the Allies, which is the -cause of Right and Justice, and therefore our cause also, quite out of -proportion, in their effect, to our numbers as a race or our -contribution of fighting men as compared with the vast armies engaged, -although that contribution has been by no means negligible. - -On the eve of Turkey's entry into the war the Young Turks employed -every conceivable means--persuasion, cajolery, intimidation, the promise -of a large autonomous Armenia, etc.--to induce the Armenian party -leaders to prevail upon the Russian Armenians to join themselves in a -mass rally to the Turkish flag against Russia. They sent a number of -emissaries to Russian Armenia with the same object. The Turk must have a -peculiar understanding of human nature, and not much sense of humour, to -have the _naïveté_ to make such overtures to Armenians after having -persecuted and harried and massacred them for centuries. All the -Armenian leaders promised was a correct attitude as Ottoman subjects. -They would do neither more nor less than what they were bound to do by -the laws of the country. They could not interfere with the freedom of -action of their compatriots in the Caucasus who owed allegiance to -Russia. They kept their promise scrupulously in the first months of the -war. Armenian conscripts went to the dépôts without enthusiasm. How -could it be otherwise? What claim had the Turks upon the sympathy and -support of their Armenian subjects? Is sympathy won by tyranny, or -loyalty bred by massacre? They (the Armenians) were placed in a most -difficult position. They were naturally reluctant to fight against the -Russians, and the position was aggravated by the fact that the Russian -Caucasian army was largely composed of Russian Armenians. But in spite -of these sentimental difficulties, mobilization was completed without -any serious trouble. - -Soon, however, Armenians began to desert in large numbers; the Young -Turks had joined the war against their wish and advice; they had not -their heart in the business, and, last, but not least, they were -harried, ill-treated and insulted by their Turkish officers and comrades -at every turn: there were exceptions, of course, but that was the -position generally in the closing months of 1914. Let me add that there -were large numbers of Turkish deserters also, and that the Armenian -leaders did all they could to send the deserters of their own -nationality back to the ranks, doing so forcibly in some cases. Then -came the defeat of the Turks at Sarikamysh and the ejection of Djevdet -Bey and his force from Azerbaijan. On his return to Van, Djevdet Bey -told his friends: "It is the Armenians much more than the Russians who -are fighting us." - -The massacres and deportations began soon after the collapse of the -Turkish invasion of the Caucasus and Northern Persia, and it is only -after it was seen clearly that the Turks were determined to deport or -destroy them all that the Armenians in many places took up arms in -self-defence. There was no armed resistance before that, and the Turkish -and German allegations of an Armenian revolt are a barefaced invention -to justify a crime, a tithe of which not one but a hundred revolts -cannot justify or palliate. This is proved beyond all question by Mr. -Toynbee's concise and illuminating historical summary at the end of the -Blue-book on the Treatment of Armenians by the Turks during the war. -There was no revolt. But when the Armenians were driven to self-defence -under the menace of extermination, they fought with what arms they could -scrape together, with the courage of desperation. In Shahin-Karahissar -they held out for three months and were only reduced by artillery -brought from Erzerum. In Van and Jebel-Mousa they defended themselves -against heavy odds until relieved by the Russians and the Armenian -volunteers in the first case, and rescued by French and British cruisers -in the second. The Turkish force sent against the insurgents of -Jebel-Mousa was detached from the army intended for the attack on the -Suez Canal. - -Of course ill-armed, poorly equipped bands without artillery, wanting in -almost all necessaries of modern warfare, brave as they may be, cannot -possibly maintain a prolonged resistance against superior forces of -regulars well supplied with artillery, machine-guns and all that is -needed in war. Nevertheless, some of these bands seem to have succeeded -in holding out for many months, and it is believed in the Caucasus that -there are groups of armed Armenians still holding out in some parts of -the higher mountains behind the Turkish lines.[16] It will be -remembered that some weeks ago--I do not recall the date--a -Constantinople telegram reprinted in _The Times_ from German papers -stated that there were 30,000 armed Armenian rebels in the vilayet of -Sivas. This is an obvious exaggeration, and it may simply mean that a -considerable number of Armenians were still defending themselves against -the menace of massacre. When the Russian army entered Trebizond a band -of some 400 armed Armenians came down from the mountains and surrendered -themselves to the Russians. Quite recently a band of seventy men cut -through the Turkish lines and gained the Russian lines in the -neighbourhood of Erzinjian. - -The Turks have repeatedly declared that the "Armenian revolt" threatened -to place their army between two fires. The particle of truth that there -is in this assertion is, as may be judged by the facts so far known as -cited above, that the Armenian resistance to massacre and deportation -proved to be more serious than they had anticipated, and that they had -to detach large numbers of troops and in some cases artillery and -machine-guns to keep these "rebels" in check. It is consequently -undeniable that Armenian armed resistance to deportation and massacre -has been a considerable hindrance to the full development of Turkish -military power during the war and has, in that way, been of material, -though, indirect assistance to the Allied forces operating against the -Turks. To this may be added the demoralizing effect that the deplorable -state of affairs created by the Turks in their dominions must have -exercised on the morale of their people. - -Such in general outline have been the services of the Turkish Armenians -to the Allied cause. It is not my purpose here to endeavour to appraise -the possibly ill-concealed, but not by any means ostentatious or -provocative, sympathy of the Armenians for the Allies, upon the sinister -designs of the Young Turks. I will content myself with the description -of a significant cartoon that appeared early in the war in the Turkish -comic paper _Karagöz_ in Constantinople. The cartoon depicted two Turks -discussing the war. "Where do you get your war news from?" asked Turk -number one. "I do not need war news," replied Turk number two; "I can -follow the course of the war by the expression on the faces of the -Armenians I meet. When they are happy I know the Allies are winning, -when depressed I know the Germans have had a victory." - -The following extract from a dead Turkish officer's notebook, reproduced -in the _Russkaia Viedomosti_ (No. 205), throws some light on the Turkish -estimate of the value of Armenian support in the war. "If our Armenians -had been with us," wrote this Turkish officer, "we would have defeated -the Russians long ago."[17] - -The services of the Russian Armenians to the Allied cause, but -principally, of course to the Russian cause during the war, have been of -a more direct and positive character and of far-reaching importance. -They may be divided into two distinct parts, namely, military and -political; and in order the better to explain the full meaning of the -Armenian "strong support of the Russian cause" (in the words of _The -Times_), I will deal with each of the two parts separately. - -The Armenian population of Russian Armenia and the Caucasus numbers, -roughly, 1,750,000 souls, and there are probably another 100,000 to -200,000 Armenians scattered over the other parts of the empire. They are -liable to military service as Russian subjects, and it is estimated that -they have given to the Russian army some 160,000 men. Apart from this -not negligible number of men called to the colours in the ordinary -course of mobilization, the Armenians, as a result of an understanding -with the authorities, organized and equipped at their own expense a -separate auxiliary volunteer force under tried and experienced guerilla -leaders, such as Andranik, Kéri and others, to co-operate with the -Caucasian army. This force contained a number of Turkish Armenians, -mostly refugees from previous massacres. Some twenty thousand men -responded to the call for volunteers, though I believe not more than -about ten thousand could be armed and sent to the front. The greatest -enthusiasm prevailed. Armenian students at the Universities of Moscow -and Petrograd and educational institutions in the Caucasus vied with -each other in their eagerness to take part in the fight for the -liberation of their kinsmen from bondage. Several young lady students -offered to enlist, but I believe all but two or three were dissuaded -from taking part in actual fighting. Boys of fourteen and fifteen years -ran away from home and tramped long distances to join the volunteer -battalions. It is recorded that an Armenian widow at Kars, on hearing -that her only son had been killed in battle, exclaimed, "Curse me that I -did not give birth to ten more sons to fight and die for the freedom of -our country." - -The volunteer force was not large, but it was a mobile force well -adapted to the semi-guerilla kind of warfare carried on in Armenia, and -the men knew the country. They seem to have done good work as scouts in -particular, though they took part in many severe engagements and were -mentioned once or twice in Russian _communiqués_ as "our Armenian -detachments." Generous appreciation of the services and gallantry of -the volunteers as well as of Armenians in the army has been expressed by -Russian military commanders, the Press, and public men. High military -honours were conferred upon the volunteer leaders, and His Imperial -Majesty the Czar honoured the Armenian nation by his visit to the -Armenian Cathedral in Tiflis, demonstrating his satisfaction with the -part played by Armenians in the war.[18] - -There are, of course, many Armenian high officers in the Russian army, -including several generals, but so far they have not had the opportunity -of producing in this war outstanding military leaders of the calibre of -Loris Melikoff and Terkhougasoff. General Samsonoff, "the Russian -Kitchener," was killed early in the war in East Prussia in his gallant -and successful attempt to relieve the pressure on Paris. - -The political effect of the strong and enthusiastic support of the -Russian cause by Armenians has been to keep in check the discontented -and fanatical section of the Tartars and other Moslems of the Caucasus, -who would have been disposed to make common cause with the Turks -whenever a favourable opportunity should present itself to do so without -much risk to themselves. The Tartars and other Moslem elements of the -Caucasus are as a whole genuinely loyal to Russia, but the existence of -a minority who would welcome the success of the Turkish invasion cannot -be denied. Some of the Ajars did, in fact, join the Turks during their -invasion of Ardahan. - -All things considered, therefore, those who have any knowledge of the -racial and political conditions in the Caucasus will not, I think, -regard it as in any sense an exaggeration to assert that the -whole-hearted support of the Armenians--and I may also add, though in a -lesser degree, the Georgians--has contributed very materially to the -success of Russian arms in the Caucasian theatre of the war. The absence -of that support, or even mere formal or lukewarm support, would not -only most probably have had serious consequences for the Caucasus, it -would have left the whole of Persia at the mercy of the Turks; and who -can say what the consequences of such a catastrophe would have been on -Arabia, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and even the northern frontiers of -India itself? - -Nearly all the able-bodied Armenians in France, between 1000 and 1500 -strong, joined the French Foreign Legion quite early in the war. Some -Armenians came from the United States to fight for France. Only some 250 -have survived, I understand, most of whom are proud possessors of the -Military Cross. - -Propaganda in neutral countries has played an important part during the -war. The just cause of the Allies has had no stauncher supporters or -better propagandists than the hundred and twenty-five thousand or more -Armenians in the United States, while the Great Tragedy of Armenia has -incidentally added to the armoury of the Allies a melancholy but -formidable moral weapon. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[15] Pierre Loti, the well-known French writer, who was an ardent -Turkophile before the war, after adding his quota to the current, and, -one is constrained to say, cheap, comments on the lack of courage and -numberless other failings of the Armenians, adds the following P.S. in -his _Turquie Agonisante_ (pp. 94-95) after a longer sojourn in the -country and closer contact with realities. (I give the translation from -the French.)-- - -"Before concluding I desire to make honourable, sincere and spontaneous -amends to the Armenians, at least as regards their attitude in the ranks -of the Ottoman Army. This is certainly not due to the protestations -which they have inserted in the Constantinople Press by the power of -gold." [This is a curious admission by Pierre Loti; one of the stock -cries of the Turkophiles is that the Turk is above "bakshish."] "No, I -have many friends among Turkish officers; I have learned from them, and -there can be no doubt, that my earlier information was exaggerated, and -that, notwithstanding a good number of previous desertions, the -Armenians placed under their orders conducted themselves with courage. -Therefore, I am happy to be able to withdraw without _arrière pensée_ -what I have said on this subject, and I apologize." - -Of all British games and sports Armenians in different parts of the -British Empire, the Dutch Colonies and Persia have manifested a natural -predilection for Rugby Football, in which physical courage comes into -play more than in most other games. In recent years the Armenian College -of Calcutta won the Calcutta Schools' Cup three years in succession, -which gave it the right to retain the trophy. I am glad to see in the -March issue of _Ararat_ that the Boy Scouts of the same college, under -Scoutmaster Dr. G. D. Hope, have won the King's Flag, presented by His -Majesty to the troop having the largest number of King's Scouts in India -and Burmah. - -[16] I may here point out that--though it is stated in the admirable -historical summary in the Blue-book (p. 649) that "the number of those -who have emerged from hiding since the Russian occupation is -extraordinarily small"--this number has been growing very considerably -of late, as may be seen from Mr. Backhouse's telegram to the chairman of -the Armenian Refugees (Lord Mayor's) Fund, dated Tiflis, November 27, -1916, published in the newspapers. - -[17] Compare an Armenian officer's evidence, Blue-book, p. 231, " ... -they laid the blame for this defeat upon the Armenians, though he could -not tell why." - -[18] In an article on "The Armenian Massacres" in the April -_Contemporary Review_, Mr. Lewis Einstein, ex-member of the staff of the -United States Embassy in Constantinople, says: "Talaat attributed the -disasters that befell the Turks at Sarikamish, in Azerbaijan and at Van, -to the Armenian volunteers." - - - - -VII - - ARMENIA THE BATTLE-GROUND OF ASIA MINOR AND VICTIM OF CONTENDING - EMPIRES - - -No country and people have suffered so severely from the clash of rival -empires, both in war and diplomacy, as have Armenia and the Armenians, -so far as is known to the recorded history of the world. Her -geographical position has made Armenia the cockpit of ambitious empires -and conquerors, and the highway of their armies in Western Asia, much as -Belgium and Poland have been the battle-grounds of Europe. But whereas -in these European battle-grounds the invading armies have generally -moved east and west only, Armenia has endured the horrors of invasion, -time after time, from north, south, east and west. Then, again, Armenia -being a much older country, the record of her suffering from the -invading armies of her stronger neighbours, "hacking their way" through -her territory, extends over a proportionately longer period than that of -Belgium and Poland. Armenia has been invaded and ravaged in turn by -Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Parthians, Macedonians, -Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Tartars and Turks. Only during the -first century B.C. did she succeed in subduing all her neighbours, and -establishing a short-lived empire of her own, extending from the -Mediterranean to the Caspian. - -The analogy between Armenia and her European co-sufferers from the ills -of aggressive Imperialism ceases altogether, however, when we come to -the period of Turkish domination. The blood-stained history of that -régime is well enough known. Periodic explosions have reminded Europe of -the existence of the inferno of unbridled lust, corruption and predatory -barbarism which this unhappy people have been fated to endure for -centuries. What has not been brought into sufficient relief is the fact -that this "bloody tyranny" could have long since been brought to an end, -or, at all events, effectively curbed, if it had not been for the -jealousies and rivalries of the great modern Christian empires. The -history of the acts of European diplomacy in regard to Armenia and the -Near East during the last sixty or seventy years is not one of which the -diplomats and statesmen concerned can be particularly proud. Who can -claim for them to-day to have served, in the sum total of their results, -either the interests of the Christian subjects of the Porte, the -progress of civilization, the material interests of the Great Powers -themselves, or the supreme interests of peace? - -Mr. Balfour says in his famous Dispatch to the British Ambassador to the -United States that "Turkey has ceased to be a bulwark of peace," thereby -implying, obviously, that Turkey had played that part before. Mr. -Balfour is a great authority on political history, and when he avers -that Turkey has been a "bulwark of peace" she must have filled such a -rôle at some period of her history. But to his Christian subjects, at -any rate, the Turk has never brought peace. He has brought them fire and -sword and a riot of unbridled lust, rapacity, corruption and cruelty -unparalleled even in the Dark Ages. The only peace he has brought them -has been the peace of death and devastation. He has not even left trees -to break the awful silence of desolation which he has spread over this -fair and fertile land once throbbing with human life and activity. That -is the price paid for whatever part Turkey may have played in the past -as a bulwark of international peace. Professor Valran of the University -of Aix-en-Provence estimates the Armenian population of Turkey in the -beginning of the nineteenth century at 5,000,000.[19] The population of -the not too healthy island of Java was the same at the same period. -Under the excellent rule of the Dutch, the population of that island has -grown up to over 35,000,000 during the century. What has become of the -Armenians, one of the most virile and prolific races of the world living -in a healthy country? Let the friends and protectors of the Turk and his -system of government give the answer. In particular let those answer -who, with the Turks' black and bloodstained record of centuries before -them, have, nevertheless, the effrontery to maintain, at this hour of -day, that the Turk has not been given a fair chance. The blood of the -myriads of innocents who have fallen victims to the Turks' incurable -barbarism throughout these centuries, cries aloud against such a brazen -and deliberate travesty of the truth. - -One of the principal enactments of the Treaty of Paris was to admit -Turkey into the comity of the Great Powers of Europe. To-day, after a -probation of sixty years, at a fearful cost to her Christian subjects, -it is at last admitted that Turkey has proved herself "decidedly foreign -to Western civilization." Could there be a more crushing condemnation of -the judgment of the statesmen responsible for that treaty in regard to -the Turk? The more one studies the record of the Turk, the more one -marvels at the unbounded confidence placed in his promises of reform by -some of the greatest statesmen of modern times. In vain have I ransacked -the history books in search of an instance where the Turk carried out, -or honestly attempted to carry out, a single one of his numerous -promises of reform. Every one of them was a snare and a pretence -designed merely to oil the wheels of a cunning diplomacy or tide over a -momentary embarrassment. Whether it was the Sultan or Grand Vizier or -Ambassador, whenever the Turk made a promise to improve the lot of his -Christian subjects, he had made up his mind beforehand that that promise -would never be performed.[20] - -Since the beginning of last century Russia has been, by reason of her -geographical contiguity, practically the only Power which the Turk has -really feared. In contrast with the near Eastern policies of the Western -Powers, Russian policy has been almost invariably hostile to the Turk -since the days of Peter the Great. Of course, this was not always pure -altruism on the part of the rulers of Russia. But, whatever the motive, -Russian policy certainly coincided absolutely with the interests of -humanity and civilization. And while in the West the policy of -"buttressing the Turk" (in the words of the Bishop of Oxford) often met -with strong opposition among the democracies of England and France, -Russian policy in regard to the Turk has always enjoyed the unanimous -support of the Russian people, who being the Turk's neighbour and having -had several wars with him, knew his true nature from prolonged personal -contact. The one departure from Russia's traditional policy was Count -Lobanoff's regrettable--and I may say inexplicable--refusal to take -joint action with Britain and France to put a term upon the butcheries -of 1895-96, and adopt such effective measures as would perhaps have put -it beyond the power of the Turk to indulge again in his diabolical -orgies of cold-blooded barbarism. - -His fear of Russia, which acted as a wholesome restraint upon the -predatory tendencies of the Turk, was weakened by the Treaty of Paris -taking away from Russia her effective protectorate over the Christian -subjects of the Porte, and was removed altogether by the Treaty of -Berlin and the Cyprus Convention. The Turk was quick to understand that -the Western Powers would not permit Russia to intervene on behalf of his -persecuted Christian subjects. He saw that conditions were favourable -for putting into execution his "policy" of getting rid of his Christian -subjects, and he forthwith set to work to carry out his foul project. - -Events have proved the Treaty of Berlin to have been the masterpiece of -Bismarck's policy of "divide et impera." It created, as it was designed -to create, a deep and bitter feeling of mistrust and antagonism between -Great Britain and Russia, which gave Germany her chance of gaining a -strong foothold in the Ottoman Empire. - -The appearance of Germany upon the scene created new dangers, which -have proved all but fatal to the Armenian people. - -The Emperor William II, on his return from his pilgrimage to the Holy -Land, paid a visit to, and fraternized with, the murderer of 250,000 -Armenians who had died for the sake of the very Christ from the scene of -whose life the Christian emperor had just returned. This, by the way, -was in characteristic contrast with King Edward's refusal of the -Sultan's offer of his portrait about the same time. This act of the -great and humane English king has touched the hearts of Armenians, who -cherish a deep and reverent affection for his memory. - -The result of the Emperor William's visit to Abdul Hamid was the Baghdad -Railway and many other concessions, and no doubt a great scheme of a -future Germano-Turkish Empire in the East. - -I believe it was Dr. Paul Rohrbach, the well-known German writer on Near -Eastern affairs, who suggested some years ago that the deportation of -the Armenians from their homes and their settlement in agricultural -colonies along the Baghdad Railway would be the best way to make that -line pay quick and handsome dividends. - -Some time ago I read in _The Near East_ the account of a conversation -between an American missionary and a German officer travelling together -in Anatolia. The German officer confessed that what he had seen was -horrible, more horrible than anything he had ever seen before; "but," he -added, "what could we do? _The Armenians were in the way of our military -aims._" Supposing that resistance to massacre by Armenian men was -interpreted by the German agents in Turkey as being "in the way of their -military aims," what possible excuse could there be for the abominable -treatment, the torture, the slaughter, and the driving to misery and -death of hundreds of thousands of women and children? Were they also in -the way of their military aims? - -While the Turks were butchering Christians in their hundreds of -thousands, the German Emperor was presenting a sword of honour to the -Sultan of Turkey and showering honours upon Enver Pasha at his -headquarters. While thousands of Christian children and women were -being mercilessly slaughtered and driven to death by Germany's ally, and -their bodies thrown to the wolves and vultures in the Mesopotamian -deserts, the German Government was making provision for the housing and -tuition of thousands of Turkish youths in the technical schools of -Germany to fill the places of the "eliminated" Armenians. What have -Christian Germans to say to all this? Do the Johanniter Knights, of whom -the Kaiser is himself Grand Master, approve of these proceedings? Do -they think that He who said "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of -these little ones, ye have done it unto Me" knows of any distinction of -race? How can German Christians, from their rulers downwards, face God -and the Son of God in the intimacy of their prayers after sanctioning -these black deeds which are the very negation of God and the teaching of -Christ? Do the rulers of Germany and Turkey and the protagonists of the -Reventlow doctrine believe that empires, railways, or any other schemes -of expansion, built upon foundations of the blood and tears of hundreds -of thousands of human beings, will endure and prosper and bring forth -harvests of plenty and peace and happiness to their promoters, their -children, and their children's children? They are mistaken. My word may -count for naught to the rulers and leaders of mighty states; but it is -true. We are an ancient people. "We have seen empires come and empires -go." We have been ground for centuries in the mill of the ruthless clash -of contending empires; but in spite of our long and bitter sufferings -our belief to-day is as strong as ever in the existence of another mill, -the mill of Divine Justice, which grinds in its own good time, and may -grind slow, but "it grinds exceeding small." Who will doubt or deny that -violence to women and children and unoffending, defenceless men, "every -hair of whose head is numbered," will not be forgiven by their just and -Almighty Creator; that the sacrifice of them for ulterior selfish -objects will not be overlooked? Political and military acts of the -mightiest empires, entailing injustice, violence and suffering to weaker -peoples will bring Nemesis in their train in due course. The idol with -feet of clay, sunk in the blood of innocents, cannot endure. Sooner or -later it must fall. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[19] _Le Sémaphore de Marseille_, November 20, 1915. - -[20] I am indebted to my friend Mr. H. N. Mosditchian for the following -account of an incident which throws some light on the ways of the Turk-- - -"The massacres of Sassoon in 1893-1894, first described at the time by -Dr. Dillon in _The Daily Telegraph_, and the first of the series that -drenched Armenia with the blood of over 200,000 of her sons and -daughters, raised such a cry of horror and indignation throughout the -civilised world that Great Britain, France and Russia, through their -Embassies at Constantinople, prepared a Scheme of Reforms, known as the -Scheme of the 11th of May 1895, and after much difficulty and long -negotiations obtained thereto the approval of Abd-ul-Hamid, 'the Red -Sultan.' - -"I was with the Patriarch when the Hon. M. H. Herbert, Secretary to the -British Embassy, brought to the Patriarchate the good tidings of the -Sultan's acceptance of the Scheme. Upon his special advice, the -Patriarch sent there and then telegraphic instructions to all the -Armenian Bishoprics in the provinces to chant Te Deums in the churches -and to offer up prayers for the benign and magnanimous Padishah! - -"I was again with the Patriarch a day or two after when telegrams began -to pour in from the provinces announcing a fresh outbreak of massacres -throughout the country. I hastened to the Embassies of the Six Great -Powers to give them the appalling news and to ask for their immediate -assistance. As is well known, they did or could do nothing, and the -massacres went on, unchecked and unbridled, assuming every day larger -dimensions and a better organised thoroughness...." - -I called on Judge Terrell, the American Ambassador, also. "I am not at -all surprised," said he, "at these fresh massacres. I knew they would be -coming, so much so that the moment I heard that the Sultan was about to -affix his signature to the Scheme of Reforms, I hastened to the Grand -Vezir and insisted upon his sending telegraphic orders to all the Valis -to take good care that no American subject was hurt. The Grand Vezir -protested of course that there was no necessity for such orders inasmuch -as peace and security reigned supreme in all the Vilayets, but I told -him that I knew what was going to happen shortly as well as he did, and -refused to leave until he had despatched the telegrams in my presence." -Judge Terrell then told me that it had long been known to him that the -Valis of all the Vilayets had received standing orders from the Sultan -to massacre the Armenians (_a_) whenever they should discover any -revolutionary movement among them, (_b_) whenever they should hear of a -British, French or Russian invasion of Turkish territory, and (_c_) -_whenever they should hear that the Sultan had agreed to and signed a -Scheme of Reforms_. - - - - -VIII - - THE BLUE-BOOK--THE EPIC OF ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM, THE REVELATION OF - HER SPIRIT AND CHARACTER--"TRUTH" ON THE ARMENIANS: A DIGRESSION - - -To realize, even approximately, the unimaginable barbarities that have -been committed by the Turks during the Great Armenian Tragedy of 1915, -it is necessary to read the Blue-book itself. But the Blue-book is a -bulky volume, and the average man or woman has so many calls on his or -her attention in these stirring and momentous times, that I fear it will -not be read as widely as it deserves to be read in the interests of -humanity, Christianity, and civilization. I have, therefore, thought it -desirable to quote a number of extracts which will give the reader some -idea of the nature and magnitude of the horrors chronicled in that -fearful epic of a nation's martyrdom, in the hope that they may thereby -reach a wider circle of the public. - -Apart from giving the reader a general idea of the atrocities -themselves, I have selected and grouped the extracts with the object of -calling attention to the incidental or subsidiary morals and lessons -they convey, which have received little or no notice in the Press -reviews. The Blue-book reveals the spirit, the character and the ideals -which lay hidden under the unattractive outside appearance of the -Armenians, upon which has been based their mostly superficial judgment -of them by European travellers. Often under the influence of a sense of -indebtedness for an escort of Zaptiehs "graciously placed at their -disposal by a kindly vali" (in whose harem were probably languishing a -dozen or more enslaved women), they have seldom paused to understand the -tragedy of the dour, subdued, anxious mien of the Armenian peasant seen -trudging wearily along in the highways and byways of Asia Minor. They -little realized that the Armenian lived under the strain of constant -terrorism; that he never knew when the honour of his wife or sister -might be violently assaulted; when he might be stabbed in the back; when -his cattle might be driven away or his crops burned or stolen. He was -afraid even of a too attractive personal appearance, lest he should -excite the cupidity and jealousy of his Turkish neighbour. If he fell -upon his persecutor and slew him in defence of the honour of his -womenfolk, it meant the wiping out not only of his family but of his -whole village. His own government was his deadly enemy, bent upon his -destruction. This has been the tragedy of the Armenian's life for -generations. It has been little known in the West because Armenia is a -long way off, and few European travellers have stopped to look below the -surface. He has lived with the _yatagan_ hanging over his head, like the -sword of Damocles, from birth to death. Virile, industrious, patient, -long-suffering, but never despondent, he has clung to his faith, his -soil, his ancient culture, his nationality and ideals of civilization -with a tenacity that centuries of "bloody tyranny" have tended only to -steel more and more. That he has succeeded in preserving the ideals -which have cost his nation such heartbreaking sacrifices is abundantly -proved by the Blue-book. Here is one evidence: "Mr. Yarrow, seeing all -this, said, 'I am amazed at the self-control of the Armenians, for -though the Turks did not spare a single wounded Armenian, the Armenians -are helping us to save the Turks'" (p. 70). - -But of all the tales of calm, dignified heroism in face of death -recorded in the Blue-book, W. Effendi's letter (p. 133, and 504 of the -Blue-book) written on the eve of his, his young wife's and infant -child's deportation to what he knew to be certain death, will ever stand -out as an impressive example of the noblest heroism, the highest -conception of the teaching of Christ and a complete triumph of the -spirit, unsurpassed in the annals of Christian martyrdom. "May God -forgive this nation all their sin which they do without knowing," wrote -this true follower of Christ, while he was making ready for his and his -loved ones' journey to sorrow and death. It recalls the story of St. -Stephen's martyrdom. W. Effendi's letter and Nurse Cavell's immortal -words, "patriotism is not enough," strike me as the two most remarkable -utterances delivered spontaneously by heroic spirits in proof of the -bankruptcy of the "frightfulness" to which they were on the point of -falling victims. - -There was a short notice in _Truth_ of January 31, 1917, in connection -with Armenia Day which contained the following remark: "Some people -despise these 'eleventh Allies' as a mercenary race, but others, like -Mr. Noel Buxton, depict them in a much more attractive light." - -With the reader's indulgence I will digress for a moment to deal briefly -with this totally unjustified stigma cast wantonly upon the character of -a sorely tried nation. - -In the unoffensive sense of the word the whole human family may be -called "mercenary." I have not met or heard of a race of men in any of -the explored parts of the earth, whatever their colour, creed, or degree -of civilization, who had any conscientious objection to the acquiring of -as much money as they could acquire by legitimate and honourable means. -I do not suppose _Truth_ itself is dispensing its very helpful "Rubber -tips" week by week solely for the good of humanity. But if it is -asserted that the Armenian race puts the love of gold before everything -else in life, such an assertion at this juncture is a particularly -ill-timed, offensive and unworthy aspersion. A mercenary race, forsooth! -If the Armenian race had valued gold above its loyalty to its faith and -nationality; if it had attached greater value to material prosperity -than to spiritual ideals and principles, it would have accepted Islam -centuries ago--Heaven knows the temptation was great--and won a -predominant position for itself in Asia Minor. It would be counted -to-day not by two or three, but by twenty or thirty millions. But under -the longest and bloodiest pressure endured by any people in history, -culminating almost in its extermination, it refused to sell its soul. - -Thousands of Armenians could have saved their lives by feigning to -accept Islam, but, with few exceptions, they refused to commit even -that measure of spiritual dishonesty, which would perhaps not have been -considered unpardonable under the circumstances. There is scarcely any -instance of an Armenian woman trafficking her honour for money; which -is, perhaps, the most eloquent refutation of the calumny. - -What good object has _Truth_ served by giving currency in its columns to -this libel against an oppressed people, almost wiped out because of its -Christian faith and its sympathy for and support of the Allied cause? -Even if there were the remotest justification for it one would have -thought that _Truth_ would have shrunk, at this dark and bitter hour, -from adding insult to the agony of a people plunged into sorrow and -mourning for the loss of half its number. But the assertion that the -Armenians are a mercenary race is not true. It is part of the propaganda -carried on by a very few people who are either blinded by unreasoning -prejudice, or have some special purpose to serve, or believe that they -are discharging some kind of duty by whitewashing the Turk and -blackening the Armenian. I believe that these admirers of the votaries -of "bloody tyranny" on the Bosphorus are very few indeed in this -country. Whoever they are and whatever their motives, conscious of my -obligations to the generous hospitality of this country--for which I -cannot be too grateful--but taking my stand on the broader ground of -Humanity, I wish to say to them, "Though you are in Great Britain, you -are not of it; though this great, humane and Christian country may be -your physical home by accident of birth, you will find your congenial -'spiritual home' in the offices of Count Reventlow and the _Tanine_. -Charity, after all, is a matter between a man and his conscience and his -God. If you cannot give your money to a starving woman or child without -massacring them morally, while the Turk is taking their life, pray spare -your money and let the Armenian die; it will please the Turk and his -allies. Perhaps it would be more in harmony with your sentiments and -political faith to lend your money to your friend the Turk. When the war -is over he may need a fresh supply of arms, for even the tender limbs of -the countless women and children on whom he has practised his -'chivalry' may well have blunted and worn his old stock." - -There are mercenary Armenian individuals as there are mercenary persons -in every nation. It may be that, debarred from government posts except -when he was indispensable, the town Armenian in Turkey, like the Greek -and Syrian, has been compelled to direct his energies into commercial -channels in a larger proportion than free and independent nations. -Naturally, also, through generations of ruthless persecution, the -Armenian nation has thrown up a flotsam and jetsam of indigents -wandering far and wide in search of security and the means of earning a -living. But to brand the whole Armenian race as "mercenary" is -malevolent nonsense, or credulity due to a total ignorance of the facts. -Seventy or eighty per cent. of the Armenians in Turkish as well as -Russian Armenia are peasants, farmers and artisans. That is -approximately true also of the Persian Armenians. Even in the United -States the majority of the immigrants have taken to fruit-growing in -California. Armenians who have the means to give their sons a good -education almost invariably make them follow a profession in preference -to commerce, as witness the number of Armenian university professors, -doctors, lawyers and some artists and painters of considerable merit in -the United States.[21] Probably no people have made the sacrifices made -by Armenians, in proportion to their means, for the relief of distress -during the war. There have been a few exceptions among the very rich -whose moral sense has been blunted by luxury and self-indulgence. They -can be counted on the fingers of one hand. They belong to that class of -cosmopolitan financiers and traders who are no more thrilled by the -music of their country's or any country's name; who are unmoved by the -cry of starving women and children of their own or any race; whose home -is the world and whose god is gold; who are no more the masters but the -slaves of money. But this, again, is not peculiar to Armenians; very far -from it. It is a fraternity that embraces members of every, or almost -every, race; and Armenians are barely represented upon it. It is -palpably misleading as it is inaccurate to assert that these represent -the Armenian nation. In fact, as far as my knowledge goes, the masses of -the Armenian people are ashamed of them, because their worship of gold -and vanity are alien to the national spirit, and bring discredit upon -the nation. For generations Armenian educational and religious -institutions have been maintained by voluntary grants; and I do not know -that any European citizen bears a heavier burden for the needs of his -nation than does the individual Armenian. - -It must not be supposed from what I have said that all, or the majority, -of rich Armenians have been deaf or indifferent to their country's need. -That would be a mistake and an injustice. On the whole their response to -the call of their afflicted country has been satisfactory, considering -that they had obligations to the belligerent countries to which they -owed allegiance. I know of one contribution of £30,000,[22] while ten -Moscow merchants raised a million roubles between them for their -nation's needs. A prominent Armenian physician has relinquished a large -and remunerative practice at Petrograd to superintend personally the -administration of an orphanage at Erzerum, which he has opened on his -own private account. The Catholicos's palace at Etchmiadzin was -converted into a hospital for refugees in the early months of 1915. -Almost every Armenian peasant family in the Caucasus have housed and -cared for one or more refugees in their humble cottages ever since the -influx of their distressed kinsmen from the other side of the frontier -in the spring and summer of 1915. I have not marshalled these facts in a -spirit of flaunting the virtues of my race--we certainly hold no -monopoly of all the virtues, or indeed of all the vices, to which human -nature is heir--but I know of no better way to disprove the baseless -aspersions assiduously disseminated by some interested people for -purposes of pro-Turkish propaganda and accepted by the credulous as -true. - -Lord Bryce has known the Armenian people longer and more intimately than -any eminent European statesman, historian and diplomatist has ever done -before, and his dictum will no doubt be generally accepted as that of a -great and final authority. I therefore make no apology for quoting his -lordship's most recent utterance on the subject reported in the _Journal -of the Royal Society of Arts_, February 2, 1917-- - - - "Having known a very large number of Armenians, he had been greatly - struck, not only with their high level of intelligence and - industry, but also by their intense patriotism. He did not know of - any people who had shown greater constancy, patience and patriotism - under difficulties and sufferings than the Armenians. He personally - had always found them perfectly loyal. He had frequently had - occasion to give them confidential advice and to trust them with - secrets, and never on any occasion had he found that confidence - misplaced.... As a proof of their loyalty and devotion to their - country he might mention that the Armenians living in America had - contributed sums enormous in proportion to their number and - resources, for they were nearly all persons of small means, for the - relief of the refugees who had been driven out by the Turkish - massacres. No people during the war had done more in proportion to - their capacities than the Armenians had done for the relief of - their suffering fellow-countrymen. A large number of them were also - fighting as volunteers in the armies of France, where they had - displayed the utmost courage and valour in the combats before - Verdun." - - -To return to the extracts from the Blue-book. Group "A" affords a -melancholy abundance of indisputable evidence that it was not Kurds and -brigands alone who did Satan's work in Armenia, but that the chief -culprits were Turkish officials, high and low, officers, soldiers, -gendarmes and rabble; even a member of parliament took a turn! They not -only played the principal part in the vast and revolting carnival of -blood, lust and savagery, but they took a delight and pride in the part -they played, and laughed at the sufferings and tortures of their -victims.[23] - -Group "B" bears evidence of a heroism and fidelity in torture and death, -to faith, honour and the ideal of nationality, unsurpassed in the -history of mankind, which must redound to the eternal glory of -Christianity and to the honour of the Armenian name. I respectfully -suggest for consideration by the Heads of the Christian Churches that a -day should be fixed to commemorate annually the martyrdom of this vast -number of Armenian Christians. - -Group "C" contains proofs of the conduct of insurgent Armenians in the -unequal struggles for self-defence, and it should be remembered that -these are but a few instances, mainly of what was seen or heard of by -foreigners. The ruined towns and villages, the silent fields and -highways of this land of blood and tears, what secrets of desperate -heroism in defence of wife and child, mother and sister, these guard -will probably never be known. Group "C" also contains evidence of the -fact that the Turks had to employ considerable bodies of troops to -overcome the desperate resistance of Armenians in many places, such as -Moush, Sassoon, Van, etc. A third feature in this group is, that the -Turks attributed their defeats in the Caucasus to the Armenians.[24] - -Taken together, these extracts, and the Blue-book from which they are -taken, form a better mirror of the characteristics of the two races than -all that has been written on the subject for a century. They show the -radical dissimilarity of their natures, and the vast difference between -the respective stages of civilization in which the two races find -themselves. - -Was it Buddha or Confucius who said that the principal difference -between man and the rest of the animal world is, that man possesses the -feeling of pity for the pain and suffering of his fellow-men or animals? -What would they think of this strange race of human beings who delight -in torture and murder, sparing neither sex nor age, nor even unborn -babes and their mothers; who inflict pain and jeer at their victims? - -I remember reading in one of Mr. Lloyd George's speeches not long ago: -"It is not the trials one has to go through in life, but the way one -faces them that matters," or words to that effect. This is as true of -nations as it is of individuals. "In the reproof of chance lies the true -proof of men," and of nations. How has the Armenian nation conducted -itself in this great upheaval and borne the terrible ordeal revealed by -the Blue-book: an ordeal the horror and magnitude of which it is -absolutely beyond the power of the human mind to imagine? The Blue-book -itself furnishes the answer. From the first day of the war, Armenians in -all countries understood the nature of the issues involved. They had no -doubt on which side lay their sympathies, which were never influenced by -the varying fortunes of the war. They were exposed to grave risks and -paid a terrible price. Could there be a better proof of intellectual -rectitude and the sincerity of sentiment? This, I trust, will silence -for ever the dastardly reflections often cast upon the honesty of the -Armenian people. There are some dishonest Armenians as there are some -dishonest men in all nations. But, whether through prejudice, malice, or -ignorance of the facts, to brand as dishonest a whole people who have -been on the Cross for half a millennium for their religion and -patriotism, is unworthy of civilized and right-minded men. - -There are two other important facts which the Blue-book establishes -beyond dispute. There was no revolt. Indeed, it would have been sheer -madness on the part of the Armenians to attempt a rising when their -able-bodied manhood was with the colours. The second fact the Blue-book -reveals is, that the Armenian party leaders did their utmost to dissuade -the Young Turks from joining the war. When the veil of war has lifted, -and Europe comes to know more of what took place behind the scenes in -Constantinople prior to Turkey's entry into the war, it will be seen how -near the personal influence and eloquence of the Armenian deputy Zohrab -came to turning the scale against the fateful and suicidal decision. -This brilliant young jurist, an intimate personal friend of Enver and -Talaat who sought his advice almost daily, was murdered by their orders -on the way to Diyarbekir. Armenians have been charged with a lack of -political aptitude as well as with treachery to the Ottoman Empire. I -would specially call the attention of those who hold these -views--Europeans, Moslems, and thinking Turks themselves--to the fact -that, at a time of crisis, it was the Armenians who saw clearly the path -of safety for the empire, and showed their loyalty to it, in spite of -all they had suffered in the past, by their councils of prudence to -which the Young Turks lent a deaf ear. - -While on the subject of the Blue-book, I cannot refrain from saying -that I noted with profound regret the distinction that was evidently -made, in many cases, between Catholic and Protestant Armenians on the -one hand, and Gregorians on the other, in the efforts that were made to -save them from massacre or deportation. It is no secret that His -Holiness the Pope and President Wilson intervened through their -representatives in Constantinople, and possibly in Berlin and Vienna, to -stop the massacres. I record this fact with the deepest gratitude. Of -course no such distinction can possibly have been made by the Pope or -President Wilson, or their ambassadors; it was probably due to the -well-meant activities of subordinates or of local European or American -residents. - -No doubt it was better to save Catholics and Protestants than none at -all, but the very idea of any distinction being thought of, under such -fateful circumstances, is obviously contrary to the spirit of -Christianity, and the passages referring to it make sad reading to a -Christian. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[21] Visitors to the San Francisco Exhibition will have seen and admired -the work of the Armenian sculptor Haik Partigian, whose exhibits, I am -told by one who saw them, were among the best, if not the best, of all -the exhibits in the Sculpture Section. Russia's great marine painter -Aivazovsky was an Armenian. The recently instituted Society of Armenian -Artists is holding its first exhibition in Tiflis at the time of -writing. - -[22] It was reported in the Tiflis papers, after the above was written, -that Mr. Mantashian, the Baku oil king, has made a further donation of -£60,000 for agricultural improvements, and offered thirty thoroughbreds -to improve the breed of horses in Armenia. - -[23] Some of the most distressing and disgraceful cases of Turkish -bestiality appeared in Doctor (Major) Aspland's report on the hospital -at Van, which was under his charge as representative of the Lord Mayor's -Armenian Relief Fund. Describing some of the individual cases brought to -him for treatment, Dr. Aspland says-- - -"Here is a young woman leaving hospital to-day, who was raped by eight -Kurds. She has suffered for months, and even now, in spite of -operations, will be crippled for the rest of her life. Here is _a small -girl aged five, similarly treated by Turks_, and is now lying in plaster -of Paris in order to recover from injury to the hip joint."--(_Ararat_, -October 1916, p. 172.) - -[24] Compare this with the diary of a Turkish officer, reported in the -_Russkaia Viedomosti_ (p. 75). - - - - -IX - - EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE-BOOK - - -_Group A_ - -"The Archbishop of Erzeroum, His Grace Sempad, who, with the Vali's -authorization, was returning to Constantinople, was murdered at -Erzindjan by the brigands in the service of the Union and Progress -Committee. The bishops of Trebizond, Kaisaria, Moush, Bitlis, Sairt, and -Erzindjan have all been murdered by order of the Young Turk Government" -(p. 23). - -"The shortest method for disposing of the women and children -concentrated in the various camps was to burn them. Fire was set to -large wooden sheds in Alidjan, Megrakom, Khaskegh, and other Armenian -villages, and these absolutely helpless women and children were roasted -to death.... And the executioners, who seem to have been unmoved by this -unparalleled savagery, grasped infants by one leg and hurled them into -the fire, calling out to the burning mothers: 'Here are your lions'" (p. -86). - -"The Turks boasted of having now got rid of all the Armenians. I heard -it from the officers myself, how they revelled in thought that the -Armenians had been got rid of" (p. 88). - -"It was heartrending to hear the cries of the people and children who -were being burnt to death in their houses. The soldiers took great -delight in hearing them, and when people who were out in the streets -during the bombardment fell dead the soldiers merely laughed at them" -(p. 90). - -"Every officer boasted of the number he had personally massacred as his -share in ridding Turkey of the Armenian race" (p. 90). - -"Mehmed Effendi, the Ottoman deputy for Gendje (Ginj), collected about -forty women and children and killed them" (p. 94). - -"Of the other children, a girl was taken away and only escaped many -months later when the Russians came. Very reluctantly she poured out -her story to the Stapletons, from which it appeared that she had been -handed round to ten officers after the murder of her husband and his -mother, to be their sport" (p. 225). - -"'See what care the Government is taking of the Armenians,' the Vali -said, and she returned home surprised and pleased; but when she visited -the Orphanage again several days later, there were only thirteen of the -700 children left--the rest had disappeared. They had been taken, she -learnt, to a lake six hours' journey by road from the town and drowned" -(p. 260). - -"Sister D. A. was told, at Constantinople, that Turks of all parties -were united in their approval of what was being done to the Armenians, -and that Enver Pasha openly boasted of it as his personal achievement. -Talaat Bey, too, was reported to have remarked, on receiving news of -Vartkes's[25] assassination: 'There is no room in the Empire for both -Armenians and Turks. Either they had to go or we" (p. 261). - -"A crowd of Turkish women and children follow the police about like a -lot of vultures, and seize anything they can lay their hands on, and -when the more valuable things are carried out of a house by the police, -they rush in and take the balance. I see this performance every day with -my own eyes" (p. 289). - -"It was a real extermination and slaughter of the innocents, an -unheard-of thing, a black page stained with the flagrant violation of -the most sacred rights of humanity, of Christianity, of nationality" (p. -291). - -"When the Governor was petitioned to allow the infants to be entrusted -to charitable Moslem families, to save them from dying on the journey, -he replied: 'I will not leave here so much as the odour of the -Armenians; go away into the deserts of Arabia and dump your Armenia -there'" (p. 328). - -"P. P., the college blacksmith, was so terribly beaten that a month -later he was still unable to walk. Another was shod with horse-shoes. -At Y., Mr. A. D. (brother-in-law of the pastor, A. E., who suffered -martyrdom at Sivas twenty-one years ago) had his finger-nails torn out -for refusing to accept Islam. 'How,' he had answered, 'can I abandon the -Christ whom I have preached for twenty-years?'" (p. 378.) - -"In Angora I learned that the tanners and the butchers of the city had -been called to Asi Yozgad, and the Armenians committed to them for -murder. The tanner's knife is a circular affair, while the butcher's -knife is a small axe, and they killed people by using the instruments -which they knew best how to use" (p. 385). - -"The Ottoman Bank President showed bank-notes soaked with blood and -struck through with daggers with the blot round the hole, and some torn -that had evidently been ripped from the clothing of people who had been -killed--and these were placed on ordinary deposit in the bank by Turkish -Officers" (p. 386). - -"One girl had hanged herself on the way; others had poison with them. -Mothers were holding out their beautiful babies and begging the -missionaries to take them" (p. 403). - -"What was the meaning of all this? It was the deathblow aimed at -Christianity in Turkey, or, in other words, the extermination of the -Armenian people--their extermination or amalgamation" (p. 404). - -"During the weary days of travel I had as my companion a Turkish -captain, who, as the hours dragged by, came to look on me with less of -suspicion, growing quite friendly at times. Arrived at ---- the captain -went out among the Armenian crowd and soon returned with an Armenian -girl of about fifteen years. She was forced into a compartment of an -adjoining railway coach, in company with a Turkish woman. When she saw -that her mother was not allowed to accompany her, she began to realize -something of the import of it all. She grew frantic in her efforts to -escape, scratching at the window, begging, screaming, tearing her hair -and wringing her hands, while the equally grief-crazed mother stood on -the railway platform, helpless in her effort to save her daughter. The -captain, seeing the unconcealed disapproval in my face, came up and -said: 'I suppose, Effendi, you don't approve of such things, but let me -tell you how it is. Why, this girl is fortunate. I'll take her home with -me, raise her as a Moslem servant in my house. She will be well cared -for and saved from a worse fate--besides that, I even gave the mother a -lira gold piece for the girl.' And, as though that were not convincing -enough, he added: 'Why, these scoundrels have killed two of our Moslems -right here in this city, within the last few days,' as though that were -excuse enough, if excuse were needed, for annihilating the whole -Armenian race. I could not refrain from giving him my version of the -rotten, diabolical scheme, which, however, fell from his back like -water" (p. 410). - -"I learned here, too, of a nurse who had been in one of the mission -hospitals, who two days before my arrival there had become almost crazed -by the fear of falling into the hands of the human fiends, and had -ended her life with poison. Were these isolated or unusual instances, it -would excite no comment in this year of unusual things, but when we know -of these things going on all over the empire, repeated in thousands of -instances, we begin to realize the enormity of the crimes committed. I -spoke again to the captain: 'Why are you taking such brutal measures to -accomplish your aim? Why not accept the offer of a friendly nation, -which offers to pay transportation if you will send these people out of -the country to a place of safety?' He replied: 'Why, don't you -understand, we don't want to have to repeat this thing again after a few -years? It's hot down in the deserts of Arabia, and there is no water, -and these people can't stand a hot climate, don't you see?' Yes, I saw. -Any one could see what would happen to most of them, long before Arabia -was reached" (p. 411). - -"Crowds of Turkish women were going about insolently prying into house -after house to find valuable rugs or other articles" (p. 411). - -"The nation is being systematically done to death by a cruel and crafty -method, and their extermination is only a question of time" (p. 432). - -"Women with little children in their arms, or in the last days of -pregnancy, were driven along under the whip like cattle. Three different -cases came under my knowledge where the woman was delivered on the road, -and because her brutal driver hurried her along, she died of hæmorrhage" -(p. 472). - -"I saw one young woman drop down exhausted. The Turk gave her two or -three blows with his stick and she raised herself painfully" (p. 484). - -"I saw two women, one of them old, the other very young and very pretty, -carrying the corpse of another young woman; I had scarcely passed them -when cries of terror arose. The girl was struggling in the clutches of a -brute who was trying to drag her away. The corpse had fallen to the -ground, the girl, now half-unconscious, was writhing by the side of it, -the old woman was sobbing and wringing her hands" (p. 564). - -"Sixteen hundred Armenians have had their throats cut in the prisons of -Diyarbekir. The Arashnort (bishop) was mutilated, drenched with alcohol, -and burnt alive in the prison yard, in the middle of a carousing crowd -of gendarmes, who even accompanied the scene with music. The massacres -at Benia, Adiaman, the Selefka have been carried out deliberately; -_there is not a single male left above the age of 13 years_; the girls -have been outraged mercilessly; we have seen their mutilated corpses -tied together in batches of four, eight, or ten, and cast into the -Euphrates. The majority had been mutilated in an indescribable manner" -(p. 21). - -"Five hundred young men were shot outside the town without any -formality. During the following two days the same process was carried -out with heartless and cold-blooded thoroughness in the eighty Armenian -villages of Ardjish, Adiljevas, and the rest of the district north of -Lake Van. In this manner some 24,000 Armenians were killed in three -days, their young women carried away and their homes looted" (p. 73). - -"According to Turkish Government statistics 120,000 Armenians were -killed in this district" (p. 95). - -"The immense procession, sinking under its agony and fatigue, forces -itself along and moves forward without respite.... No pen can describe -what this tragic procession has endured, or what experiences it has -lived through, on its interminable road. The least detail of them makes -the human heart quail, and draws an unquenchable stream of bitter tears -from one's eyes.... Each fraction of the long procession has its -individual history, its especial pangs.... Here is a mother with her six -children, one on her back, the second clasped to her breast; the third -falls down on the road, and cries and wails because it cannot drag -itself further. The three others begin to wail in sympathy, and the poor -mother stands stock still, tearless, like a statue, utterly powerless to -help" (p. 197). - -"Babies were shot in their mothers' arms, small children were horribly -mutilated, women were stripped and beaten. The villages were not -prepared for attack; many made no resistance; others resisted until -their ammunition gave out" (p. 36). - -"A little bride and a slim young girl sidled up to our wagon to talk. In -reply to our talk they told us that they were 'busy taking care of the -babies.' We asked what babies, and they said: 'Oh, those the effendis -stop here; the mothers nurse them and then go.' We asked if there were -many, and were told that every house was full. We were watched too -closely to make calls possible. Afterwards we found an officer ready to -talk, who said: 'We take them off after a while and kill them. What can -we do? The mothers cannot take them, and the Government cannot take care -of them for ever'" (p. 359). - -"This frightful suffering inspires no pity in the ruthless officials, -who throw themselves upon their wretched victims, armed with whips and -cudgels, without distinction of sex or age" (p. 414). - - -_Group B_ - -"Many Armenian women preferred to throw themselves into the Euphrates -with their infants, or committed suicide in their homes. The Euphrates -and Tigris have become the sepulchre of thousands of Armenians" (p. 14). - -"While the Armenian refugees had been mutually helpful and -self-sacrificing, these Moslems showed themselves absolutely selfish, -callous and indifferent to each other's suffering" (p. 42). - -"Many went mad and threw their children away; some knelt down and prayed -amid the flames in which their bodies were burning; others shrieked and -cried for help which came from nowhere" (p. 86). - -"Several young women, who were in danger of falling into the Turks' -hands, threw themselves from the rocks, some of them with their infants -in their arms" (p. 87). - -"Among the massacred were two monks, one of them being the Father -Superior of Sourp Garabed, Yeghishe Vartabed, who had a chance of -escaping, but did not wish to be separated from his flock, and was -killed with them" (p. 96). - -"In some cases safety was bought by professing Mohammedanism, but many -died as martyrs to the faith" (p. 102). - -"The mother resisted, and was thrown over a bridge by one of the Turks. -The poor woman broke her arm, but her mule-driver dragged her up again. -Again the same Turks threw her down, with one of her daughters, from the -top of the mountain. The moment the married daughter saw her mother and -sister thrown down, she thrust the baby in her arms upon another woman, -ran after them, crying, 'Mother, mother!' and threw herself down the -same precipice" (p. 274). - -"Sirpouhi and Santukht, two young women of Ketcheurd, a village east of -Sivas, who were being led off to the harem, by Turks, threw themselves -into the river Halys, and were drowned with their infants in their arms. -Mlle. Sirpouhi, the nineteen-year-old daughter of Garabed Tufenjjian of -Herag, a graduate of the American College of Marsovan, was offered the -choice of saving herself by embracing Islam and marrying a Turk. -Sirpouhi retorted that it was an outrage to murder her father and then -make her a proposal of marriage. She would have nothing to do with a -godless and a murderous people; whereupon she, and seventeen other -Armenian girls who had refused conversion, were shamefully ill-treated -and afterwards killed near Tchamli-Bel gorge" (p. 325). - -"Many began to doubt even the existence of God. Under the severe strain -many individuals became demented, some of them permanently. There were -also some examples of the greatest heroism and faith, and some started -out on the journey courageously and calmly, saying in farewell: 'Pray -for us. We shall not see you again in this world, but some time we shall -meet again'" (p. 335). - -"'No, I cannot see what you see, and I cannot accept what I cannot -understand.' So the ox-carts came to the door and took the family away. -The wife was a delicate lady and the two beautiful daughters well -educated. They were offered homes in harems, but said: 'No, we cannot -deny our Lord. We will go with our father'" (p. 354). - -"In a mountain village there was a girl who made herself famous. Here, -as everywhere else, the men were taken out at night and pitifully -killed. Then the women and children were sent in a crowd, but a large -number of young girls and brides were kept behind. This girl, who had -been a pupil in the school at X., was sent before the Governor, the -Judge, and the Council together, and they said to her: 'Your father is -dead, your brothers are dead, and all your other relatives are gone, but -we have kept you because we do not wish to make you suffer. Now just be -a good Turkish girl and you shall be married to a Turkish officer and be -comfortable and happy.' It is said that she looked quietly into their -faces and replied: 'My father is not dead, my brothers are not dead; it -is true you have killed them, but they live in Heaven. I shall live -with them. I can never do this if I am unfaithful to my conscience. As -for marrying, I have been taught that a woman must never marry a man -unless she loves him. This is a part of our religion. How can I love a -man who comes from a nation that has so recently killed my friends? I -should neither be a good Christian girl nor a good Turkish girl if I did -so. Do with me what you wish.' They sent her away, with the few other -brave ones, into the hopeless land. Stories of this kind can also be -duplicated" (p. 355). - -"The men were finally convinced of the uselessness of their efforts when -one of the younger and prettiest girls spoke up for herself and said: -'No one can mix in my decisions; I will not "turn" [change her -religion], and it is I myself that say it'" (p. 357). - -"Mr. A. F., a colporteur, had been willing to embrace Islam, but his -wife refused to recognize his apostasy, and declared that she would go -into exile with the rest of the people, so he went with his wife and -was killed" (p. 378). - -"Again and again they said to me: 'Oh, if they would only kill me now, I -would not care; but I fear they will try to force me to become a -Mohammedan'" (p. 403). - -"When we consider the number forced into exile and the number beaten to -death and tortured in a thousand ways, the comparatively small number -that turned Moslem is a tribute to the staunchness of their hold on -Christianity" (p. 413). - -"If the events of the past year demonstrate anything, they show the -practical failure of Mohammedanism in its struggle for existence against -Christianity--in its attempt to eliminate a race which, because of -Christian education, has been proving increasingly a menace to -stagnating Moslem civilization. We may call it political necessity or -what not, but in essence it is a nominally ruling class, jealous of a -more progressive Christian race, striving by methods of primitive -savagery to maintain the leading place" (p. 413). - -"The courage of that brave little doctor's wife, who knew she must take -her two babies and face starvation and death with them! Many began to -come to her home--to her, for comfort and cheer, and she gave it. I have -never seen such courage before. You have to go to the darkest places of -the earth to see the brightest lights, to the most obscure spot to find -the greatest heroes. - -"Her bright smile, with no trace of fear in it, was like a beacon light -in that mud village, where hundreds were doomed. - -"It was not because she did not understand how they felt; she was one of -them. It was not because she had no dear ones in peril; her husband was -far away, ministering to those who were sending her and her babies to -destruction" (p. 418). - -"One woman gave birth to twins in one of those crowded trucks, and -crossing a river she threw both her babies and then herself into the -water" (p. 420). - -"And how are the people going? As they came into B. M., weary and with -swollen and bleeding feet, clasping their babes to their breasts, they -utter not one murmur or word of complaint; but you see their eyes move -and hear the words: 'For Jesus' sake, for Jesus' sake!'" (p. 478). - -"Let me quote from W. Effendi, from a letter he wrote a day before his -deportation with his young wife and infant child and with the whole -congregation-- - -"'We now understand that it is a great miracle that our nation has lived -so many years amongst such a nation as this. From this we realize that -God can and has shut the mouths of lions for many years. May God -restrain them! I am afraid they mean to kill some of us, cast some of us -into most cruel starvation and send the rest out of this country; so I -have very little hope of seeing you again in this world. But be sure -that, by God's special help, I will do my best to encourage others to -die manly. I will also look for God's help for myself to die as a -Christian. May this country see that, if we cannot live here as men, we -can die as men. May many die as men of God. May God forgive this nation -all their sin which they do without knowing. May the Armenians teach -Jesus' life by their death, which they could not teach by their life or -have failed in showing forth. It is my great desire to see a Reverend -Ali, or Osman, or Mohammed. May Jesus soon see many Turkish Christians -as the fruit of His blood. - -"'May the war end soon, in order to save the Moslems from their cruelty -(for they increase in that from day to day) and from their ingrained -habit of torturing others. Therefore we are waiting on God, for the sake -of the Moslems as well as of the Armenians. May He appear soon'" (p. -504). - -"Before the girls were taken, the Kaimakam asked each one, in the -presence of the Principal of the College, whether they wanted to become -Mohammedans and stay, or go. They all replied that they would go. Only -Miss H. became a Mohammedan, and went to live with G. Professors E. and -F. F. had been arrested with other Armenians, but in the name of all the -teachers some £250 to £300 were presented to the officials, and so they -were let free" (p. 370). - -"The priests were among the first to be sent off. A Turk described how -K. K. was killed. They stripped him of all his clothes, excepting his -underclothing. With his hands bound behind his back, he knelt, with his -son beside him, and they finished him off with axes, while he was -praying. The same description was given of the execution of L. L.--how -they took off his head by hacking down into his shoulders with axes and -carving the head out like a bust" (p. 371). - - -_Group C_ - -"But the [Armenian] revolutionists conducted themselves with remarkable -restraint and prudence; controlled their hot-headed youth; patrolled the -streets to prevent skirmishes; and bade the villagers endure in silence: -better a village or two burned unavenged than that any attempt at -reprisals should furnish an excuse for massacre" (p. 33). - -"Some of the rules for their men [the Armenian defenders of Van] were: -'Keep clean; do not drink; tell the truth; do not curse the religion of -the enemy'" (p. 35). - -"But, enraged as Djevdet was by this unexpected and prolonged -resistance, was it to be hoped that he could be persuaded to spare the -lives of one of these men, women and children?" (p. 39). - -"Not all the Turks had fled from the city [Van]. Some old men and women -and children had stayed behind, many of them in hiding. The Armenian -soldiers, unlike Turks, were not making war on such" (p. 41). - -"Our Turkish refugees cost us a fearful price.... Then, for four days -more, two Armenian nurses cared for the [Turkish] sick ones at night and -an untrained man nurse helped me during the daytime" (p. 42). - -"Mr. Yarrow, seeing all this, said: 'I am amazed at the self-control of -the Armenians, for though the Turks did not spare a single wounded -Armenian, the Armenians are helping us to save the Turks--a thing that I -do not believe even Europeans would do'" (p. 70). - -"The Turks offered to the Georgians the provinces of Koutais and of -Tiflis, the Batoum district and a part of the province of Trebizond; to -the Tartars, Shousha, the mountain country as far as Vladikavkaz, Bakou, -and a part of the province of Elisavetpol; to the Armenians they offered -Kars, the province of Erivan, a part of Elisavetpol; a fragment of the -province of Erzeroum, Van and Bitlis. According to the Young Turk -scheme, all these groups were to become autonomous under a Turkish -protectorate. The Erzeroum Congress refused these proposals, and advised -the Young Turks not to hurl themselves into the European -conflagration--a dangerous adventure which would lead Turkey to ruin" -(p. 80). - -"The Turkish regulars and Kurds, amounting now to something like 30,000 -altogether, pushed higher and higher up the heights and surrounded the -main Armenian position at close quarters. Then followed one of those -desperate and heroic struggles for life which have always been the -pride of mountaineers. Men, women and children fought with knives, -scythes, stones, and anything else they could handle. They rolled blocks -of stone down the steep slopes, killing many of the enemy. In a -frightful hand-to-hand combat, women were seen thrusting their knives -into the throats of Turks and thus accounting for many of them. On -August 5, the last day of the fighting, the blood-stained rocks of Antok -were captured by the Turks. The Armenian warriors of Sassoun, except -those who had worked round to the rear of the Turks to attack them on -their flanks, had died in battle" (p. 87). - -"In the first week of July 20,000 soldiers arrived from Constantinople -by way of Harpout with munitions and eleven guns, and laid siege to -Moush" (p. 89). - -"The energetic Armenian committees have taken care of their own people, -and have been unexpectedly generous to the Syrians who are quartered in -their midst" (p. 107). - -"He met an Armenian officer who had escaped from the Turks, who told him -of the deportation and massacre of the Armenians. He said that the -attitude of the Turks towards the Armenians was more or less good at the -beginning of the war, but it was suddenly changed after the Turkish -defeat at Sari-Kamysh, as they laid the blame for this defeat upon the -Armenians, though he could not tell why" (p. 231). - -"The fact cannot be too strongly emphasized that there was no -'rebellion'" (p. 34). - -FOOTNOTE: - -[25] Mr. Vartkes was an Armenian deputy in the Ottoman Parliament, who -was murdered, together with another deputy, Mr. Zohrab, when he was -being escorted by gendarmes from Aleppo to be court-martialled at -Diyarbekir (see Documents 7 and 9).--EDITOR. - - - - -X - - GREAT BRITAIN AND ARMENIA--THE LATE DUKE OF ARGYLL'S VIEWS--AN - APPEAL TO BRITAIN - - -There is no brighter page in the glorious history of the British Empire -than the records of the liberties that conduce to the contentment and -happiness of peoples--freedom of thought and worship, freedom of speech -and association, freedom of movement and habitation, freedom of -language, etc.; as well as measures of self-government varying in -accordance with local needs and circumstances--granted unstintingly to -the great family of nations and races constituting that marvellous -commonwealth. This policy of broad, liberal justice has proved, under -the stern test of this great war, the highest statesmanship and the -strongest bond of empire. Freedom, justice, humanity have proved an -infinitely stronger impetus to loyalty than "frightfulness," a stronger -cement, a superior and better "paying" stock-in-trade of empire by far -than the jack-boot and the _yatagan_. The conclusive and practical -demonstration of this great fact by the British Empire will probably -exercise a far-reaching influence for good on the future policies of -empires and the liberties of mankind. The British Flag has not only -carried security, order and justice wherever it has gone, it has -scrupulously respected religious and national sentiment everywhere. It -has not denied to the peoples under its sway, or attempted to suppress, -the sentiments and allegiances which it has itself held sacred. It has -maintained the freedom of the seas as I believe no international device -could have achieved it. I do not say this to please British readers. I -have lived and travelled among small peoples and subject peoples large -and small, and that is the impression I have gathered. Thus the Union -Jack has become a symbol of freedom and fairplay the world over, and -persecuted peoples have long had the conviction, deep down in their -hearts, that British influence is continually at work towards their -ultimate liberation. If we were to reverse Mr. Gladstone's famous -challenge concerning Austria, and ask, _mutatis mutandis_: "Can any one -put his finger on the map of the world and say, 'Here the British Empire -has wrought evil'?" it may be that Count Reventlow himself and the -author of the "Hymn of Hate" might find themselves baffled. However -opinions may differ as to the justice of some of her wars, the just and -liberal treatment of the peoples that have come under British dominion -is an indisputable historical fact to which the masses of mankind owe at -least as much gratitude as they do to the French Revolution. Ireland may -be singled out, and not without reason, if I may say so, as the one -shaded spot on this bright page of the story of the spread of British -liberty. To the neutral observer it certainly seems strange that -Ireland, so near the home of liberty and the stronghold of democratic -institutions, should be so long denied the full and free enjoyment of -those blessings liberally bestowed upon the more distant parts of the -empire. Possibly neutral observers do not and cannot understand the -difficulties and obstacles that have hitherto proved insuperable. It is -outside the scope of my subject and beyond my competence to enter into a -discussion of the Irish question here, but this much I may say, that -Ireland should convince rulers in all countries that material prosperity -alone "is no remedy." Security, order, prosperity, an efficient and -equitable administration may palliate but can never heal a political -injustice. They can never satisfy the legitimate aspirations for -self-rule of a high-spirited and cultured people conscious of a strong, -indestructible will as well as the undoubted capacity to govern itself. -On the other hand, to compare the wrongs and sufferings of Ireland (and -Poland) with the agony of Armenia, as is sometimes done, is to compare a -headache, an acute headache if you will, with the Black Death. - -It is in keeping with the ill-fortune that has dogged the footsteps of -the Armenian people for five centuries that Armenia should have been the -one exception to the rule; the one country which has been denied the -blessings and benefits that have accrued to every small people which has -come within the sphere of, or whose fortunes have been directly or -indirectly affected by, the policy or interests of the British Empire. - -One of the most striking features of what has been said and written in -this country on the treatment meted out by the Turks to their Armenian -subjects during the war has been the paucity of reference to the effect, -incidental and indirect no doubt, but the real and disastrous effect, -nevertheless, of British policy in Turkey since the Crimean War upon the -fate of the Armenian subjects of the Turk. This is in contrast with what -was said and written during previous massacres, and is no doubt -attributable to the fact of the country being at war. I am not touching -this aspect of the question in the way of a grievance. I well know, and -most gratefully recognize what the British Government and people have -done and are still doing for us during the long and ghastly nightmare -through which we are passing. The noble and unremitting efforts of Lord -and Lady Bryce, Lady Frederick Cavendish, Mr. Aneurin Williams, Mr. T. -P. O'Connor, Miss Robinson, Mrs. and Miss Hickson, Mrs. Cole, Mr. Noel -Buxton and his brother the Rev. Harold Buxton, Mr. Arthur G. Symonds, -Mr. Llew Williams, the Rev. Greenland, Mr. Arnold J. Toynbee, and so -many other friends of Armenia in this country, have placed us under a -lasting debt of gratitude to them and to Britain. Lord Bryce's name will -live in Armenian history as long as Armenia lasts. - -But I do think it is fair, in justice to the people of this great and -righteous empire, to one-half of the Armenian nation who have fallen as -heroes and heroines both in war and martyrdom, and to "the little blood" -that is left to the Armenian people, that the facts in this connection -should be placed frankly and fully before the British public at this -juncture, so that it may be able to form an equitable estimate of the -reparation due to the Armenians, not only for the crimes and ravages -committed by the enemy during the war, but also in the light of the -obligations and responsibilities incurred by Europe in general and -Great Britain in particular for the Armenian subjects of the Ottoman -Empire by Art. 61 of the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention. - -I have said "Great Britain," but it would be more accurate to say "the -British Government of the day," for I firmly believe--in fact, who will -doubt?--that if the British people had had the slightest suspicion that -the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention had in them the germs of -the disaster that has since overtaken the Christian subjects of the -Porte, they would never have ratified those treaties. Nor do I suggest, -I need hardly say, that the statesmen who are responsible for these -diplomatic instruments consciously and deliberately jeopardized the -existence of an ancient Christian people. Lord Salisbury's sympathetic -utterances in 1895-96 show unmistakably how deeply distressed he was at -the grievous turn events had taken, and still more at the powerlessness -of the Concert of Europe to save the Armenians from the position of -extreme peril in which the Concert had placed them in 1878. - -Successive British Governments have made frequent attempts to improve -the lot of the Armenians; but the more they tried the more the Turks -massacred. There is no fairer-minded public than the British, whose -hospitality and the blessings of whose rule I have gratefully enjoyed -for many years, as have some thousands of my compatriots in almost every -part of the empire. There is also no one more ready and anxious to pay -his debt than the Briton when he knows what he owes. I have therefore no -fear whatever of arousing any resentment by calling the attention of the -British public to the existence of this old liability. On the contrary, -I am convinced that the fact will be taken note of in good part, and by -most even thankfully. I read a Press article not long ago--it was, if I -remember rightly, a review of Mr. Llew Williams's book, _Armenia Past -and Present_ in _The Court Journal_--which ended with the following -question: "If these terrible things are true and we have any -responsibility, why are we not told so?" - -As regards the nature of the responsibilities and obligations, I refer -my readers to the Appendix, where will be found the texts of Art. 61 of -the Treaty of Berlin, Art. 18 of the Treaty of San Stefano--which was -torn up and superseded by the Treaty of Berlin--the full text of the -Cyprus Convention, and Lord Salisbury's Dispatch to Sir Henry Layard -containing instructions for the negotiation of that Convention. - -I may here point out that though at first sight there appears to be -little difference between the wording of Art. 16 of the Treaty of San -Stefano and Art. 61 of the Treaty of Berlin, there is this fundamental -difference between the application of the two clauses that, while the -former left the Russian Army in occupation of the Armenian provinces -until the reforms should be an accomplished fact, the latter was a mere -Turkish promise to be performed after their evacuation by the Russian -forces. How the Turk performed his promise is well enough known, and -forms the darkest page of modern history--probably of all history. - -Those who have the interest and the time for fuller information on the -subject I recommend to refer to Mr. Gladstone's famous speeches on the -Eastern Question and the Treaty of Berlin, the debates in both Houses of -Parliament on the massacres of 1895-96, Canon Maccoll's "The Sultan and -the Powers," Mr. W. Llew Williams's "Armenia Past and Present," and last -but not least, "Our Responsibilities for Turkey," by the late Duke of -Argyll. This frank and admirable commentary on the bearing of British -policy upon the Armenian question is now unfortunately out of print. I -therefore quote, with apologies, the following lengthy extract for the -convenience of those who may have difficulty in procuring a copy. It is -an authority that will command general and respectful attention.[26] -(The italics are mine.) - -"Nothing can be more childish than to suppose that the significance and -effect of such a change as this[27] can be measured or appreciated by -looking at the mere grammatical meaning of the words. The words seemed -harmless enough. They may even seem to be most benevolent and most wise -in the interests of the Christian subjects of the Porte in Armenia. But -when we look at the facts which lay behind the words, and at the motives -which were at work among the contracting parties, we must see that -nothing could have been devised more fatal to their interests. The -change which the new words affected in the Treaty of San Stefano wounded -the pride and the most justifiable ambition of Russia to be the -protector of her co-religionists in provinces with which no other -Christian Power had any natural connection. On the other hand, it -delighted the low cunning of the Turk, in constituting another 'rift -within the lute' which by and by would be quite sure to make the 'music -mute' of any effective concert between the Powers of Europe. The Turk -could see at a glance that, whilst it relieved him of the dangerous -pressure of Russia, it substituted no other pressure which his own -infinite dexterity in delays could not easily make abortive. _As for the -unfortunate Armenians, the change was simply one which must tend to -expose them to the increased enmity of their tyrants, whilst it damaged -and discouraged the only protection which was possible under the -inexorable conditions of the physical geography of the country._[28] - -"But this is not the whole of the responsibility which falls on us out -of the international transactions connected with the Treaty of Berlin. -After that treaty had been concluded, we entered by ourselves into a -separate, and for a while a secret, convention with Turkey, by which we -undertook to defend her Asiatic provinces by force of arms from any -further conquests on the part of Russia, and in return we asked for -nothing more than a lease of Cyprus, and a new crop of Turkish promises -that she would introduce reforms in her administration of Armenia. No -security whatever was asked or offered for the execution of those -promises. We simply repeated the old mistake of 1856, of trusting -entirely to the good faith of Turkey, or to her gratitude. But this time -the mistake was repeated after twenty-two years' continued experience of -the futility of such a trust. As to gratitude, it must have been quite -clear to the Turks that we were acting in our own supposed interests in -resisting the advance of Russia at any cost. - -"No doubt we had occasion to remember, with some natural bitterness, the -sacrifice to Russia of all that the gallant General Williams had done -for Turkey in his splendid defence of Kars. But we ought to have -remembered, also, how dreadful had been the account given by that able -and gallant man of the detestable Government which he was defending. We -ought to have remembered how easy were the reforms which he had -recommended, if the Turkish Government had been honest; and how they had -all been systematically evaded. We ought, above all, to have considered -the inevitable effect of this new treaty of guarantee upon the sharp -cunning of the Turks. They saw how eagerly it was sought by us, and they -must have concluded that, whilst we were clearly not only earnest, but -excited, in our opposition to Russia, we were comparatively careless and -lukewarm about any changes in their own system of government. _They must -have seen that the new convention_[29] _practically superseded even the -slightest restraints put upon them by the Treaty of Berlin, and that the -Christian population of Armenia were practically left entirely at their -mercy._ - -"Let us look back upon all these transactions as a whole, and try to -form some estimate of the position of responsibility in which they have -placed us towards the Christian populations subject to the Ottoman -dominion. In 1854-56 we had saved that dominion from destruction by -defeating, and locally disarming, its great natural enemy. We had set -up that dominion with new immunities from attack, and we had choked off -from any protectorate over the Christians the only Power which would or -could exert any such influence with effect. We had done this without -providing any substitute of our own, except a recorded promise from the -Turks. We had provided no machinery whereby bad faith on the part of -Turkey could be proved and punished. Then, twenty years later, in 1876, -we had obstinately refused to join the other Powers of Europe in -remedying this great defect, by putting a combined pressure on Turkey to -compel her to establish effective guarantee for the future. In 1878 we -had denounced the treaty in which Russia, by her own expenditure of -blood and treasure, had imposed on Turkey the obligations which we had -admitted to be needful, but which we had ourselves declined to do -anything to enforce. Then, in the same year, at Berlin, we had again -done all we could to choke off the only Power which had the means and -the disposition to secure the fulfilment of any promises at all. -_Particularly in Armenia we had substituted for a promise to Russia -which her power, her geographical position, and her pride might have -really led her to enforce, another promise to all the Powers which, on -the face of it, was absurd--namely, a promise to let all the Powers -'superintend the execution' of domestic reforms in a remote and very -inaccessible country._ Lastly, in the same year, as we had already -choked off Russia, we now proceeded by a separate Convention to choke -off also all the other Powers collectively, by inducing Turkey to give a -special promise to ourselves, apart from them altogether. For the -performance of this special promise we provided no security whatever, -but trusted entirely, as we had done in 1856, to the good faith of a -Power which we knew had none. _With Russia deeply offended and -estranged, and the rest of Europe set aside or superseded--such were the -conditions under which we abandoned the Christian subjects of the Porte -in Asia to a Government incurably barbarous and corrupt._ - -"And now, we are astonished and disgusted by finding that the terrible -consequences of all this selfish folly have fallen on those whom we had -professed, and whom we were bound by every consideration of honour, to -protect. Surely these years might have brought us a reconsideration of -our position. The fever of our popular Russophobia had sensibly abated. -We had secured our "scientific frontier" in India, and Russian expansion -had taken a new direction in the Far East. New combinations--and some -new disseverments--had taken place in Europe. The whole position of -affairs was favourable to a policy of escape from bad traditions--from -obsolete doctrines--and from duties which it was impossible we could -discharge. Surely we might have asked ourselves, What had we been doing -all these years to fulfil those duties? Nothing. And yet all along we -were not ignorant that the vicious Government which we had so long -helped to sustain against all the natural agencies that would have -brought it to an end long ago was getting no better, but rather worse. -We knew this perfectly well, and we have recorded our knowledge of it in -a document of unimpeachable authority. In the second year after the -Treaty of Berlin, when the obligations we had undertaken under it were -still fresh in our recollection, we had made one more endeavour to -recall the Ottoman Power to some sense of shame, if not to some sense of -duty. In 1880 we had a special Envoy at the Porte, one of our most -distinguished public men--Mr. Goschen; and we had called together at -Constantinople a meeting of all the Ambassadors of the six Powers of -Europe who were signatories of the Treaty of Berlin. They drew up an -Identic Note, which they all signed and presented to the Porte. In that -Note they declared that no reforms had been, or were even on the way to -being, adopted, and that so desperate was the misgovernment of the -country, that 'it would lead in all probability to the destruction of -the Christian population of vast districts.' Could a more dreadful -confession have been made in respect to the conduct and policy of any -Christian Government? - -"This Identic Note commented severely on the calculated falsehoods of -all kinds, and on the cunning procrastinations, which characterized the -conduct and language of the Porte. It concluded by reminding that -Government, as an essential fact, 'that by treaty engagements Turkey was -bound to introduce the reforms which had been often indicated,' and that -these reforms were to be 'carried out under the supervision of the -Powers.' - -"We might as well have addressed our representations to a convict just -released from a long sentence, and determined at once to renew his -career of crime. And so we had gone on for fifteen more years since -1880, failing to take, or even attempt taking, any effectual measures to -protect the helpless populations subject to a Government which we knew -to be so cruel and oppressive--_populations towards whom we lay under so -many responsibilities, from our persistent protection of their -oppressors_. At last comes, in 1894, one of those appalling outbreaks of -brutality on the part of the Turks which always horrify, but need never -astonish, the world. They are all according to what Bishop Butler would -have called the 'natural constitution and course of things,' that is to -say, they are the natural results of the nature and government of the -Ottoman Turks." - - -Such is the nature of Great Britain's debt to us. It was rashly incurred -by her statesmen. Successive British Governments have made strenuous -efforts and run great risks to discharge it. But it has proved -undischargeable for forty years, with consequences to us which are well -known. This terrible war and the ensuing peace will give Great Britain -both the power and the opportunity to discharge that obligation, and our -weapons for enforcing our claim are the honour, the conscience and the -never-failing sense of justice of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and -the British Empire. I appeal to these in the name of my sorely-stricken -nation, pale, prostrate and bleeding almost to death, to stand by us and -fight our battle at the Peace Conference. And if my appeal reaches a -wide enough circle of British and Irish men and women, I am confident -that my nation will not die, but will live and prosper, and carve out a -future that will amply compensate her for the past. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[26] _Our Responsibilities for Turkey_, by the Duke of Argyll, K.G., -K.T., John Murray, 1896, p. 72. - -[27] The supersession of Article 16 of the Treaty of San Stefano by -Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin. - -[28] _Town Topics_ of February 10, 1917, had the following: "The idiotic -and ignorant criticism of the Navy one hears occasionally, recalls an -immortal answer by a harassed First Lord, during an earlier Armenian -atrocity (1895-96)-- - -"'Will the right honourable gentleman tell the House definitely whether -it is proposed to send a British battleship to Armenia?' asked the bore -who worried about every country but his own. - -"'It is not proposed to send any ships there,' replied the Minister -gravely. 'Navigation, I am informed by expert advisers at the Admiralty, -has not been good in the vicinity of Ararat since the cruise of the -Ark.'" - -Would to God that this intelligence had reached the Foreign Offices of -Europe twenty years earlier, before the signing of the Treaty of Berlin. - -[29] The Cyprus Convention. - - - - -XI - - AN APPEAL TO THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE - - -Gentlemen, this historic conference has come together to draw up a map -of a new Europe and a new Near East which will in no part violate the -principle of nationality--the great weakness and inherent injustice of -former treaties, which has been largely responsible for the disastrous -war now happily come to an end. - -You have also assembled as a great international tribunal to uphold the -sanctity of law and humanity, and to give judgment as to the just -reparation that must be made, and as to the penalties to be exacted for -all outrages committed during the war against humanity and the laws and -usages of civilized warfare. - -Among the multitude of problems, great and small, that await a just and -wise settlement at your hands, there is also the Armenian question. - -This question may appear, to some of you at least, a small and -insignificant one in the presence of the great and weighty questions of -world-wide importance that await settlement. I claim for it without any -fear of contradiction that in point of outraged humanity and -civilization, measured by the sacrifice of innocence, the magnitude and -unspeakable horrors of the martyrdom, destruction and ruin that has been -brought upon this people with a calculated, deliberate object, and -without the slightest provocation; I maintain that, on these -incontestable grounds, this is the greatest Wrong that ever demanded -justice and reparation at the bar of a great International Tribunal. - -And it is not Turkey and Germany alone who owe us reparation, although -upon their shoulders lies the guilt for the innocent blood that has been -ruthlessly shed, the wanton destruction that has been wrought and the -untold suffering and sorrow brought upon this people during the war. All -the Great Powers of Europe have their share of responsibility for -leaving them at the mercy of the Turk to be murdered, burned, outraged, -enslaved, to provide this or that European Statesman the satisfaction of -having scored a point against his opponent in the sordid jealousies and -rivalries of conflicting interests. - -In 1877 Russian armies, partly under Armenian generals, occupied our -country, and we hoped and believed that the hour of our liberation from -the hideous nightmare of Turkish domination had struck. - -It was a short-lived joy. The Congress of Berlin assembled soon after, -tore up the Treaty of San Stefano which had given us the blessing of -effective Russian protection, compelled the liberating Russian armies to -evacuate our country, and left us once again the sport and prey of our -Turkish and Kurdish tormentors. - -After the butcheries of 1895-96 Great Britain was prepared to exact -effective guarantees from the Sultan Abdul Hamid, if necessary by force -of arms, against a repetition of these unspeakable barbarities; but the -Russian Government of the day, sore at the rebuff administered to it by -the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention, opposed Great Britain's -proposal of taking coercive measures to stay the hand of the Great -Assassin. - -In 1913 a Scheme of Reforms proposed by Russia formed the subject of -discussion by the Powers, and was finally agreed to by Turkey after it -had undergone such modifications and revisions at the instance of the -Turks, backed by Germany, as to render it of little practical value. The -war intervened before the scheme could be put into operation, and it -remained a dead letter, as had all its predecessors. Meanwhile massacre, -outrage, rapine, plunder, and all conceivable forms of oppression and -persecution went on without respite, though in varying degrees of -intensity, culminating in the frightful hecatombs of the last two years. - -Although, of course, such was not their object and intention, the net -result of these transactions was to give the Turk the opportunity, as -events have unfortunately proved, of murdering, burning, drowning, -torturing, violating, enslaving and forcibly converting to Islam at -least 2,000,000 unoffending and defenceless Christians within the -comparatively short space of forty years. I do not for a moment suggest -that the authors of these Treaties themselves foresaw such a result of -their efforts. But that makes no difference to the result. Europe backed -"the wrong horse," as Lord Salisbury had the courage to say, and the -stakes were the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent -Christians--men, women and children--and a sum of human suffering and -misery such as the world has probably never seen before. - -I gratefully acknowledge the efforts made by the successive British, -French, Russian and Italian Governments, from time to time, to bring -moral or diplomatic pressure upon the Turks to treat us with less -harshness and inhumanity. But the Turk, Young and Old, knew that -coercion would never be used against him. He treated all European -representations with amusement and contempt and went his way -relentlessly, intent upon wiping out the whole race. He felt more secure -from the danger of coercion after the Christian Emperor William II, on -his return from his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, paid a visit to and -fraternized with the Sultan Abdul Hamid while his hands were still red -with the blood of the fearful massacres of 1895-96. - -That, gentlemen, has been the net result of the solemn promises given by -the Turks in the Treaty of Berlin, for which every Signatory Power has -its share of responsibility. Since that Treaty became the law of Europe -we have made numerous appeals and representations for the application of -Art. 61. The reply we received from the Ministers of the Signatory -Powers was almost the same every time and everywhere. "Insistence on the -application of Art. 61 will lead to complications; you must wait for a -favourable opportunity." - -Gentlemen, that long-looked-for opportunity has at last come. -Armenia--"the little blood that is left to her"--stands at the bar of -this Conference, full of hope and expectation that the Entente Powers -will compel Turkey in the first place to make full reparation for the -untold horrors, outrages and injustices that she has inflicted upon her; -that they will compel Germany to compensate her for her acquiescence in -the atrocities committed by the Turks while Turkey was under her -influence and control; and that they will add their own quota as a debt -of honour and conscience in return for a part at least of what she has -had to endure as a result of the diplomatic transactions cited above, -for which they have their share of responsibility. You cannot give us -back our dead, but this Conference gives you the opportunity of exacting -and making a reparation as generous as our trials and sacrifices have -been heavy. - -"What do you expect this Conference to give the Armenian people as their -adequate reparation and just rights?" I would probably be asked. - -This is what I should expect the Conference to give to my nation, in all -justice and equity: - -The formation of an autonomous Armenia, comprising the vilayets of Van, -Bitlis, Erzeroum, Kharput, Diyarbekir and Eastern Sivas, also Cilicia -with an outlet on the Gulf of Alexandretta, say from the port of -Alexandretta to a few miles south-west of Mersina. - -This State to be an internationally guaranteed neutral State with its -ports and markets open to all nations. It would have an Organic Statute -drawn up for it by the Protecting Powers, England, France, and Russia, -giving equality before the law to all the different elements of the -population with extra-territorial rights and consular courts for -Europeans for a term of years. Russia to act as mandatory of the -Protecting Powers, and during the first few years the executive to -consist of a Governor-General or High Commissioner and a mixed -Legislative Council appointed by the Protecting Powers. A Legislative -Assembly to be called together as soon as the country regains its normal -state. - -The country being at present in a more or less chaotic state, an army of -occupation will be necessary for as many years as will be required to -organize and train an efficient gendarmerie from the local population. -European advisers and heads of departments would be necessary, but there -are large numbers of experienced Armenian administrators, magistrates, -post and telegraph inspectors, engineers, etc., etc., in the Ottoman -Empire as well as in the Caucasus, Egypt and the Balkans, who would -gladly put their services at the disposal of their own country. Some -would probably come from America, India and elsewhere. Adequate -financial compensation by Turkey[30] and Germany would place at the -disposal of the executive ample funds to begin the work of rebuilding -the ruined towns and villages and reconstruction generally, and to carry -on the Government of the country until the first year's harvest is sown -and gathered and revenue begins coming into the Treasury. - -This is the scheme I would propose in broad outline, it being impossible -to go into details here. - -"But there is not a large enough number of Armenians left to form a -State," I may be told, as I have been told so often recently. (I may say -here, in parenthesis, that the Turkish and German delegates cannot -advance this objection, as their Governments have denied the existence -of any massacres.) - -That is an entirely mistaken assumption, created by the frequent but -inaccurate use of the phrase "Armenian extermination." The Turks did -make a final ruthless attempt to exterminate us, and have dealt us a -staggering blow as a race; but, gentlemen, they have not quite succeeded -in their nefarious design, and it would be a sad day, indeed, for -civilization if such a design had succeeded. - -There are to-day 500,000 Turkish Armenians in the parts of vilayets in -occupation of the Russian armies, in the Caucasus and Northern Persia. -Far from their spirits being broken, these people are animated with the -unshakable determination that their beloved country shall rise again -from its ashes and their nation revive and enter upon a new era of -security and free development. Armenians all over the world are animated -with the same spirit and determination. Of the above half-million 50,000 -or 60,000, mostly able-bodied men, are in different parts of the -occupied provinces. There are a little over 250,000 refugees in the -Caucasus and Persia, and some 200,000 emigrants and refugees from -pre-war massacres; most of them are ready to return to their homes, one -potent reason for the readiness of the pre-war emigrants to return -being the growing scarcity and dearness of land in the fertile parts of -the Caucasus. Then there are the hundreds of thousands of Armenians in -concentration camps in Northern Mesopotamia and Syria. How many are -alive to return to their devastated homes, I cannot say. Perhaps the -Turkish delegate will be able to inform the Conference on that point. -Then there are still large numbers of Armenians--though mostly old men, -women and children, so far as our information goes--in Anatolia and -Thrace, and over 200,000 mostly young, intelligent, ambitious men, who -have emigrated since the beginning of Abdul Hamid's reign of terror, to -the United States, Egypt, the Balkans, and different other countries. A -not unimportant number of these will return to their native land ready -to "do their bit" in the--to them--sacred work of its reconstruction and -regeneration with invincible industry. - -This will give us within a very short time an Armenian population of not -much under one million souls in the proposed Autonomous Armenia. It may -not form a majority taken as a whole, but it will form the largest -coherent ethnological element. In many important centres, such as Van, -Alashgerd, etc., where there are almost no Turks left and a much smaller -number of Kurds than there was before the war, it will form an absolute -majority. This is an important fact which the Conference should bear in -mind. Although the Armenian element is sadly reduced in numbers, the -great majority of the Turkish and kindred elements in these occupied -provinces have, as is their wont, followed the retreating Turkish armies -and will probably never return. On the other hand, Armenians have for -some time past and do still percolate through the Turkish lines in -groups of various sizes and gain the Russian lines. This movement of -population will almost certainly continue for some years, tending to -increase the Armenian and reduce the Turkish element in the proposed -Armenian State, if such a State is set up. Similar movements of -populations have always taken place whenever any piece of Turkish -territory has passed under Christian rule. - -I may also remind the Congress that when Greece achieved her -independence, the population of Greece proper did not exceed 400,000. - -Another important point bearing on this question of population is the -fact, to which most students of Near Eastern affairs have borne witness, -that the Armenian race is endowed with extraordinary powers of -recuperation, is almost entirely free from the diseases that impede the -rapid growth of population, and is one of the most prolific races in the -world. Their neighbours, on the evidence of travellers and students, are -less free from disease and, in spite of polygamy, or perhaps partly -because of it, are much less prolific. - -But apart from mere counting of heads, it is, I believe, generally known -and admitted that there is a vast difference between the moral, -intellectual, economic, and industrial value of the Armenian population -as compared with most of its neighbours, the Armenians being markedly -superior in every field of human activity. They have proved this even -under the most trying handicaps, and when they have had a fair field -they have easily proved themselves the equals of Europeans. In fact, -the Armenian mind is much more European than Asiatic.[31] - -Lord Cromer has said that "the Armenians with the Syrians, are the -intellectual cream of Near Eastern peoples." - -But apart from all these practical and certainly essential and vital -considerations there remains, messieurs, the moral argument which, I -feel quite certain, this august Conference, representing the will and -the conscience of Europe, is not minded to ignore. - -After the massacres and deportations of 1915 Talaat Bey is reported to -have said: "I have killed the idea of Armenian autonomy for at least -fifty years." Whether he said it or not, that was clearly the object--to -kill the Armenian question by wiping out the Armenian race, and -incidentally to destroy the roots of Christianity in Asia Minor. - -Is this Conference going to condone and justify the barbarous and -revolting practice, as a State policy, of the deliberate attempt to -murder a whole nation in cold blood, by permitting that infamous policy -to succeed in its object? - -Is it conceivable that this historic Conference can bring itself to -decree that the myriads of our brothers and sisters who have fallen -victims to the super-tyrants' fury, for their religion and their nation, -as well as those who have fallen in the common struggle for Right, have -suffered and died in vain? - -In the name not only of the living, but also of the dead, I appeal to -you; I appeal to the heart and conscience of Europe to desist from -enacting such a flagrant and cruel injustice. - -M. Paul Doumer, late President of the French Senate, declared in Paris -not long ago, with a fine sense of French chivalry and outraged -humanity, that when the question of Armenian population came to be -considered at the end of the war, the dead must be counted with the -living. Who but my martyred nation has the moral right to invoke the -memorable and exalted words of the French officer who, at a moment of -dire straits for men, looked at his fallen heroes around him and -exclaimed "Debout les morts!"? - -I appeal to you, in particular, great and noble-hearted Russia, our -mighty neighbour and protector. Our destiny is indissolubly bound up -with yours. Without the protection of your mighty sword and your most -generous grants to our refugees, the Turk would have succeeded in his -sinister design. We will remain ever grateful to you, and loyal to the -death. We have always proved our unswerving loyalty to you in your hour -of peril. We in our turn have rendered services which have been of value -to you. Your generals gave our men great praise. Your foremost -newspapers hailed our soldiers and volunteers, and with truth, as the -saviours of the Caucasus. Your great Statesmen and Ministers declared in -the Duma that our terrible sufferings were chiefly due to our loyalty to -Russia. Have trust in us. Help us to stand on our feet again and rebuild -our devastated homes. _Leave us freedom to develop and progress -according to our own national genius._ Some of your newspapers are -speaking of a scheme to plant Russian colonies in Armenia, "to create a -dividing zone between the Russian and Turkish Armenians."[32] If this is -true, it is an injustice. I am speaking candidly as a friend of Russia, -and a supporter of my nationality as my birthright. Russians will always -be welcome amongst us. To show our feelings towards you I may mention -the fact that in conversation between themselves Armenians do not speak -of you as "Russians" but as "kéri," which means "uncle." But it is -manifestly unfair to establish colonies and apportion lands before the -repatriation of our numerous refugees, some of whom may be the owners of -the land given away. Besides, what is the object or the necessity of a -"dividing zone" between the Turkish and Russian Armenians? We are all -ready to rally to your support again if the need should arise, as we -have always done in your righteous struggle against barbarism. Such -measures, before the blood of our numerous victims is dry on our land, -grieve and perplex us. I say again, we welcome your protection, but -enable us to say always, as Sir Wilfrid Laurier said of the French -Canadians, "We are loyal because we are free." With such just and -liberal treatment from you, we will not only create in a short time -important markets for your trade down to the shores of the -Mediterranean, but you will have in us a reliable bulwark and -counterpoise, on your southern frontier, against the turbulent elements -who are a standing menace to that frontier. The stronger you help us to -grow, the more secure that frontier of your empire will be. - -To England, France and Italy I appeal jointly with Russia, to prevent -the Congress from finally condemning to death our long-cherished and -legitimate aspirations of national regeneration, for which we have paid -such a fearful price. In particular I appeal to you to give us an outlet -to the sea, not only as an indispensable necessity of our economic life -and development, but also as the avenue of Western Culture which a hard -and cruel fate has so long withheld from us. - -Let the radiant sun of liberty and security shine again on our land of -sorrow and drive away for ever the stifling miasma of the Turkish -blight, and there will spring to life, within a generation, a people -with a passionate craving for the light and progress of the West--a -people morally and mentally equipped and adapted for the assimilation of -the New Dispensation not only for its own benefit, but also for its -dissemination amongst its less advanced neighbours--a well-qualified and -willing instrument and leaven of Christian civilization. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[30] A friend of mine, a Turkish Armenian well acquainted with local -conditions, told me that £50,000,000 would be a conservative estimate of -the material loss of the 1,200,000 massacred, deported, enslaved, but in -all cases despoiled, Armenians. - -[31] M. J. de Morgan says in an article in _La Revue de Paris_ (May 1, -1916): "Les Arméniens sont des Orientaux par leur habitat seulement, -mais des Européens par leurs origins, leur parler, leur religion, leurs -moeurs et leurs aptitudes." - -[32] The _Retch_, the organ of the Constitutional Democrats in Russia, -has published the following in its issue of July 28, 1916 (O.S.)-- - -"The scheme of settling Russian emigrants in the occupied parts of -Turkish Armenia, recently discussed in the Duma, is being energetically -carried out. This matter has been the subject of a lively discussion -between the Emigration and Military authorities. Investigations are in -progress, not only in the districts near the frontier, but also further -afield, the fertile Mush valley being the object of special attention. -Agricultural battalions have been in course of organization since last -autumn and already number 5000 men. More will be found presently. -_Armenians and Georgians are excluded._ The task of these young arms is -to cultivate the fields on which investigations have been carried out, -under the supervision of agricultural experts, in order to facilitate -the provisioning of the army. The question of emigrating the families of -these men is also under consideration. - -"Side by side with this scheme there exists another scheme of settling -Cossacks in Turkish Armenia, on similar lines to what has already been -done in Northern Caucasus with good results. _Those who have conceived -these schemes have in view the creation of a sufficiently broad zone -inhabited by Russians, separating the Russian Armenians from the Turkish -Armenians._ - -"Armenian refugees are gradually returning to their country and resuming -the work of cultivating their lands. They usually settle in the villages -that have suffered least, their own villages having been totally ruined. - -"To avoid confusion, the Grand Duke Nicholas issued a Ukase in March -last, warning these returned refugees to keep themselves in readiness to -vacate these districts on the establishment of Russian Civil -Administration. In the same Ukase the Commander-in-Chief of the -Caucasian Army has decreed that the vacant lands in the plains of -Alashkert, Diadin and Bayazid may be given in hire up to the time of the -return of their rightful owners. _General Yudenitch has issued orders, -however, prohibiting the settlement in these places of any other -immigrants except Russians and Cossacks._ Only those natives are -permitted to return who are able to prove ownership of land or property -by legal documents. This arrangement makes it impossible for the natives -(Armenians) to return to their homes because it is ridiculous to speak -of title-deeds, when dealing with land in Turkey; and as for other -documents which prove ownership, these always get lost during flight. - -"In the above three plains, also in parts of the plain of Bassain, the -surviving native inhabitants are debarred from returning to their homes -and resuming their peaceful occupations." - - - - -POSTSCRIPT - - -Since the foregoing pages were written and before they had left the -printer's hands, two momentous events have occurred which must -profoundly influence not only the remaining course of the war, but also, -and more especially, the settlement of the peace on its termination: two -events that together mark the greatest triumph of democracy and -civilization the world has seen. The Russian revolution and the entry of -the great American Republic into the ranks of the champions of Right and -Humanity have not only brought peace nearer, they have banished any -doubt that may have existed in the minds of sceptics both in belligerent -and neutral countries that this war of wars is a struggle between the -forces of Light and Liberty and the powers of Darkness and Reaction. - -After watching the course of the struggle for more than thirty months, -taking note of the difference between the methods of warfare employed by -the opposing groups of belligerents; after ascertaining their respective -aims; after long, patient and careful deliberation, the greatest of all -the neutral judges came to the conclusion that "civilization itself -seems to be in the balance." (It will not be forgotten in the Entente -countries, I feel sure, that though unlimited submarine "frightfulness" -was the immediate _casus belli_, the martyrdom of Armenia played an -important part in leading President Wilson and the people of the United -States to that conclusion.) The world's greatest Democracy, imbued with -a deep-rooted love of peace and abhorrence of war as to which no doubt -or suspicion anywhere exists, has broken away from a century-old -tradition, which was the very foundation of its external policy, and -drawn the sword impelled not by ambition or the furtherance of material -interests of any kind, but by honour and the instinctive call of true -chivalry to stand by those who have carried on a long and fierce -struggle to save the "desperately assaulted" free institutions, -principles and ideals which are its own and humanity's most precious and -sacred possessions. For the first time in history--I think one can -safely say that--a great nation, led by a great and sagacious leader, -has gone to war prompted almost entirely with the disinterested motive -of upholding its own ideals and the ideals and rights of humanity--truly -an event of which the best elements of the human race will always be -proud; which will ever stand out as a bright and noble landmark in the -history of the world. - -While these epoch-making events have stamped the cause of the Allies -with the seal of supreme moral sanction, they have also made assurance -doubly sure that the end of the war will confer upon the world a lasting -peace based upon _real_ justice and equity. The presence of the -delegates of the United States at the Peace Conference side by side with -the representatives of the British Empire, France, Italy, and free -Russia will constitute a sure and sterling guarantee to the world that -the determining factors in the moulding of its destinies will not be -the selfish interests, avowed or veiled, of this or that empire, not the -whims and ambitions of despots and ruling castes or the greed of -cosmopolitan financiers, but "the pure milk," of the broad interests of -justice and peace, the rights of nations great and small and the freedom -and welfare of mankind itself. - -To the Armenian people it is a final pledge that the reparation to be -demanded and obtained for them, in the terms of peace will be -commensurate, in full measure, with the magnitude of the wrongs and -sufferings inflicted upon them because, in a vast waste of ancient -barbarism and fraud, they formed an oasis embodying the ideals and -principles which the democracies of Europe and America are struggling to -vindicate. - -If the great and free nations of Europe have greeted these auspicious -events with the satisfaction and enthusiasm we have witnessed in these -last days, it can be readily imagined how intense is the rejoicing they -have evoked in the hearts of the most ruthlessly oppressed of all -peoples, so long denied the blessings whose advent has been placed -beyond all doubt by President Wilson's clarion call to Democracy and by -the declarations of the Provisional Government of free Russia. - -That the declarations of the Provisional Government of free and -regenerated Russia have been received with profound satisfaction by -Armenians, goes without saying. These declarations added to those -already made by the Allied Governments in regard to their war-aims, and -President Wilson's "Declaration of Liberty"--as his inspiring and -memorable address to Congress has been rightly called--finally ensure -the realization of Armenia's legitimate aspiration to freedom and -self-government. And if the Russian people should decide that the new -Russia shall be a Republic, that would open out the vista of a -thoroughly democratic, integral and united Armenian State free to work -out her regeneration according to her own national genius, under the -guidance of the Protecting Powers and with their and America's generous -moral and material support. - -America's interest in Armenia and the excellent work of her Missions in -numerous Armenian centres both in Armenia itself and throughout Asia -Minor leave no doubt that when the time for reconstruction comes, -American aid--moral, material and cultural--will be forthcoming on a -scale and in a manner worthy of that great country and the lofty aims -for which she entered the war. For, what part of the vast war-stricken -area in Europe and the Near East more acutely and tragically exemplifies -the evils which the Allies and the United States are determined to put -an end to once and for all, and what nobler and more fitting culmination -to their gigantic efforts and sacrifices for humanity, than the -redemption and re-birth of this thrice-martyred ancient Christian -people? - -Before concluding, I take this opportunity to call attention to a -passage in Mr. Asquith's speech in the House of Commons on the entry of -the United States into the war, which brings into strong relief the -guilt of the Governments of the Central Powers in the stupendous crime -of attempting the murder of a nation, although the occasion of the -speech was of course the very antithesis of the attitude of the Central -Powers towards the Armenian atrocities. - -"In such a situation," said Mr. Asquith, "aloofness is seen to be not -only a blunder but a crime. To stand aside with stopped ears, with -folded arms, with an averted gaze, when you have the power to intervene -is to become not a mere spectator, but an accomplice."[33] - -I am quoting this striking utterance by one of England's greatest living -statesmen also in the hope that it may furnish food for reflection to -those pro-Turks who have maintained during pre-war massacres, and still -maintain, with Count Reventlow and his followers, that the massacre of -his Christian subjects by the Turk is his own concern, and that nobody -has the right or the obligation to intervene and create new conditions -that will eliminate the possibility of its recurrence. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[33] _The Times_, April 19, 1917. - - - - -APPENDIX - - -ARTICLE XVI OF THE TREATY OF SAN STEFANO - -As the evacuation by the Russian troops of the territory which they -occupy in Armenia, and which is to be restored to Turkey, might give -rise to conflicts and complications detrimental to the maintenance of -good relations between the two countries, the Sublime Porte engages to -carry into effect, without further delay, the improvements and reforms -demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by Armenians, -and to guarantee their security from Kurds and Circassians. - - -ARTICLE LXI OF THE TREATY OF BERLIN - -The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out, without further delay, the -improvements and reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces -inhabited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the -Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the steps taken -to this effect to the Powers, who will superintend their application. - - -THE CYPRUS CONVENTION - -TURKEY NO. 36 (1878) - -Correspondence respecting the Convention between Great Britain and -Turkey, of June 4, 1878. - -Presented to the Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty 1878. - -LIST OF PAPERS - - - No. 1. The Marquis of Salisbury to Mr. Layard, May 30, 1878. - - No. 2. Sir A. H. Layard to the Marquis of Salisbury, one Inclosure - June 5, 1878. - - No. 3. Sir A. H. Layard to the Marquis of Salisbury, one Inclosure - July 1, 1878. - - -No. 1 is the letter which conveys to Mr. Layard Lord Salisbury's -instructions for entering into the Convention (as follows)-- - -THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY TO MR. LAYARD. - - - Foreign Office, May 30, 1878. - - SIR, - - The progress of the confidential negotiations which have for some - time past been in progress between Her Majesty's Government and the - Government of Russia make it probable that those Articles of the - Treaty of San Stefano which concern European Turkey will be - sufficiently modified to bring them into harmony with the interests - of the other European Powers, and of England in particular. - - There is, however, no such prospect with respect to that portion of - the Treaty which concerns Turkey in Asia. It is sufficiently - manifest that, in respect to Batoum and the fortresses north of the - Araxes, the Government of Russia is not prepared to recede from the - stipulations to which the Porte has been led by the events of the - war to consent. Her Majesty's Government have consequently been - forced to consider the effect which these agreements, if they are - neither annulled nor counteracted, will have upon the future of the - Asiatic provinces of the Ottoman Empire and upon the interests of - England, which are closely affected by the condition of those - provinces. - - It is impossible that Her Majesty's Government can look upon these - changes with indifference. Asiatic Turkey contains populations of - many different races and creeds, possessing no capacity for - self-government[34] and no aspirations for independence, but owing - their tranquillity and whatever prospect of political well-being - they possess entirely to the rule of the Sultan. But the Government - of the Ottoman Dynasty is that of an ancient but still alien - conqueror, resting more upon actual power than upon the sympathies - of common nationality. The defeat which the Turkish arms have - sustained and the known embarrassments of the Government will - produce a general belief in its decadence and an expectation of - speedy political change, which in the East are more dangerous than - actual discontent to the stability of a Government. If the - population of Syria, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia see that the Porte - has no guarantee for its continued existence but its own strength, - they will, after the evidence which recent events have furnished of - the frailty of that reliance, begin to calculate upon the speedy - fall of the Ottoman domination, and to turn their eyes towards its - successor. - - Even if it be certain that Batoum and Ardahan and Kars will not - become the base from which emissaries of intrigue will issue forth, - to be in due time followed by invading armies, the mere retention - of them by Russia will exercise a powerful influence in - disintegrating the Asiatic dominion of the Porte. As a monument of - feeble defence on the one side, and successful aggression on the - other, they will be regarded by the Asiatic population as - foreboding the course of political history in the immediate future, - and will stimulate, by the combined action of hope and fear, - devotion to the Power which is in the ascendant, and desertion of - the Power which is thought to be falling into decay. - - It is impossible for Her Majesty's Government to accept, without - making an effort to avert it, the effect which such a state of - feeling would produce upon regions whose political condition deeply - concerns the Oriental interests of Great Britain. They do not - propose to attempt the accomplishment of this object by taking - military measures for the purpose of replacing the conquered - districts in the possession of the Porte. Such an undertaking would - be arduous and costly, and would involve great calamities, and it - would not be effective for the object which Her Majesty's - Government have in view, unless subsequently strengthened by - precautions which can be taken almost as effectually without - incurring the miseries of a preliminary war. The only provision - which can furnish a substantial security for the stability of - Ottoman rule in Asiatic Turkey, and which would be as essential - after the re-conquest of the Russian annexations as it is now, is - an engagement on the part of a Power strong enough to fulfil it, - that any further encroachments by Russia upon Turkish territory in - Asia will be prevented by force of arms. Such an undertaking, if - given fully and unreservedly, will prevent the occurrence of the - contingency which would bring it into operation, and will, at the - same time, give to the populations of the Asiatic provinces the - requisite confidence that Turkish rule in Asia is not destined to a - speedy fall. - - There are, however, two conditions which it would be necessary for - the Porte to subscribe before England could give such assurance. - - Her Majesty's Government intimated to the Porte, on the occasion of - the Conference at Constantinople, that they were not prepared to - sanction misgovernment and oppression, and it will be requisite, - before they can enter into any agreement for the defence of the - Asiatic territories of the Porte in certain eventualities, that - they should be formally assured of the intention of the Porte to - introduce the necessary reforms into the government of the - Christian and other subjects of the Porte in these regions. It is - not desirable to require more than an engagement in general terms; - for the specific measures to be taken could only be defined after a - more careful inquiry and deliberation than could be secured at the - present juncture. - - It is not impossible that a careful selection and a faithful - support of the individual officers to whom power is to be entrusted - in those countries would be a more important element in the - improvement of the condition of the people than even legislative - changes; but the assurances required to give England a right to - insist on satisfactory arrangements for these purposes will be an - indispensable part of any agreement to which Her Majesty's - Government could consent. It will further be necessary, in order to - enable Her Majesty's Government efficiently to execute the - engagements now proposed, that they should occupy a position near - the coast of Asia Minor and Syria. The proximity of British - officers, and, if necessary, British troops, will be the best - security that all the objects of this agreement shall be attained. - The Island of Cyprus appears to them to be in all respects the most - available for this object. Her Majesty's Government do not wish to - ask the Sultan to alienate territory from his sovereignty or to - diminish the receipts which now pass into his Treasury. They will, - therefore, propose that, while the administration and occupation of - the island shall be assigned to Her Majesty, the territory shall - still continue to be part of the Ottoman Empire, and that the - excess of the revenue over the expenditure, whatever it at present - may be, shall be paid over annually by the British Government to - the Treasury of the Sultan. - - Inasmuch as the whole of this proposal is due to the annexations - which Russia has made in Asiatic Turkey, and the consequences which - it is apprehended will flow therefrom, it must be fully understood - that, if the cause of the danger should cease, the precautionary - agreement will cease at the same time. If the Government of Russia - should at any time surrender to the Porte the territory it has - acquired in Asia by the recent war, the stipulations in the - proposed agreements will cease to operate, and the island will be - immediately evacuated. - - I request, therefore, your Excellency to propose to the Porte to - agree to a Convention to the following effect, and I have to convey - to you full authority to conclude the same on behalf of the Queen - and of Her Majesty's Government-- - - - "If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be retained by - Russia, and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by - Russia to take possession of any further portion of the Asiatic - territories of the Sultan, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of - Peace, England engages to join the Sultan in defending them by - force of arms. In return, the Sultan promises to England to - introduce necessary reforms (to be agreed upon later between the - two Powers) into the government of the Christian and other subjects - of the Porte in these territories; and, in order to enable England - to make necessary provision for executing her engagement the Sultan - further consents to assign the Island of Cyprus to be occupied and - administered by England." - - I am, etc., - (Signed) SALISBURY. - - -No. 2 is the Convention itself, as follows-- - -ARTICLE I - -If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be retained by Russia, -and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by Russia to take -possession of any further territories of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan -in Asia, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of Peace, England engages to -join His Imperial Majesty the Sultan in defending them by force of arms. - -In return, His Imperial Majesty the Sultan promises to England to -introduce necessary reforms, to be agreed upon later by the two Powers, -into the government and for the protection of the Christian and other -subjects of the Porte in these territories; and in order to enable -England to make necessary provision for executing her engagement His -Imperial Majesty the Sultan further consents to assign the Island of -Cyprus to be occupied and administered by England. - -ARTICLE II - -The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications thereof -shall be exchanged, within the space of one month, or sooner if -possible. - -In Witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the -same, and have affixed thereto the seal of their arms. - -Done at Constantinople, the fourth day of June, in the year One thousand -eight hundred and seventy-eight. - -(L.S.) A. H. LAYARD. -(L.S.) SAFVET. - -No. 3 is the Annex to the above Convention, consisting of Six Articles, -signed at Constantinople on July 1, 1878, by A. H. Layard and Safvet -respectively. The first five Articles deal with the manner in which the -Island of Cyprus would be governed, whilst under British occupation. The -final Article, viz. Article VI, is as follows-- - - - "That if Russia restores to Turkey Kars and the other Conquests - made by her in Armenia during the last war, the Island of Cyprus - will be evacuated by England; and the Convention of June 4, 1878, - will be at an end." - - -NOTE - -(p. 29.) - -"The Turanian movement is not the spasmodic effort of a few enthusiasts. -It represents a carefully matured plan most elaborately studied in its -philosophical and practical aspects, and carried out on a vast and -ambitious scale. The spirit of its teaching has been made to permeate -all classes of the purely Turkish population, including women; while, in -the army, it has been taught in the shape of a patriotic creed, and the -force of military discipline has been laid at the service of its -promoters. The movement, therefore, no longer expresses the creed of a -limited number of nationalist fanatics, represented by the Central -Committee of Union and Progress, or the extremist section of it, but of -practically the whole of the Turkish people, backed by the formidable -power of the army. Thus, the view that would represent the Turkish -people as unwitting or unwilling tools in the hands of the Unionist -Government can no longer be accepted. The Turkish race as a whole, with -but few exceptions, stands convicted of indulging in a wanton political -dream, for the realization of which it seized the opportunity of the -world-war to commit most atrocious crimes. It is true that the initial -responsibility lies with the C.U.P., but the whole of the Turkish nation -has since shared the responsibility by its ready response. This is borne -out by the easy success attained by the Unionist Government in -modifying--with hardly a dissentient voice--the system of State -education, embracing even the elementary schools, and in -misappropriating the _Wakfs_ funds. - -"Military officers of the higher grades were instructed to pay -periodical visits to the barracks and there deliver lectures of a mixed -religious and racial character, prepared by the Government. Were not the -Turkish heart a ready soil, such sowings would not have yielded such an -early and abundant harvest. In spite of successive admixtures of blood, -the Turks have retained the original instincts of the wild men of the -Steppes, and a creed aiming at conquest and domination through -destruction and bloodshed found eager response in their souls. Islam, -sympathetic as it is, despite its militant character, was sacrificed for -the realization of this widest of human dreams. There was not enough of -'iron and blood' in its teaching. The Turanian creed, framed on the -Prussian pattern of militarism, appealed a thousand times more to the -Turks' savage nature; and the proof is that, without any compulsion -being employed, it quickly supplanted the religious heritage of -centuries. The troops took up readily the heroic Turanian songs in place -of the usual prayers which had, until lately, been compulsory, but are -so no more. The simplest of Anatolians willingly accepted the idea that -the prophet of later days is Enver! The fundamental rules of Islam -became, for them, the Testimony (for the unity of God), Reason, -Character, and the Collection of contributions for the Government and -the War under the Turkish banner." - -(From an article entitled "Turanian and Moslem" in _The Near East_, -April 20, 1917.) - -FOOTNOTE: - -[34] By a curious irony of events, at the time these lines were written -by the great English statesman, Egypt was governed by an Armenian Prime -Minister, Nubar Pasha, while the victorious Russian Army in the Caucasus -was under the command of the Armenian General Loris Melikoff, the victor -of Kars, who later became Minister of the Interior and one of the most -trusted advisers of the Czar Liberator. It is interesting to note that -Egypt had an Armenian Prime Minister during the reign of the Khalif -Al-Mustansir (1036-94) by the name of Badr-el-Gamali (probably a -variation of Bedros Gamalian), "who governed wisely and well for twenty -years (1073-94)."--_See_ ADRIAN FORTESCUE: _The Lesser Eastern -Churches_, p. 237. - - -PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, BRUNSWICK ST., -STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARMENIA AND THE WAR*** - - -******* This file should be named 53887-8.txt or 53887-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/3/8/8/53887 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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P. (Avetoon Pesak) -Hacobian</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Armenia and the War</p> -<p>Author: A. P. (Avetoon Pesak) Hacobian</p> -<p>Release Date: January 4, 2017 [eBook #53887]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARMENIA AND THE WAR***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Cindy Horton, Martin Pettit,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/armeniaandwaran00hacogoog"> - https://archive.org/details/armeniaandwaran00hacogoog</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="bold2">ARMENIA AND THE WAR</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<h1>ARMENIA AND<br />THE WAR</h1> - -<p class="bold">AN ARMENIAN'S POINT OF VIEW<br /> -WITH AN APPEAL TO BRITAIN AND<br />THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">BY</p> - -<p class="bold2">A. P. HACOBIAN</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">WITH A PREFACE BY THE RT. HON.</p> - -<p class="bold2">VISCOUNT BRYCE, O.M.</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">HODDER AND STOUGHTON<br />LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO<br />MCMXVII</p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span>"They are slaves who fear to speak</div> -<div>For the fallen and the weak:</div> -<div>They are slaves who will not choose</div> -<div>Hatred, scoffing and abuse,</div> -<div>Rather than in silence shrink</div> -<div>From the truth they needs must think:</div> -<div>They are slaves who dare not be</div> -<div>In the right with two or three."</div> -<div class="right"><span class="smcap">Lowell.</span></div> -</div></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="box"> -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p> - -<p>"<i>To serve Armenia is to serve civilization.</i>"</p> - -<p class="right"><i>W. E. GLADSTONE.</i></p> - -<p>"<i>We have put our money on the wrong horse.</i>"<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<p class="right"><i>THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY.</i></p> - -<p>" ... <i>a Government incurably barbarous and corrupt.</i>"</p> - -<p class="right"><i>THE DUKE OF ARGYLL.</i></p> - -<p>" ... <i>the Ottoman Empire ... decidedly foreign to Western -civilization.</i>"</p> - -<p class="center"><i>ALLIES' NOTE TO PRESIDENT WILSON,<br />January 11, 1917.</i></p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> <i>After the massacres of 1895-1896, Lord Salisbury, who had -himself taken a prominent part in the consummation of the Treaty of -Berlin and the Cyprus Convention, frankly admitted the failure of the -policy which gave birth to these treaties, and the futility of relying -upon Turkish promises.</i></p></div></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>INTRODUCTORY NOTE</h2> - -<p>The end of the war will leave Great Britain and her Allies the practical -arbiters of the destinies of Europe and the Near East. The predominant -part played in the prosecution of the war by Great Britain and the -British Empire will entitle them to an equally decisive voice in the -councils of the Peace Conference. That proud position carries with it a -supreme privilege as well as a heavy moral responsibility. That the -voice and weight of Britain and Greater Britain will be cast, on all -occasions, on the side of justice and liberty, there cannot be the -slightest doubt. But however just and fair-minded a judge may be, it is -impossible for him to dispense justice without hearing all sides of the -case before him.</p> - -<p>That is my plea for placing this statement of the cause of my afflicted -country before<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span> the British public, confident that, with its inherent -love of fair play, it will give my pleading a fair hearing.</p> - -<p>I am anxious to make one point clear. I hold no authority and claim no -right whatever to speak for the nation or any national or local -organization of any kind. The views set forth in this little volume are -the views of an individual Armenian who feels, as do no doubt all his -compatriots, that the Armenian blood that has flowed so freely in this -war, imposes upon every living Armenian the sacred duty of employing all -legitimate means in his power to secure to the survivors the justice and -reparation to which their numerous fallen relatives have given them an -overwhelming and indisputable title. They are my views, and the -responsibility for them rests on myself and myself alone.</p> - -<p>I have stated my views frankly. One or two of my friends were kind -enough to express the opinion that that might injure our cause. While I -appreciate their interest and solicitude, I do not share their fears. I -am convinced that the truth can never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span> be unpopular with the British -public or prejudice a good cause.</p> - -<p>I have, of necessity, had to quote freely from many sources, and I take -this opportunity to express my apologies and indebtedness to the -authorities quoted, in particular to Lord Bryce and Mr. Arnold J. -Toynbee for very kindly permitting me to quote extracts from the Blue Book.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">A. P. Hacobian.</span></p> - -<p><i>London,<br /> February, 1917.</i></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span></p> - -<h2>PREFACE</h2> - -<p>Of all the peoples upon whom this war has brought calamity and -suffering, the Armenian people have had the most to endure. Great as has -been the misery inflicted by the invaders upon the non-combatant -populations of Belgium and Northern France, upon Poland, upon Serbia, -the misery of Armenia, though far less known to the outer world, has -been far more terrible.</p> - -<p>When the European War broke out, in 1914, the Government of the Turkish -Empire had fallen into the hands of a small gang of unscrupulous -ruffians calling themselves the Committee of Union and Progress, who -were ruling through their command of the army, but in the name of the -harmless and imbecile Sultan. By means which have not been fully -disclosed, but the nature of which can be easily conjectured, this gang -were won<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> over to serve the interests of Germany; and at Germany's -bidding they declared war against the Western Allies, thus dragging all -the subjects of Turkey, Muslim and Christian, into a conflict with which -they had no concern. The Armenian Christians scattered through the -Asiatic part of the Turkish dominions, having had melancholy experience -in the Adana massacres some years previously of what cruelties the -ruling gang were capable of perpetrating, were careful to remain quiet, -and to furnish no pretext to the Turkish authorities for an attack upon -them. But the rulers of Turkey showed that they did not need a pretext -for the execution of the nefarious purposes they cherished. They had -formed a design for the extermination of the non-Mohammedan elements in -the population of Asiatic Turkey, in order to make what they called a -homogeneous nation, consisting of Mohammedans only. The wickedness of -such a design was equalled only by its blind folly, for the Christian -Armenians of Asia Minor and the north-eastern provinces constituted the -most industrious, the most intelligent, and the best-educated part of -the population.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</a></span> Most of the traders and merchants, nearly all the -skilled artisans, were Armenians, and to destroy them was to destroy the -chief industrial asset which these regions possessed. However, this was -the plan of the Committee of Union and Progress, and as soon as they -began to feel, in the spring of 1915, that the Allied expedition against -the Dardanelles was not likely to succeed, they proceeded to execute it. -They first disarmed all the Armenians in order to have them at their -mercy; and in some cases, in order to make it appear that the Armenians -were intending to take up arms, they actually sent weapons into the -towns and then had them seized as evidence against the Christians. When -such arms as the Christians possessed had been secured, orders for -massacre were issued from Constantinople to the local governors. The -whole Armenian population was seized. The grown men were slaughtered -without mercy. The younger women were sold in the market place to the -highest bidder, or appropriated by Turkish military officers and civil -officials to become slaves in Turkish harems. The boys were handed over -to dervishes to be carried off<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xiv" id="Page_xiv">[Pg xiv]</a></span> and brought up as Muslims. The rest of -the hapless victims, all the older men and women, the mothers and their -babes clinging to them, were torn from their homes and driven out along -the tracks which led into the desert region of northern Syria and -Arabia. Most of them perished on the way from hardships, from disease, -from starvation. A few were still surviving some months ago near Aleppo -and along the banks of the Euphrates. Many, probably thousands, were -drowned in that river and its tributaries, martyrs to their Christian -faith, which they had refused to renounce; for it was generally possible -for women, and sometimes for men, to save themselves by accepting -Mohammedanism. By these various methods hundreds of thousands—the -number is variously estimated at from 500,000 to 800,000—have perished. -And all this was done with the tacit acquiescence of the German -Government, some of whose representatives on the spot are even said to -have encouraged the Turks in their work of slaughter, while the -Government confined its action to propagating in Germany, so as to -deceive its own people, false stories which alleged that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</a></span> the Armenians -had been punished for insurrectionary movements.</p> - -<p>All these facts, with many details too horrible to be repeated here, are -set forth in the Blue Book recently published in England, containing -accounts based upon incontrovertible evidence, and to which no reply has -been made, though some denials, palpably false, have emanated from the -Turkish gang, and some others from the German Government.</p> - -<p>The victims who have thus been put to death, a large part of the whole -Armenian people, belong to what is one of the oldest nations in the -world, which has been Christian and civilized ever since the third -century of our era. If any people ever deserved the sympathy of the -civilized world, it is they who have clung to their faith and the -traditions of their ancient kingdom ever since that kingdom was -overthrown by the Turkish invaders many centuries ago. They now appeal -to the Allied Nations who are fighting the battle of Right and Humanity -against the German Government and its barbarous Turkish allies, asking -that when the end of the war comes their case may be considered and -they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[Pg xvi]</a></span> may be for ever delivered from the Turkish yoke. Nowhere is their -hard case better known than in the United States, for it is the American -missionaries who have, by their admirable schools and colleges planted -in many cities of Asiatic Turkey, done more for them than any other -country has done, giving them light, consolation and sympathy.</p> - -<p class="space-above">The author of this little book is an Armenian gentleman belonging to a -family originally from Ispahan in Persia, but now settled in England. He -speaks with intimate knowledge as well as with patriotic feeling, and -states the case of his countrymen with a moderation well fitted to -inspire confidence. Upon the arguments he puts forward I do not venture -to express any opinion in detail. But those who know something of -Asiatic Turkey will recognize with him that the Armenians are, by their -intelligence and their irrepressible energy, the race best fitted to -restore prosperity to regions desolated by Turkish oppression. The -educated Armenians, notwithstanding all they have suffered, are abreast -of the modern world of civilization. Among them are many men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xvii" id="Page_xvii">[Pg xvii]</a></span> of science -and learning, as well as artists and poets. They are scattered in many -lands. I have visited large Armenian colonies as far west as California, -and there are others as far east as Rangoon. Many of the exiles would -return to their ancient home if they could but be guaranteed that -security and peace which they have never had, and can never have, under -the rule of the Turk. May we not confidently hope that the Allied Powers -will find means for giving it to them at the end of this war, for -extending to them that security which they have long desired and are -capable of using well?</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Bryce.</span></p> - -<p><i>May, 1917.</i></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xix" id="Page_xix">[Pg xix]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<div class="box2"> -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">I. </td> - <td class="left">ARMENIA AS A WAR ISSUE—GREATEST SUFFERER -FROM TURKO-PRUSSIAN "FRIGHTFULNESS"—EFFECT ON AMERICAN OPINION</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">II. </td> - <td class="left">ARMENIA AND REPARATION—ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM—CONDEMNATION -AND DEMAND FOR REPARATION INADEQUATELY EXPRESSED</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_10">10</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">III. </td> - <td class="left">"THE GENTLE AND CLEAN-FIGHTING TURK"</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_22">22</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">IV. </td> - <td class="left">ANGLO-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP A VITAL NECESSITY -FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS IN ASIA—MOSLEMS -AND TURKISH RULE—ARMENIANS PROGRESSIVE AND DEMOCRATIC BY TEMPERAMENT</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">V. </td> - <td class="left">ARMENIA AS A PEACE PROBLEM—VIEWS OF THE -"MANCHESTER GUARDIAN" AND THE "SPECTATOR"—CAN ARMENIANS STAND ALONE AMONG -THE KURDS?—AMERICAN OPINION AND THE FUTURE OF ARMENIA</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">VI. </td> - <td class="left">ARMENIA'S SERVICES IN THE WAR</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_66">66</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">VII. </td> - <td class="left">ARMENIA THE BATTLE-GROUND OF ASIA MINOR AND VICTIM OF CONTENDING EMPIRES</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">VIII. </td> - <td class="left">THE BLUE-BOOK—THE EPIC OF ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM, -THE REVELATION OF HER SPIRIT AND -CHARACTER—"TRUTH" ON THE ARMENIANS: A DIGRESSION</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xx" id="Page_xx">[Pg xx]</a></span>IX. </td> - <td class="left">EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE BOOK</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_114">114</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">X. </td> - <td class="left">GREAT BRITAIN AND ARMENIA—THE LATE DUKE -OF ARGYLL'S VIEWS—AN APPEAL TO BRITAIN</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td style="vertical-align: top">XI. </td> - <td class="left">AN APPEAL TO THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_160">160</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="3" class="center">————</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">POSTSCRIPT</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_181">181</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">APPENDIX</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_189">189</a></td> - </tr> -</table></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">ARMENIA AND THE WAR</p> - -<h2>I</h2> - -<blockquote><p>ARMENIA AS A WAR ISSUE—GREATEST SUFFERER FROM TURKO-PRUSSIAN -"FRIGHTFULNESS"—EFFECT ON AMERICAN OPINION</p></blockquote> - -<p>The first official advance for peace made by Germany and her Allies, -although couched in defiant and menacing terms, was nevertheless an -unmistakable signal of distress, and has brought the world within -measurable distance of that just and durable peace which the Allies have -set out to achieve. The prospect of approaching peace has set on foot a -general reiteration of the issues at stake, and consideration of the -terms and problems of peace. Public attention in this country will -naturally be occupied, in the first place, with the momentous issues and -interests of the United Kingdom, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> British Empire and her Allies -raised by the war and to be settled and secured by the impending peace. -It will therefore, I hope, not be considered amiss or premature for a -member of one of those small and oppressed peoples engulfed in the -vortex of the war who look to Great Britain and her Allies for -deliverance, reparation and the security of their future liberty, to put -before the British public his views, as well as facts and arguments that -may be of some service in enabling it to form a just estimate of the -claims and merits of one of the smaller problems which run the risk of -not receiving a full hearing at the Peace Conference, in the presence of -a multitude of larger and more important questions.</p> - -<p>The item in the Allied peace terms stated in their reply to President -Wilson's note, "the setting free of the populations subject to the -bloody tyranny of the Turks," is the bearer to Armenians of a message of -comfort and hope. It heralds the dawn of a new day that will mark the -end of the long and hideous nightmare of Turkish tyranny.</p> - -<p>If President Wilson, the American people,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> or other neutrals were in -search of evidence that would prove to them conclusively which of the -two groups of belligerents is sincere in its professions of regard for -"the rights and privileges of weak peoples and small states"; if Belgium -had not been violated and ravaged; if the <i>Lusitania</i> and so many -hospital ships, liners and merchantmen had not been sunk without any -care as to the fate of the wounded, the children and women, the -non-combatant men and crews; if Zeppelins had not spread death and -destruction among women and children in their homes in the night; if all -these and so many other outrages had not been committed, and there had -been, in the whole course of the war, no other act of the Quadruple -Alliance in any degree contrary to the laws and usages of civilized -warfare and dictates of humanity, the single word <span class="smcap">Armenia</span> would provide -that proof—a crushing, monumental proof—as to who is and who is not -sincere in the professions of regard for right, justice and humanity. -The spirit of desolated Armenia stands at the head of the phantom -spirits of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>outraged humanity, which must rise and shatter to atoms -every mask of benevolence, righteousness and injured innocence that the -protagonists of "frightfulness" may assume for the deception of their -own peoples and neutrals.</p> - -<p>But in the United States at least there is no need for any fresh proof -or explanation of the issue at this stage, and the martyrdom of Armenia -has contributed largely to that state of American opinion. I have little -doubt that President Wilson's Peace Note and speech to the Senate are -the first steps towards America casting her whole weight into the scale, -aiming at the realization of a just and lasting peace.</p> - -<p>The intense interest evinced by the people and Government of the United -States in the fate of Armenia and the Armenians is abundantly shown not -only by the generous gifts of money for the relief of the survivors and -the noble personal services by devoted missionaries and relief agents, -some of whom lost their lives in their work of mercy; but also by -diplomatic action on behalf of the Armenians in Constantinople (where -Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> Morgenthau, to his great honour, struggled valiantly to stay the -hand of the ruthless oppressor), and by the prominence given to any and -every scrap of news concerning the holocaust in Armenia. It is no -exaggeration to say that, military operations apart, no incident of the -war, not excepting the violation and martyrdom of Belgium, has been -given more space and prominence in the American Press than anything -connected with the martyrdom of Armenia and Syria and the relief of the -refugees and exiles.</p> - -<p>In his reply to the Armenian deputation who on December 14, 1916, -presented to him an illuminated parchment from the Catholicos expressing -His Holiness's gratitude and thanks to the American nation, President -Wilson said, <i>inter alia</i>—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"We have tried to do what was possible to save your people from the -ravages of war. My great regret is, that we have been able to -accomplish so little. There have been many suffering peoples as the -result of that terrible struggle, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span><i>the lot of none has touched -the American heart more than the suffering of the Armenians</i>."<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p></blockquote> - -<p>Nothing in the war has brought home to the people of the United States -the moral issues of the war more strongly and vividly than the -unprecedented barbarities committed by the Turks in their diabolical -attempt to wipe out the Armenian race. No event of the war has been more -damaging to the Central Powers in the eyes of the United States. Here -they have seen the ruthless spirit of the twin enemies of humanity and -liberty—the Turkish <i>yatagan</i> supported by the Prussian jack-boot—in -its hideous nakedness, at work in the depths of Asia, unrestrained and -unperceived, as they thought, by the light of civilization.</p> - -<p>This gospel of the jack-boot and the <i>yatagan</i> will be best illustrated -by putting side by side two quotations, one from the <i>Tanine</i>, the -official organ of the Committee of Union and Progress in Constantinople, -and the other from a statement made by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> Count Reventlow in October 1915. -The <i>Tanine</i> "invited the Government to exterminate or forcibly convert -to Islam all Armenian women in Turkey as the only means of saving the -Ottoman Empire."<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> Count Reventlow, the high priest of the gospel of -Brute Force and Militarism, writing in the <i>Tageszeitung</i> in defence and -approval of Turkey's appalling crime, said that it was the Ottoman -Government's obvious right and duty to take the strongest repressive -measures against "the bloodthirsty Armenians"—the measures advocated by -the <i>Tanine</i>, which were carried out by Count Reventlow's worthy allies -on the Bosphorus with a completeness and ferocity that must have greatly -pleased him.</p> - -<p>The German Government and German apologists have made a great parade of -the use of Indian and African troops in Europe by the Allies. By all -reports, these troops have fought as clean a fight as any troops in the -war. I think that in the judgment of future historians no incident of -this war,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> whose history is so heavily shadowed on one side with -outrages and violations of the laws of civilized warfare, will meet with -so strong a condemnation as Germany's alliance with the Young Turks, the -declaration of a "holy war" at her behest, and its dire consequences for -the already sorely tried Christian subjects of the Turks. (It should be -remembered that Germany and Austria are signatories to the Treaty of -Berlin, Art. 61 of which was to have brought about "the improvements and -reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by the -Armenians," and to have "guaranteed their security against the Kurds and -Circassians." This point cannot be too strongly emphasized.) She could -have foreseen these consequences; and if she did not foresee them, she -could have stopped them when they made themselves apparent. Turkey's -entry into the war placed her Christian subjects in a position of great -peril, as it has been her custom to wreak upon them her vengeance for -defeats; while a state of war freed her from the moral restraint of -Europe. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> was hoped that German and Austrian influence would check -this tendency. How cruelly events have shattered that hope! They have -proved that it was too much to expect humanity and the ordinary feelings -of chivalry and compassion for the honour and suffering of women and -children from the State policies of these great Christian Governments -and the majority of their agents in Turkey. I do not believe that this -ungodly and inhuman policy has received general approbation either in -Germany or Austria-Hungary. This is evident from the quotations from -German missionary journals in the Blue-book on the "Treatment of -Armenians in the Ottoman Empire."<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> It is also proved by the protests -addressed to the Imperial Chancellor by several Catholic and Protestant -organizations.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Quoted in <i>The New Armenia</i> of New York, January 1, 1917. -The italics are mine.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Quoted in <i>Guerre Sociale</i> (Paris), September 16, 1915.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> <i>The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.</i> -Documents presented to Viscount Grey of Fallodon, Secretary of State for -Foreign Affairs, with a preface by Viscount Bryce (Hodder & Stoughton).</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<h2>II</h2> - -<blockquote><p>ARMENIA AND REPARATION—ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM—CONDEMNATION AND -DEMAND FOR REPARATION INADEQUATELY EXPRESSED</p></blockquote> - -<p>The Governments of the Allies have unanimously declared that peace is -only possible on the principles of adequate reparation for the past, -adequate security for the future, and recognition of the principle of -nationalities and of the free existence of small states.</p> - -<p>"Reparation" means no doubt in the first place reparation for the wanton -and ruthless destruction of unoffending and defenceless civilian lives -and property.</p> - -<p>It is characteristic of the British sense of justice and fair play that -Belgium, France and Serbia should be given the first place in their -demand for reparation, for, of course, there are the British victims of -"frightfulness," Zeppelin and submarine <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>victims and the victims of -judicial murders to be atoned for and recompensed.</p> - -<p>This unanimous demand for reparation to the smaller nations for all they -have suffered as a result of the brutal and unscrupulous aggression of -their more powerful neighbours, and their security and free development, -augurs well for the future. It is an earnest given by the Entente Powers -to the world, of the sincerity of their declarations regarding the -unselfish, just and worthy objects which they entered the war to attain.</p> - -<p>I must be excused, however, if I confess to feeling not a little -perplexity at the fact that, in discussing the peace terms, the great -organs of British public opinion, with some notable exceptions,<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> have -made little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> or no reference to Armenia in the demand for penalties, -reparation and redemption. This fact must have impressed Mr. Arthur -Henderson, who, in his reference to Armenia quoted more fully elsewhere, -remarked that " ... Armenian atrocities <i>were not much talked about</i> -here ... etc." My anxiety will be understood when I point out that for -us it is not a question of a little more or less territory, a little -larger or smaller indemnity. For us more than for any other race -involved in the war it is a question of "to be or not to be" in a real -and fateful sense: the rebirth of Armenian nationality from the -profusion of its lost blood and heaps of smouldering ashes, or the end -of that long-cherished and bled-for aspiration, and the consummation of -the "policy" of Abdul Hamid and the Young Turks.</p> - -<p>The first general discussion of the terms of peace has coincided with -the publication, as a Blue-book, of Lord Bryce's comprehensive -documentary evidence on the attempt of the Turks to murder the Armenian -nation in cold blood. I gratefully acknowledge the fact that many -newspapers wrote <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>sympathetic editorial articles or reviews on the -Blue-book, emphasizing, with incontestable force, that this conclusive -evidence of the abominable crimes committed by the Turks in Armenia -without any protest from official Germany, is a crushing reply to the -German Chancellor's protestations of solicitude for humanity.</p> - -<p>But, opportune as has been the immediate effect of this fresh evidence -of Lord Bryce's noble and untiring labours in the cause of humanity, as -a tragic and terrible exposure of the irony of the Central Powers' -professions of pity for suffering humanity, that is surely not the only -or the principal moral to be drawn from these haunting pages. They -constitute a terrible and lasting reproach to the European diplomacy of -our time. They unfold to the horrified gaze of mankind a vast column of -human smoke and human anguish rising to the heavens as the incense of -the most fearful yet most glorious mass-martyrdom the world has ever -seen, but casting a shadow of lasting shame upon Christendom and -civilization. The unparalleled outburst of barbarity they reveal did<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> -not come as a surprise. Europe had heard its premonitory rumblings these -last forty years. As far back as 1880 the representatives of the Great -Powers in their famous and futile Identic Note to the Sublime Porte, -said: "So desperate was the misgovernment of the country that it would -lead in all probability to the destruction of the Christian population -of vast districts." The massacres of 1895-1896 and 1909 cost the lives -of 250,000 to 300,000 Armenians. But most of the European statesmen of -the day persistently refused to believe that "the gentle Turk" was -capable of such bursts of unspeakable barbarism; while Bismarck declared -openly that the whole Eastern Question was not worth "the bones of a -Pomeranian grenadier." His successors have followed and improved upon -his ruthless, unchristian policy, and Europe sees the result.</p> - -<p>With due respect to the small minority of humane Turks, who, I dare say, -are themselves shocked at what their rulers, their soldiery and populace -have proved themselves capable of, the Turk as a race<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> has added yet -another and vaster monument than ever before to the long series of -similar monuments that fill the pages of his blood-stained history, in -proof of the unchangeable brutality of his nature. You cannot reason or -argue with him. Nor can you expect justice or ordinary human feelings -from such a nature. The only sane and honest way to deal with him is to -make him innocuous. It is official Europe that is to blame for leaving -him so long at large and his prey at his mercy. It is European diplomacy -of the past forty years that is responsible for looking on while the -relentless mutilation was going on limb by limb, until Moloch saw his -chance in the war and all but devoured his hapless victim, with the -tacit acquiescence of the Governments of two great Christian empires, -and the applause of Count Reventlow and his disciples.</p> - -<p>How is it to be explained that this deliberately planned destruction of -more than half a million human beings by all the tortures of the Dark -Ages, and the deportation and enslavement worse than death of more than -half a million, have not aroused<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> the righteous wrath of the great -British writers and thinkers of the day to nearly the same extent as the -martyrdom of Belgium? How is it that great writers and poets have not -felt the call of expressing to the world in the language of genius the -stupefying horror as well as the moral grandeur of this vast, -unparalleled tragedy?<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> Great Britain has always been, and is to-day -more than ever, the champion and "the hope of the oppressed and the -despair of the oppressor." That sympathy, horror and indignation exist -in this country in the fullest measure there is not the slightest doubt. -One sees proofs and indications of their existence at every turn. But -why, in Heaven's name, is it not proclaimed to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> the world that the -culprits may know and tremble and stay their hand? Bishops have been -burnt to death, hundreds of churches desecrated, and ministers of Christ -tortured and murdered; hundreds of thousands of Christian women and -children done to death in circumstances of unspeakable barbarity and -bestiality. Why are the Churches of Great Britain and all Christendom -not raising a cry of indignation that will reverberate throughout the -world and strike the fear of God into the hearts of these assassins and -all powers of darkness? Why is not a word said as a tribute, so richly -deserved, to the heroic and indomitable spirit of the men and women and -even children who chose torture and death rather than deny their Christ, -sacrifice their honour or renounce their nationality?<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> Here is -assuredly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> the most inspiring example of all times of the triumph of the -spirit of Christ and the fidelity in death to conscience, personal<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> -honour and independence, over savage fury and brutal lust at the highest -pitch ever attained in them by fiends in human form; a triumph and an -example more inspiring, and with a deeper and more lasting significance -for humanity and Christianity, perhaps, than this great and terrible war -itself; and the Churches and spokesmen and writers of great Christian -countries, belligerent and neutral, pass over that aspect of the Great -Tragedy almost in complete silence!</p> - -<p>I do not ask tributes for the martyrs; let their praise be sung by the -hosts of heaven. Nor is this a complaint; and it would be a presumption -on my part to assume the rôle of critic or mentor to leaders of -religion, thought and learning in great Christian countries. It is far -indeed from my intention to assume such a rôle. But these are facts -which I contemplate with inexpressible sorrow, almost despair—facts -which perplex and puzzle me and which surpass my understanding. Perhaps<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> -my judgment is dimmed and embittered by my nation's sufferings. If that -is so, is any one surprised that the Armenian soul should be bitter -to-day, bitter with a bitterness, anguish and indignation such as the -soul of man has never tasted before, or any people can possibly imagine?</p> - -<p>Some papers speak of the sufferings of the Armenians being <i>equal</i> to -those of the Belgians.</p> - -<p>Armenians know, if any one does, what bondage and suffering under the -tyrant's heel mean, and they yield to none in their profound sympathy -and admiration for heroic Belgium, Serbia and the occupied parts of -France. The martyrdom of 5000 unoffending Belgian civilians is a -horrible enough episode, but surely there is some difference between -5000 and 600,000 victims, to say nothing of the 600,000 who were -enslaved, forcibly converted to Islam, and driven in caravans of torture -and death to the Mesopotamian deserts.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> What is the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> condition of -these unfortunates, and how many have survived, must remain a dread -secret of the desert until the end of the war.</p> - -<p>Is it because the victims are Armenians, mere Armenians so used to -massacre, so long abandoned by Europe to the lust and pleasure of "the -Gentle Turk"? That may be so in the eyes of men. But there is God, and -in His eyes the life and pain and torture and death of an Armenian -child, woman, or man are the same, exactly the same, as those of any -other child, woman, or man without exception.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Armenians are especially indebted to the <i>Manchester -Guardian</i> and <i>The Times</i> for their valuable services to their cause, -humanity and truth in exposing the reign of terror in Armenia and the -Turk's affectation of "clean-fighting." Part 101 of <i>The Times History -and Encyclopædia of the War</i> was the first detailed account of what had -happened in Armenia since the outbreak of war, and I may add that, -considering the difficulties of obtaining information, it is a -remarkably well-informed account.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> Mr. Israel Zangwill concludes a moving and eloquent tribute -to the agony of Armenia in <i>The New Armenia</i> (New York) of March 1, -1917, entitled "The Majesty of Armenia," in the following words—"I bow -before this higher majesty of sorrow. I take the crown of thorns from -Israel's head and I place it upon Armenia's." -</p><p> -Is it not a strange fact that of all contemporary authors and publicists -of note, it should have fallen to a famous and gifted Jew to pay the -first tribute to "the majesty" of Armenia's martyrdom for the Christian -faith?</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Mr. P. W. Wilson's sympathetic and appreciative articles in -<i>The Westminster Gazette</i> and <i>The Daily News and Leader</i> of February 3, -1917, appeared after the above was written. While I am most grateful to -Mr. Wilson and the two great organs of British public opinion, I avail -myself of this opportunity to make one or two observations on some of -the points Mr. Wilson has raised— -</p><p> -"The first impulse of the refugee" has not only been "to start a shop" -but also to start a school and improvise the means of continuing the -publication of the newspaper he was publishing in Van before the exile, -as the Belgians have done here under more favourable circumstances. The -toleration practised by Armenians and their Church is not due to -adversity, but the true understanding of Christianity. The spirit of -toleration breathes through the pages of the history of the Armenian -Church from the earliest times. -</p><p> -Mr. Wilson says: "It is doubtless regrettable that the Armenians should -have failed to recommend their progressive conception of life to the -Moslems around them." This is a striking example of the misconception -that so often exists in the minds of even the most sympathetic observers -of Armenian affairs. Mr. Wilson knows no doubt for how much prestige -counts in the East. If the European missions with all the prestige of -their great nations, governments, embassies, consulates, etc., behind -them (to say nothing of the unlimited funds at their disposal) have had -such little success in Moslem countries, is it reasonable to blame the -Armenians, oppressed, harried, tortured, massacred, plunged into the -depths of misery, for not having fared better? What respect could the -Armenian's religion inspire among his Moslem neighbours who murdered his -bishops and priests, desecrated his churches and inflicted the most -revolting insults upon the outward symbols of his faith, while his -powerful co-religionists stood by and did nothing? Under these -circumstances what better service could the Armenian render his religion -than die for it? In happier days, the early Armenian Christians were -largely instrumental in converting the Georgians.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> It is some consolation to know, as some reports say, that -the Arabs have treated these unfortunates kindly. It is an indication -of—and a credit to—their superior civilization.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> - -<h2>III</h2> - -<p class="center">"THE GENTLE AND CLEAN-FIGHTING TURK"<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a></p> - -<p>The Allies have declared in their reply to President Wilson that one of -their aims is "the turning out of Europe of the Ottoman<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> Empire, <i>as -decidedly foreign to Western civilization</i>."</p> - -<p>This fact of the Turk being "decidedly foreign to Western civilization," -affirmed on the authority and conviction of the Governments of four of -the greatest and most advanced nations of Europe, needs no further -proof. Nevertheless it seems desirable, in the interests of truth, to -endeavour to dissipate the misconception that has been created by the -extraordinary myth of "the clean-fighting Turk."</p> - -<p>There has been a disposition in this country, natural and intelligible -under the circumstances, to attribute the recent (let us hope the last) -and most terrible of the Armenian massacres wholly or largely to German -influence. That the German Government had it in its power to stop this -gigantic crime if it had so wished, there is no doubt. It seems likely -also that the Turk applied<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> to his brutal scheme the method and -thoroughness he had learned from his German ally. But seriously to -assert, as some writers and speakers have done, that German influence -instigated the massacres, is to shut one's eyes to the Turk's record -ever since he became known to history. One need only turn the pages of -his history—a veritable chamber of horrors—to convince oneself that -massacre, outrage, and devastation have always been congenial to the -Turk.</p> - -<p>Without for a moment wishing to absolve the German Government of its -responsibility, before God and humanity, for not exerting its influence -to save more than a million absolutely innocent human beings from death, -slow torture, and slavery: the fact, nevertheless, remains that Hulagu, -Sultan Selim, Bayazid and Abdul Hamid were not under German influence, -that there were no Germans at the sack of Constantinople or the -massacres of Bagdad and Sivas, or, in more recent times, at the -butcheries of Chios, Greece, Crete, Batak, Macedonia, Sassoon, Urfa, or -Adana. The Turk, in fact, has nothing to learn from his Teutonic ally -in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> "frightfulness"; he has a great deal to teach him. I readily admit -that there are some Turks who are gentle and good men. Some of these -have risked good positions and even their lives to protect Armenian -women and children. But most unfortunately for us, for humanity and for -the Turks themselves, such good Turks are few and far between.</p> - -<p>It is true that orders for the extirpation of the Armenians were issued -from Constantinople, but can any one imagine such revolting orders -<i>being carried out</i> by "gentle and clean-fighting" troops and people? I -shall be much surprised if any unprejudiced man or woman in any -civilized country believes that any but the Turkish populace and -soldiery would be capable of carrying out such orders. History at any -rate has given us no such evidence.</p> - -<p>I believe that, under a just and honest government and better -influences, the Turkish peasant will, in course of time, lose his -proneness to cruelty, for he has good qualities. But if this war is -intended to see the end of tyranny, oppression, brutal religious and -political persecution and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> discontent and unrest that such -conditions always produce; if it is to prevent the possibility of a -repetition of the hell that the Turks have let loose in Armenia since -they entered the war and <i>so often before the war</i>; then it is clear -that never again must the Turk be allowed to possess the power over -other races, which he has so abominably abused ever since he "hacked his -way through" to the fair, fertile and once highly prosperous country -which he has devastated and converted into a charnel-house.</p> - -<p>The Armenians of Turkey had no separatist aspirations. They knew that -was impracticable. Nothing would have suited them better than a reformed -government in Turkey, that would give them security of life, honour and -property, the free development of their national and religious -institutions and an approach to equality with Moslems before the law. On -the promulgation of the Constitution, all the Armenian revolutionary -societies were transformed into peaceable and orderly political parties -as by magic. They had great hopes of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>achieving these aims and the -regeneration of the Ottoman Empire from within in co-operation with the -Young Turks before the war, and they gave the Committee of Union and -Progress (was there ever a more incongruous misnomer?) all the support -they could, which was by no means negligible; but they had not long to -wait to be completely and bitterly disillusioned. The Adana massacres -gave their hopes the first blow. The Armenian leaders proved too earnest -and sincere democrats for the Committee leaders who, with few -exceptions, were actuated, as events proved, more by inordinate personal -ambition than the "liberty" and "equality" which they so loudly -proclaimed and which have proved such a hideous mockery. The -chauvinistic wing soon gained complete ascendancy over the party, which -resolved on the covert or forcible "Ottomanization" of all non-Turk -races of the Empire (as is proved by the recent exposures of the Grand -Sheriff of Mecca), and ended by joining the Germans in the war in the -hope of conquering Egypt and the Caucasus.</p> - -<p>It is a mistake to think that Germany<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> forced Turkey into the war -against her will by the presence of the <i>Goeben</i> and <i>Breslau</i>. Those -who had any knowledge of Turkish affairs had no doubt of the existence -of a military understanding between Germany and Turkey for some years -before the war. The arrival of a military mission at Constantinople -under Liman von Sanders left no doubt on that point.</p> - -<p>On the outbreak of the European war, the Armenian Dashnakist Party met -in congress at Erzerum to determine the attitude to be observed by the -Party in relation to the war. Hearing of this, the Young Turks forthwith -sent representatives to ascertain the attitude of the Party in the event -of Turkey going to war against Russia. (See Blue-book, p. 80.) This took -place some weeks before the arrival of the <i>Goeben</i> and <i>Breslau</i> at -Constantinople. Nor was the war as unpopular with the Turkish masses at -the outset as is thought by many. If that were so there would have been -a revolt against the Young Turks, and Turkey would have been detached -from the Central Powers long ago. It may be less popular now,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> because -their dreams of conquest have been shattered and the whole country is -suffering. No Turk, Young or Old, had any particular objection to the -prospects of the conquest either of Egypt or the Caucasus, and many of -them aimed at a Moslem Triple Alliance between Turkey, Persia and -Afghanistan under German auspices, and even dreamt dreams of an empire -that would ultimately embrace India and the whole of Northern -Africa!<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a></p> - -<p>The Young Turks have tried their hand at the government of the Ottoman -Empire, and have failed more completely and proved infinitely more cruel -and brutal than the old Turks. Besides this, their betrayal of the -Entente Powers and the vast and unprecedented crime which they have -committed against humanity have left only one solution possible that -holds out any promise of peace, justice and normal progress in the -future. That one solution is, to draw up a new map of the Ottoman Empire -on the basis of nationality and historical rights, reparation in -proportion to services and sacrifices during the war, and the proved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> -aptitude of the races concerned for progress and development on the -lines of Western civilization.</p> - -<p>There has long existed in Europe a school of politicians who have always -asked: "If you eliminate Turkish rule over the Turks' subject races, -what will you put in its place?" After what has happened in Armenia and -Syria, he would be a bold man or a prejudiced man who would deny that -<i>any</i> change will be an improvement.</p> - -<p>The unfitness of the Turk to govern alien, and especially Christian -peoples has been proved by such an overwhelming accumulation of -historical evidence and rivers of innocent Christian blood, that to urge -the contrary must appear like an attempt to obscure the sun by the palm -of the hand.</p> - -<p>If this war is to bring peace and progress to Asia Minor instead of -chronic anarchy, bloodshed and devastation as in the past, there must be -an end of Turkish domination over alien races in any shape or form. By -all means give the Turk the chance of governing himself in the provinces -inhabited purely by Turks.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p><p>During the Turkish retreat from Thrace in 1913, the evidence of -newspaper correspondents was that the Turk was leaving Europe in the -same state—moral, material and intellectual—as he entered it four -centuries ago. The fact is, that centuries of contact with civilization -has made no difference to the nature of the Turk. War brings to the -surface the true nature of a people as nothing else can. The Turk has -proved by his conduct in this war that he is as cruel and brutal as he -was when he first swooped down as the scourge of God in Asia Minor one -thousand years ago. By centuries of conquest and domination he has -acquired an attractive free and easy outward manner which has stamped -him a "gentleman" in the eyes of European travellers. But the same -"gentleman" who will charm you with his manner will murder or enslave -any number of women and children without the slightest twinge of -conscience. Such is the Turkish "gentleman." The Turks are to-day -proving their gratitude for a hundred years of British and French -support by throwing the whole of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> their man-power and resources—largely -built up by British and French capital—into the scale on the side of -Germany. They have put at the disposal of Germany and held for Germany -the land routes by which alone she can hope to threaten the British and -French colonial empires. They have done their best to do England and her -Allies all the injury they can, and have given the enemies of England -all the help they can. And still the Turk and even the Young Turk have -friends and protectors in this country.<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> This, to my mind, is the -most astonishing phenomenon of the whole war. It must appear strange to -thinking Moslems that there should be found, in great and mighty -Christian countries, respected and prominent men who defend the Young -Turks at the very moment when their <i>protégés</i> are persecuting and -massacring their weak and defenceless co-religionists in countless -thousands. I gravely doubt whether such an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> act is calculated to enhance -the prestige of Christianity in the eyes of the Moslem world.</p> - -<p>Have the apologists of the Turks ever put themselves this question: "If -under German influence the Turks have been capable of attempting the -cold-blooded murder of a whole nation, how is the fact to be explained, -that under the same influence they were able to gain the reputation of -'clean fighters'?"</p> - -<p>The irony of it all is, that in a war in which more than twenty -different nations are engaged, the Turk and the Turk alone among the -belligerents should have gained the epithet of "clean-fighter," though, -note well, from one of his adversaries only. How is this fact to be -explained? Is it seriously claimed that the Turk has proved himself, -under the test of war, superior in morals and chivalry to all the -nations of Europe?</p> - -<p>Turkish mentality is not understood in Western Europe. The Turk has a -fanatical bravery which, however, easily degenerates into brutality. The -Russians, Rumanians and Serbs have fought the Turks for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>centuries. It -would be interesting to have their opinion of his "clean-fighting" -qualities. The fact is, the Turk knows he may need English help again -some day. He knows that there has long existed in England a school of -politicians which has believed that British interests in the Near East -will be best served by supporting the Turk. He knows that England has -millions of Mohammedan subjects who have still some sympathy for him on -religious grounds, and whose susceptibilities Englishmen are naturally -anxious to avoid hurting. He also knows that the British soldier is a -chivalrous warrior who gives full credit to his adversary for any good -qualities he may seem to possess. He understands the power of public -opinion in England. He sees, in short, that there is in England a -fertile and responsive psychological soil ready to nurture and fructify -a hundred-fold the smallest show of "clean-fighting" he may make. -Accordingly, the order goes forth to the Turkish soldier to be on his -best behaviour whenever and wherever he is fighting British troops, and -the Turkish soldier obeys<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> with the blind obedience which is his chief -characteristic.</p> - -<p>That is the true explanation of the amazing fact that so many—though -not all—British officers and soldiers have written or spoken of the -Turk as a clean-fighter. It is well-known that some wounded Australians -who had the misfortune of falling into the hands of the Turks were most -brutally mutilated in the early part of the Dardanelles campaign. A -wounded and gallant young New Zealander told me at a Hampstead hospital -that the Turks "put three bullets into him," while he was being carried -to the rear of the fighting line on a stretcher. (In case my remarks -concerning the clean-fighting qualities of the Turk should be -misconstrued or misrepresented as in any way implying a doubt as to the -evidence of British officers and soldiers, I wish to say emphatically, -what hardly needs affirmation, that I regard such evidence as absolutely -above doubt or question.)</p> - -<p>The Russians said in one of their official <i>communiqués</i> that a number -of their wounded had been mutilated by the Turks.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p><p>Two Russian hospital ships have been deliberately torpedoed by -submarines manned by Turks and flying the Turkish flag.</p> - -<p>I do not of course suggest that there are no really clean-fighting men -among the Turks. There must be many such. It should be borne in mind in -this connection that, in the early stages of the war, the Turkish army -contained a considerable sprinkling of Christians—Greeks, Armenians, -Syrians, etc. But to label the Turks <i>as such and as a whole</i> as clean -fighters and gentle folk is to admit the success of the most subtle -propagandist make-believe of the war and the biggest hoax ever played -off by Oriental cunning upon a chivalrous and unsuspecting adversary.</p> - -<p>Armenians have known the Turk for centuries. They have known him <i>as he -is</i>, not as he affects to be in the presence of a European, and they can -claim credit for some knowledge of the subject. I venture to predict -that there is severe disillusionment in store for those who still -believe in the genuineness of Turkish "clean-fighting" and "chivalry," -when the British prisoners in Turkey return. Strange indeed must<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> be -this Turkish conception of chivalry to sanction the enslavement and -slaughter of women and children in hundreds of thousands, instead of -protecting them and their honour as the ordinary code of chivalry -demands.</p> - -<p>A Reuter telegram from Cairo published in <i>The Daily Chronicle</i> of -February 13, 1917, contained the following—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"It is learnt on reliable authority that the British, French, and -Russian prisoners who are employed on the construction of the new -line are treated most roughly by the Germans and Turks, and that a -large number are falling ill from dysentery and filling the -military hospitals at Aleppo. Those who have not been attacked by -dysentery have fallen victims to other diseases, resulting from bad -food, rough treatment, and overwork.</p> - -<p>"One of the tricks adopted by the Germans and Turks, in order to -throw dust in the eyes of the British regarding the treatment of -prisoners, was the honour paid to General Townshend, who was -returned his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> sword and accorded the best treatment possible. They -brought him to Constantinople, and made him write a letter of -thanks for the good treatment he and his men had received at the -hands of the Turks.</p> - -<p>"General Townshend did not know at the time he wrote this letter -what misery and hardship were awaiting his unhappy troops."</p></blockquote> - -<p>I may here quote in support of my contention one of the foremost living -European authorities on Near Eastern affairs, and one who certainly will -not be suspected of anti-Turkish prejudices—I mean Colonel Sir Mark -Sykes, M.P. Addressing a meeting at Kew on January 17, 1917 (I quote -from <i>The Near East</i> of January 19, 1917), Sir Mark said—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"The Turk, who in the last ten years had thrown back to the -primitive Turanian Conqueror, was not content with dominating, but -was now engaged in exterminating the Armenian, the Syrian -Christian, and the Arabs, and was even now beginning to bully the -Jews. The Turk had overthrown Islam as Prussia had overthrown -Christianity. Prussia had replaced God by Thor and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> Cross by -his hammer. The Turk had replaced Mohammed by Oghuz and Allah by -the "White Wolf" of the primitive Turks. No belief was to be placed -in that cloak of chivalry under which in exceptional cases the Turk -tried to hide his abominable acts.<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> He might treat General -Townshend well; but how was he treating the thousands of Indians -and Englishmen in his hands? If it were possible that the -Teuton-Turanian federation of violence could win this war it would -be twenty generations before mankind regained its liberty."</p></blockquote> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Since this chapter was written, the following authoritative -and important piece of evidence on this much-debated subject has -appeared in <i>The Weekly Dispatch</i> of March 4, 1917, from the pen of -General Sir O'Moore Creagh, V.C.— -</p><p> -" ... I have experience of the Turk. He is a merciless oppressor, whose -real character is often hidden behind a pleasant manner, and who is -ready to cut your throat with a sort of savage courtesy. Appeal to his -fanaticism, and in the trenches he has no fear of death; but he is very -subject, in case of reverse, to cowardly panic, which to a considerable -extent detracts from his worth as a soldier.... -</p><p> -"I know some of our men who have met the Turk both on the Tigris and in -Gallipoli speak of him as a clean fighter. Certainly when he meets his -match he fights fairly enough, but when he is an easy victor he is -remorseless and merciless; and robs, murders, and ravishes with the -unrestrained savagery which lies at the base of his character. The -British prisoners taken by the Turk in the present war have been -disgracefully treated, and, as we know, denied clothing, medicine, and -the ordinary necessaries of life, starved, and even refused shelter in -extremes of heat and cold. The people who are always ready to praise the -Turk as a clean fighter should remember that he has a lot to answer for -in the present war."</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> See Appendix, <a href="#Page_191">p. 188.</a></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> See Sir Edwin Pears's article in <i>The Contemporary -Review</i>, October 1916. (I note this with the deepest regret, for -Armenians are under a heavy debt of gratitude to Sir Edwin Pears for his -generous and authoritative defence of their cause in the past.)</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> In reply to a question by Colonel Yate in the House of -Commons on February 12, 1917: "Mr. Hope said repeated representation had -been made to the Turkish Government to allow U.S. representatives to -visit the camps, but up to now without success. Efforts, however, would -be continued. Information had reached the Government that the conditions -under which officers were interned were fairly satisfactory, but the -condition of other prisoners was deplorable."—<i>Evening Standard.</i> -</p><p> -<i>Truth</i> says, in its issue of February 21, 1917: "I have in my -possession a letter written last autumn by a British Army officer, one -of the defenders of Kut, who was then at a place called Vozga, 160 miles -from Tigris Valley railhead. The unfortunate prisoner complains bitterly -of the privations which he and others have to endure at the hands of the -Turks."</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> - -<h2>IV</h2> - -<blockquote><p>ANGLO-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP A VITAL NECESSITY FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS -IN ASIA—MOSLEMS AND TURKISH RULE—ARMENIANS PROGRESSIVE AND -DEMOCRATIC BY TEMPERAMENT</p></blockquote> - -<p>The exaggerated panegyrics on the virtues of the Turk, while the Turk is -at war with England and her Allies and Turkish emissaries are busy -making all the mischief they can among loyal subjects of the British -Empire, exploiting religion as a weapon of squalid intrigue, point to -the existence of influences which have been at work ever since Turkey -joined the war, to screen from public view and to palliate the enormity -of Turkish perfidy in making common cause with England's enemies in the -hour of England's difficulty. These same influences seem to regard with -disfavour the growth of Anglo-Russian friendship and would apparently -not be sorry to see some hitch or other occur that would weaken or -endanger the permanence of that friendship.</p> - -<p>This may be an unfounded assumption,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> and I hope it is. But if these -pro-Turkish and anti-Russian influences exist in fact, and gain enough -strength to exercise any influence on the course of events after the -war, it will be a calamity for the smaller nations of the Near and -Middle East, and in fact for all Asia. It will be a hindrance and a -deterrent to the tranquillity and development that has been so long -denied to these regions. Close and cordial friendship between England -and Russia are almost as indispensable a condition of life and growth -and progress to these backward countries as light and heat. It is -scarcely for me to say that it is also necessary for the future peace of -Asia and the world. The unnatural and unfounded mutual distrust that -shadowed Anglo-Russian relations throughout almost the whole of the past -century has been chiefly responsible for the woes and miseries of the -peoples of the Near East, Moslems as well as Christians. It has kept -back the clock of progress and civilization for at least fifty years. We -have felt its effect in our daily lives and regard any prospect of its -return with the utmost apprehension and regret. Pan-Turanian intrigues -under the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> cloak of Pan-Islamism will not end with the war. They will be -continued after the war by their protagonists, whose chief concern is, -not the interests of the Mohammedan religion, but the unscrupulous -exploitation of religious sentiment for personal ends, and the -disturbance of the tranquillity and ordered government which in the -present chaotic state of these countries are only possible under the -strong and just arm of British, Russian, or French protection. Any -weakening in Anglo-Russian friendship would give these intriguers their -chance, of which they would not be slow to take the fullest advantage, -with injurious consequences to the countries concerned and to the -general interests of peace. The best elements of Islam, and specially -the peasant populations which form the vast majority of the Moslem -world, know and have proved by their loyalty that they have nothing to -fear from Britain, Russia and France, who have always not only -respected, but fostered their religious interests and given them, in -addition, the inestimable blessings of freedom, justice, security and -prosperity such as they could never expect to enjoy under any other -régime.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p><p>It is idle to pretend that any subject race loves any form of -domination for its own sake. But many races and countries in Asia and -Africa are so situated that independence is beyond the bounds of -practicability. Any change would result in an exchange of one domination -for another. Some forms of domination are sincerely welcomed because, as -against the evil of domination, they have not only conferred upon the -peoples under their rule benefits and blessings which they themselves -could not possibly have achieved, but have allowed them freedom of -development on their national lines. Such in varying degrees is the -nature of British, French, Russian, and I may add, Dutch dominion over -the alien races under their rule. What has Turkish domination been to -its subject races? An unmitigated curse to Christian, Moslem and Jew -alike, with this difference, that while the Moslem and Jew have been -reduced by merciless taxation and robbery to extreme poverty, the -Christian races have been bled almost to death. The Turks have -deliberately fostered the criminal propensities of large sections of -their people and encouraged<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> their free indulgence to check the growth -and progress of the moral and civilizing elements in their dominions. If -some of the Moslems of India, Egypt or Tunis, whose sympathy with the -Turks on religious grounds every one will understand and respect, would -live under Turkish rule for a few months, I have no doubt they would be -completely cured of their love for the Turk as such, hasten back to -their homes and beg the British and the French to remain in their -countries for ever. Similarly, if it were possible for the most rabid -pro-Turks in this or any European country to live some time under the -Turk, disguised as Armenians or Syrians, they would also be cured and -more than cured of their admiration for the Turk; then only would they -come to understand his real nature.</p> - -<p>The following account of the experiences of some Indian pilgrims at -Kerbela at the outbreak of war, which appeared in <i>The Times</i> of June 6, -1916, bears out my contention—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"The Bombay Government have published the story of an Indian Moslem -pilgrim, Zakir Husain, who recently escaped from Kerbela (Baghdad -Vilayet), whither he went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> on pilgrimage with his mother and sister -in the summer of 1914.</p> - -<p>"Zakir Husain states that after the outbreak of war all routes -homewards were blocked, and the many Indian pilgrims at Kerbela -were subjected to the utmost discomfort and cruelty. The Turkish -authorities issued orders that the goods and women of Indians were -the legal property of those who plundered them. Their houses were -searched, their goods taken, and dozens of Indians were arrested -and deported to the Aleppo side, while their families and children -were left in Kerbela.</p> - -<p>"Throughout these fourteen months," he continued, "we never got -meals more than once a day. We could not get any work, and -consequently we had to beg from door to door in order to get a few -scraps of bread to eat, and the state of the women and children was -worse even than that of the men. For a man to be an Indian was -considered a sufficient reason by Turks to torture and imprison -him. We protested that we were Moslems, but they never paid heed. -They themselves are no Moslems, and do not act according to the -precepts of Islam. According to what I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> heard, the Indians in -Nejef, Kazimain, and Baghdad have also been treated in the same -cruel way as we were; hundreds have been deported and their houses -pillaged."</p></blockquote> - -<p>The following from <i>The Times</i> of December 26, 1916, is another -illustration of the way Turks treat Moslems of another race who refuse -to become the blind slaves of their political madness—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"Emir Faisal, commander of the Arabian forces in the vicinity of -Medina, has telegraphed to Mecca stating that the Turks have hanged -and crucified and employed every species of barbarity against the -population of Medina."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Turn now from that picture to the following appeal made to Armenians by -one of their principal Tiflis daily papers, <i>Mschak</i> (Labourer), of May -16, 1915—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"To-day the Moslem Benevolent Society is organizing a collection -for building and maintaining a shelter for the children of the -(Moslem) refugees. War causes suffering to the population of the -country without distinction of race or creed. Moslems as well as -Christians have to face the effects of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> the war, therefore the -scheme of the Moslem Benevolent Society to establish a shelter for -the children of Moslem refugees is deserving of all sympathy and -support. We are convinced that the Armenian community also, having -in mind the universal idea of humanity, will take part in the -collection and do their duty as a humane people and good -neighbours."</p></blockquote> - -<p>These incidents, small in themselves, bring into strong relief the -difference between the mentality and degree of civilization of the two -races. The Armenian appeal on behalf of refugee Moslem children at a -time when one half of their own race was in the throes of the most -ferocious of the numerous attacks made upon its existence, is also -incidentally a reply, more trenchant than the most eloquent argument in -words, to those pro-Turks who have from time to time expressed fears for -the rights of the Turks, Kurds, Tcherkesses, Kizilbashis, etc., in an -autonomous Armenia. Such a fear is either due to ignorance of the -characteristics of the races concerned, or to prejudice. It is -inconceivable that any Armenian Government would tolerate, much less -impose upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> orderly and good citizens, an injustice which Armenians -have themselves endured and struggled against for generations, and which -is, for that reason, abhorrent to their very nature. A study of the -Armenian Church organization will prove to the most sceptical that the -Armenian temperament is essentially democratic. In the smallest village -the candidate for priesthood must be elected by a vote of the -inhabitants before he can be ordained by the bishop of the diocese. The -Armenian deputies in the Russian State Duma as well as the late members -of the Ottoman Parliament are and were supporters of the Progressives. -Armenians who have risen to positions of influence in the service of -foreign countries have invariably used their influence in the cause of -progress. General Loris Melikoff as Minister of the Interior had -actually prepared a scheme for the reform of the Government of Russia -when his Imperial Master, the Czar Alexander II, died, and the scheme -was shelved. Nubar Pasha, the famous Egyptian-Armenian statesman, for -many years Prime Minister, was largely responsible for the abolition of -the <i>corvée</i> in Egypt, and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> introduction of many other reforms. The -writer of Nubar Pasha's biography in the <i>Encyclopædia Britannica</i>, -referring to his substitution of Mixed Courts in place of the -"Capitulations," says (Eleventh Ed., Vol. 19, p. 843), "That in spite of -the jealousies of all the Powers, in spite of the opposition of the -Porte, he should have succeeded, places him at once in the first rank of -statesmen of his period." Prince Malcolm Khan, for some years Persian -Minister in London, sowed the first seeds of constitutional government -in Persia, for the defence of which another Armenian, Yeprem Khan, laid -down his life while leading the constitutional struggle against Mohamed -Ali Shah. The first constitution of the Ottoman Empire, known as the -Midhat Constitution, was largely the work of Midhat Pasha's Armenian -Under-Secretary, Odian Effendi. These are but a few outstanding -instances. It must appear inconceivable to right-minded men that a race -with such a past record, achieved under all sorts of handicaps, will -either establish a régime of tyranny over other races or prove incapable -of self-government after a transition period under European advisers, as -is alleged by some.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> - -<h2>V</h2> - -<blockquote><p>ARMENIA AS A PEACE PROBLEM—VIEWS OF THE "MANCHESTER GUARDIAN" AND -THE "SPECTATOR"—CAN ARMENIANS STAND ALONE AMONG THE -KURDS?—AMERICAN OPINION AND THE FUTURE OF ARMENIA</p></blockquote> - -<p>Although the Allies have declared in their reply to President Wilson -that one of their aims is "the liberation of the peoples who now lie -beneath the murderous tyranny of the Turks," no official or -authoritative statement has yet been made by the Allied Governments as -regards the precise future status of Armenia. Mr. Asquith in his -Guildhall speech spoke of "reparation and redemption." M. Briand in a -letter to M. Louis Martin, Senator of the Var, published in the <i>Courier -du Parlement</i> (Paris) of November 12, 1916, says: "When the hour for -legitimate reparation shall have struck, France will not forget the -terrible<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> trials of the Armenians, and, in accord with her Allies, she -will take the necessary measures to ensure for Armenia a life of peace -and progress." M. Anatole France, in his speech at the great "Homage à -l'Arménie" meeting in the Sorbonne in April 1916, used these words: -"L'Arménie expire, mais elle renaitra. Le peu de sang qui lui reste est -un sang précieux dont sortira une postérité héroïque. Un peuple qui ne -veut pas mourir ne meurt pas. Après la victoire de nos armées, qui -combattent pour la liberté, les Alliés auront de grands devoirs a -remplir. Et le plus sacré de ces devoirs sera de rendre la vie aux -peuples martyrs, a la Belgique, a la Serbie. Alors ils assureront la -sureté et l'independance de l'Arménie. Penchés sur elle, ils lui diront: -'Ma sœur, lève toi! ne souffre plus. Tu es désormais libre de vivre -selon ton genie et foi!'"<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a></p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p><p>M. Paul Deschanel, the President of the French Senate, and M. Painlevé, -Minister of Public Instruction, spoke in more or less similar terms.</p> - -<p>The most recent authoritative reference to Armenia—and one which is of -special importance, coming as it does from a member of the Inner Cabinet -or War Council—is Mr. Arthur Henderson's statement in his conversation -with the correspondent of the <i>New York Tribune</i>, reported in <i>The -Times</i> of January 8, 1916, as follows: "Speaking of the part of Turkey -in the war, Mr. Henderson said that though Armenian atrocities were not -much talked about here, they had undoubtedly made a deep impression on -the minds of the working population, who, he thought, were determined -that never again should a Christian nation be under the yoke of the -Turk." These are comforting words indeed to Armenians, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> were those of -Mr. Asquith at the Guildhall. Nothing could give the Armenian people -more comfort and hope for the future than this assurance of the British -working man's sympathy—of which they never had any doubt—and his -determination to see them freed from the Turkish yoke once and for all.</p> - -<p>But here again Mr. Henderson—no doubt for very good reasons—gave no -intimation of the intentions of the British or Allied Governments -concerning the new status of Armenia after its liberation from the -Turkish yoke.</p> - -<p>It has been suggested that American opinion would favour annexation by -Russia as a means of putting an end to Turkish atrocities and -misgovernment of Armenia. This reading of American opinion is not -supported by President Wilson's statement in his historic speech to the -Senate that "no right anywhere exists to hand peoples from sovereignty -to sovereignty as if they were property." All the Allied countries, and -probably all neutrals, are determined to see the end of the Turkish -reign of terror in Armenia. But <i>annexation</i> by Russia or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> any other -Great Power, before the blood is dry of hundreds of thousands of -Armenians sacrificed for their faith and passionate adherence to their -ideal of nationality, must seem particularly unjust to all fair-minded -men in all countries, especially the great American democracy, who -themselves put an end to misgovernment of a much milder kind in Cuba, -but did not annex it. Indeed, having herself, jointly with her Allies, -solemnly laid down the "recognition of the principle of nationalities" -as one of the terms of peace stated in the Allied Note to President -Wilson, it seems unthinkable that Russia, on her part, would entertain -the intention of <i>annexing</i>, and especially of annexing a country and -people who have paid a terrible price largely on account of their -sympathy with and support of the Allied cause, and rendered services the -value of which Russia herself has generously recognized.</p> - -<p>It is argued in some quarters that the Armenian highlands are a -strategic necessity to Russia. There is a "scrap of paper" ring in such -an argument, and I for one cannot believe that the justice-loving -Russian<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> people would allow such considerations to override a solemn -pledge and the principle of common justice. An Allied protectorate with -Russia acting as their mandatory would place these strategically -important regions under practically as effective a Russian control as -outright annexation, while it would have the additional advantages of -giving real effect to the "recognition of the principle of -nationalities," and avoiding injustice, injury and affront to the -national sentiment of a people which has endured such grievous -sufferings and sacrifices to uphold that sentiment.</p> - -<p>As I write, two important references to the future of Armenia have -appeared in the Press. One in the <i>Manchester Guardian</i>—that old and -constant champion of wronged and suffering humanity—quoted by <i>The -Times</i> of December 30, 1916, as follows: "Another word -remains—Armenia—a word of ghastly horror, carrying the memory of deeds -not done in the world since Christ was born—a country swept clear by -the wholesale murder of its people. To Turkey that country must never -and under no circumstances go back...."</p> - -<p>The other reference is made by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> <i>Spectator</i> in its issue of December -30, in a leading article entitled "The Allied Terms." It says—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"The process of freeing nationalities from oppression must be -applied organically to the Turkish Empire. The Armenians, or what -remains of the race, whose agonized calls for help and mercy have -been heard even through the din of the present war, will probably -have to be placed under the tutelage of Russia. They could not -stand alone among the Kurds."</p></blockquote> - -<p>If by "Russian tutelage" the <i>Spectator</i> means the setting up of a -self-governing Armenia under Russian suzerainty, that would amount, in -my opinion, to the approximate realization of the hopes and aspirations -of the Armenian people, provided that by "Armenia" is understood the six -vilayets and Cilicia; provided also that Great Britain and France -retained the rights of Protecting Powers as in the case of Greece. -Anything short of this, any parcelling out of Armenia, either by -annexation or "tutelage" of different parts under different Powers, -would not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> only be irreconcilable with the "recognition of the principle -of nationalities" which the Allies have solemnly declared to be one of -their principal aims and terms of peace; it would imply an outrage upon -the ideal of nationality which is the ruling passion of Armenians -everywhere. Lynch, the great Armenian authority, has called the -Armenians "the strongest nationalists in the world." This ideal of -nationality has grown stronger, more alive and resolute than ever by -their services and unimaginable sufferings and sacrifices in the war. -"The little blood that is left them" has become doubly and trebly -precious to the survivors. They rightly feel that they have established, -and more than established, their title to autonomy and a strong claim -upon the whole-hearted support of the Allied Powers to enable them to -stand on their feet again and make a fair start on the road to -nationhood. If Armenia is cut up and parcelled out without regard for -this fervent living sentiment of Armenian nationalism, and their high -hopes and expectations are dashed to the ground, it will conceivably -engender in all Armenians a deep sense of wrong and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> injustice, an -intense discontent with the new order of things, that are not likely to -conduce to that contentment and that smoothness of relations between the -governors and the governed that are the essentials and the fundamental -preliminary steps towards setting these much-troubled regions on the -road towards good government, progress and civilization.</p> - -<p>The "principle of nationalities" and of "government by the consent of -the governed" will be applied all along the line: Belgium, -Alsace-Lorraine, Serbia, Poland, Bohemia, Transylvania, Arabia, Syria, -Palestine, will have restored to them or will be granted the forms of -government most acceptable to the peoples concerned. These true and -righteous principles, which will herald the dawn of universal justice -and morality in the treatment of their weaker brethren by the Great -Powers of Europe, will cease to operate only when Armenia comes to be -dealt with. Armenia alone, who has suffered the most tragic, the most -grievous and heartrending Calvary, shall be denied an Easter. Why? -Because the Armenian people have lost too<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> much blood; because they have -paid too high a price for their fidelity to their faith, the -preservation of their distinctive national life and their strong support -of the Allied cause. That would be an unspeakably cruel and bitter -climax to the unending nightmare of Turkish tyranny, the Great Tragedy -and martyrdom of the Armenian people. It will be nothing less than a -confirmation of the death sentence passed by Abdul Hamid and the Young -Turks on the ideal of Armenian nationality.</p> - -<p>Let those who speak lightly of <i>annexation</i> by Russia put themselves in -the place of the tens of thousands of Armenians who have lost wife and -children, sons, brothers, fathers, near or distant relatives, both in -massacre as well as in what they understood to be a sacred struggle for -liberty, to say nothing of their complete economic ruin. They would be -much more or much less than human if they did not feel a deep and -smarting sense of wrong at seeing all their appalling sacrifices and -important services result in a mere exchange of the <i>Kaimakam</i> for the -<i>Chinovnik</i>. It is far indeed from my purpose to put the two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> types of -official and the respective systems of government they represent on the -same level. They differ as day from night. In my opinion and to my -knowledge the vast majority of Armenians will welcome Russian suzerainty -with sincere satisfaction. But, after the ordeal of blood and fire -through which they have passed, they must feel, as I believe they do -feel with ample justification, that they have a right to a voice and a -liberal measure of participation in the government of their own country.</p> - -<p>I cannot do better than quote here a passage from Mr. Gladstone's great -speech on the Treaty of Berlin, which is applicable to Armenia, and than -which there could be no wiser, more just or authoritative guidance for -the formation of a sound and just view on the Armenian and kindred -problems—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"My meaning, Sir, was that, for one, I utterly repelled the -doctrine that the power of Turkey is to be dragged to the ground -for the purpose of handing over the Dominion that Turkey now -exercises to some other great State, be that State either Russia or -Austria or even England. In my opinion<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> such a view is utterly -false, and even ruinous, and has been the source of the main -difficulties in which the Government have been involved, and in -which they have involved the country. I hold that those provinces -of the Turkish Empire, which have been so cruelly and unjustly -ruled, ought to be regarded as existing, not for the sake of any -other Power whatever, but for the sake of the populations by whom -they are inhabited. The object of our desire ought to be the -development of those populations on their own soil, as its proper -masters, and as the persons with a view to whose welfare its -destination ought to be determined."</p></blockquote> - -<p>It may be argued that things have changed since 1878. The answer to that -is that principles are immutable. The only change is the cruel reduction -of the Armenian population. I ask, first of all: "Is it fair and right -and just that we should suffer massacre and persecution for generations, -and when the time for reparation comes, should be penalized because so -many of us have been massacred?" Secondly, it should not be forgotten -that although the Armenian<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> element of the population has been reduced, -the Turks and Kurds have also suffered very considerable losses. -Thirdly, the Armenians are much more advanced intellectually to-day than -they were forty years ago, while their neighbours—Turks, Kurds, and -others—are stagnating in the same primitive state as they were -forty—or, for that matter, four hundred—years ago. Another -circumstance which adds materially to the chances of success of an -autonomous Armenia is the existence of a number of nourishing Armenian -communities of various sizes in other countries—in the Russian Caucasus -and the Russian Empire, Persia, the United States, Egypt, the Balkans, -France, Great Britain, India, Java, etc.—which are at the present time -looking forward with enthusiasm and readiness for sacrifice, to "do -their bit" in the sacred work of the reconstruction of their stricken -and beloved Motherland.</p> - -<p>Coming to the <i>Spectator's</i> contention that "they (the Armenians) could -not stand alone against the Kurds," I can assure the <i>Spectator</i> that -there is no cause whatever for apprehension on that score, if only the -Russian Government and Army authorities<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> will agree to allow the -Armenians to organize under their guidance and supervision, immediately -after the war, a number of flying columns from among discharged Armenian -volunteers and soldiers in the regular army, for the specific purpose of -carrying out a "drive" from one end of the country to the other and -disarming the Kurds. The Armenian volunteers, of whom I speak in another -chapter, have had a good deal of fighting to do with the Kurds during -the war and have proved more than their match, in many cases against -superior numbers.</p> - -<p>The prevailing erroneous belief that the Armenians "could not stand -alone among the Kurds" has its origin in the fact that for centuries (up -to 1908) Armenians have been an easy prey to the Kurds by reason of -their being prohibited to possess or carry arms on pain of death, while -the Kurds were supplied with arms from the government arsenals, and -encouraged and supported in every way by the central government to -harass the Armenians. What chance would the bravest people in the world -have under such circumstances? Since 1908, when the prohibition of -carrying arms by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> Christians was relaxed, it is a well-known fact, -attested by European travellers, that Kurds never attacked Armenian -villages which they knew to be armed. Zeytoon and Sassoon have -demonstrated beyond question that when Armenians have met Turks on -anything like equal terms, they have proved their match. These isolated, -compact communities of fearless mountaineers were never entirely -subjugated by the Turks until the outbreak of the present war, when the -Zeytoonlis were overwhelmed by Turkish treachery and the Sassoonlis died -fighting to the last man and woman (<i>see</i> Blue-book, pp. 84 and 87).</p> - -<p>In 1905 the Tartars, who are nearly twice as numerous as the Armenians -in the Caucasus, made a sudden attack upon the latter in the Hamidian -style. But thanks to the equity of Russian government, Armenians in the -Caucasus were as free to carry arms as Tartars, so the Tartars soon -regained their "humane sentiments" and offered peace to stop further -bloodshed. I would recommend those who entertain any fears of Armenians -being able to defend themselves against Kurds or Tartars to read<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> -Villari's <i>Fire and Sword in the Caucasus</i> and Moore's <i>The Orient -Express</i>.</p> - -<p>At all events Europe will not be taking any risk in giving the Armenians -the opportunity of proving that they can "make good" in spite of the -Kurds, and also, as we hope, can gradually civilize the Kurds and other -neighbouring backward races.<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a></p> - -<p>As far as I know (in fact I have no doubt about it), Armenians are -prepared to take the risk of "standing alone among the Kurds", provided -that the Entente Powers afford them the necessary assistance during the -first few years of reconstruction and initiation, and above all, -provided that they enjoy the whole-hearted and benevolent good-will of -Russia, for which, it is as certain as anything human can be, their -great protector and neighbour will reap a rich harvest in the future—as -rich a harvest as that which Britain is reaping to-day for her act of -justice and statesmanship in South Africa.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> "Armenia is dying, but she will be born again—the little -blood that is left to her is the precious blood from which will arise a -heroic posterity. A people that refuses to die will not die. After the -victory of our armies, which are fighting for justice and liberty, the -Allies will have great duties to fulfil. And the most sacred of these -duties will be to bring back to life the martyred peoples, Belgium and -Serbia. Then they will assure the security and independence of Armenia. -Bending over her they will say to her: 'Rise, sister! suffer no more. -Henceforth you are free to live according to your genius and your -faith!'"</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> Armenians have from time to time opened schools for -Kurdish children, but their efforts were not successful, mainly owing to -the unfriendly attitude of the Turkish authorities.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> - -<h2>VI</h2> - -<p class="center">ARMENIA'S SERVICES IN THE WAR</p> - -<p>I have spoken earlier in these pages of the services of the Armenians to -the Allied cause in the war. What are these services?</p> - -<p>The Armenian name has been so long and so often associated with massacre -that it has given rise to the general but utterly unfounded belief by -those who have not gone deeper into the matter, that Armenians are -devoid of physical courage and allow themselves to be butchered like -sheep.<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> Where<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> this belief is not based upon ignorance of the facts -and circumstances, it is, I am bound to say, a particularly dastardly -piece of calumny upon a people who have groaned for centuries under a -brutal tyrant's heel, with an indomitable spirit that has ever been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> and -is even to-day the Turk's despair. The struggle that has gone on for -five or six centuries between Armenian and Turk symbolizes, perhaps -better than any event in history, the invincibility of the spirit of -Christianity and liberty and the ideal of nationality against -overwhelming odds of ruthless tyranny, the savagery of the Dark Ages and -the unscrupulous and mendacious exploitation of religious passion. That -struggle has been as unequal as can well be imagined, but we have not -permitted the forces of darkness to triumph over the spirit of Light and -Liberty, though the price paid has come very near that of our -annihilation. Nevertheless, we have been able, in this world-wide -struggle, not dissimilar to our own long struggle in the moral issues -involved, to render services to the cause of the Allies, which is the -cause of Right and Justice, and therefore our cause also, quite out of -proportion, in their effect, to our numbers as a race or our -contribution of fighting men as compared with the vast armies engaged, -although that contribution has been by no means negligible.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p><p>On the eve of Turkey's entry into the war the Young Turks employed -every conceivable means—persuasion, cajolery, intimidation, the promise -of a large autonomous Armenia, etc.—to induce the Armenian party -leaders to prevail upon the Russian Armenians to join themselves in a -mass rally to the Turkish flag against Russia. They sent a number of -emissaries to Russian Armenia with the same object. The Turk must have a -peculiar understanding of human nature, and not much sense of humour, to -have the <i>naïveté</i> to make such overtures to Armenians after having -persecuted and harried and massacred them for centuries. All the -Armenian leaders promised was a correct attitude as Ottoman subjects. -They would do neither more nor less than what they were bound to do by -the laws of the country. They could not interfere with the freedom of -action of their compatriots in the Caucasus who owed allegiance to -Russia. They kept their promise scrupulously in the first months of the -war. Armenian conscripts went to the dépôts without enthusiasm. How -could it be otherwise? What claim had the Turks<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> upon the sympathy and -support of their Armenian subjects? Is sympathy won by tyranny, or -loyalty bred by massacre? They (the Armenians) were placed in a most -difficult position. They were naturally reluctant to fight against the -Russians, and the position was aggravated by the fact that the Russian -Caucasian army was largely composed of Russian Armenians. But in spite -of these sentimental difficulties, mobilization was completed without -any serious trouble.</p> - -<p>Soon, however, Armenians began to desert in large numbers; the Young -Turks had joined the war against their wish and advice; they had not -their heart in the business, and, last, but not least, they were -harried, ill-treated and insulted by their Turkish officers and comrades -at every turn: there were exceptions, of course, but that was the -position generally in the closing months of 1914. Let me add that there -were large numbers of Turkish deserters also, and that the Armenian -leaders did all they could to send the deserters of their own -nationality back to the ranks, doing so forcibly in some cases. Then -came the defeat of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> Turks at Sarikamysh and the ejection of Djevdet -Bey and his force from Azerbaijan. On his return to Van, Djevdet Bey -told his friends: "It is the Armenians much more than the Russians who -are fighting us."</p> - -<p>The massacres and deportations began soon after the collapse of the -Turkish invasion of the Caucasus and Northern Persia, and it is only -after it was seen clearly that the Turks were determined to deport or -destroy them all that the Armenians in many places took up arms in -self-defence. There was no armed resistance before that, and the Turkish -and German allegations of an Armenian revolt are a barefaced invention -to justify a crime, a tithe of which not one but a hundred revolts -cannot justify or palliate. This is proved beyond all question by Mr. -Toynbee's concise and illuminating historical summary at the end of the -Blue-book on the Treatment of Armenians by the Turks during the war. -There was no revolt. But when the Armenians were driven to self-defence -under the menace of extermination, they fought with what arms they could -scrape together, with the courage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> of desperation. In Shahin-Karahissar -they held out for three months and were only reduced by artillery -brought from Erzerum. In Van and Jebel-Mousa they defended themselves -against heavy odds until relieved by the Russians and the Armenian -volunteers in the first case, and rescued by French and British cruisers -in the second. The Turkish force sent against the insurgents of -Jebel-Mousa was detached from the army intended for the attack on the -Suez Canal.</p> - -<p>Of course ill-armed, poorly equipped bands without artillery, wanting in -almost all necessaries of modern warfare, brave as they may be, cannot -possibly maintain a prolonged resistance against superior forces of -regulars well supplied with artillery, machine-guns and all that is -needed in war. Nevertheless, some of these bands seem to have succeeded -in holding out for many months, and it is believed in the Caucasus that -there are groups of armed Armenians still holding out in some parts of -the higher mountains behind the Turkish lines.<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> It will be -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>remembered that some weeks ago—I do not recall the date—a -Constantinople telegram reprinted in <i>The Times</i> from German papers -stated that there were 30,000 armed Armenian rebels in the vilayet of -Sivas. This is an obvious exaggeration, and it may simply mean that a -considerable number of Armenians were still defending themselves against -the menace of massacre. When the Russian army entered Trebizond a band -of some 400 armed Armenians came down from the mountains and surrendered -themselves to the Russians. Quite recently a band of seventy men cut -through the Turkish lines and gained the Russian lines in the -neighbourhood of Erzinjian.</p> - -<p>The Turks have repeatedly declared that the "Armenian revolt" threatened -to place their army between two fires. The particle of truth that there -is in this assertion is, as may be judged by the facts so far known as -cited above, that the Armenian resistance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> to massacre and deportation -proved to be more serious than they had anticipated, and that they had -to detach large numbers of troops and in some cases artillery and -machine-guns to keep these "rebels" in check. It is consequently -undeniable that Armenian armed resistance to deportation and massacre -has been a considerable hindrance to the full development of Turkish -military power during the war and has, in that way, been of material, -though, indirect assistance to the Allied forces operating against the -Turks. To this may be added the demoralizing effect that the deplorable -state of affairs created by the Turks in their dominions must have -exercised on the morale of their people.</p> - -<p>Such in general outline have been the services of the Turkish Armenians -to the Allied cause. It is not my purpose here to endeavour to appraise -the possibly ill-concealed, but not by any means ostentatious or -provocative, sympathy of the Armenians for the Allies, upon the sinister -designs of the Young Turks. I will content myself with the description -of a significant cartoon that appeared early in the war in the Turkish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> -comic paper <i>Karagöz</i> in Constantinople. The cartoon depicted two Turks -discussing the war. "Where do you get your war news from?" asked Turk -number one. "I do not need war news," replied Turk number two; "I can -follow the course of the war by the expression on the faces of the -Armenians I meet. When they are happy I know the Allies are winning, -when depressed I know the Germans have had a victory."</p> - -<p>The following extract from a dead Turkish officer's notebook, reproduced -in the <i>Russkaia Viedomosti</i> (No. 205), throws some light on the Turkish -estimate of the value of Armenian support in the war. "If our Armenians -had been with us," wrote this Turkish officer, "we would have defeated -the Russians long ago."<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a></p> - -<p>The services of the Russian Armenians to the Allied cause, but -principally, of course to the Russian cause during the war, have been of -a more direct and positive character and of far-reaching importance. -They may be divided into two distinct parts, namely,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> military and -political; and in order the better to explain the full meaning of the -Armenian "strong support of the Russian cause" (in the words of <i>The -Times</i>), I will deal with each of the two parts separately.</p> - -<p>The Armenian population of Russian Armenia and the Caucasus numbers, -roughly, 1,750,000 souls, and there are probably another 100,000 to -200,000 Armenians scattered over the other parts of the empire. They are -liable to military service as Russian subjects, and it is estimated that -they have given to the Russian army some 160,000 men. Apart from this -not negligible number of men called to the colours in the ordinary -course of mobilization, the Armenians, as a result of an understanding -with the authorities, organized and equipped at their own expense a -separate auxiliary volunteer force under tried and experienced guerilla -leaders, such as Andranik, Kéri and others, to co-operate with the -Caucasian army. This force contained a number of Turkish Armenians, -mostly refugees from previous massacres. Some twenty thousand men -responded to the call for volunteers, though I believe not more than -about ten thousand could be armed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> and sent to the front. The greatest -enthusiasm prevailed. Armenian students at the Universities of Moscow -and Petrograd and educational institutions in the Caucasus vied with -each other in their eagerness to take part in the fight for the -liberation of their kinsmen from bondage. Several young lady students -offered to enlist, but I believe all but two or three were dissuaded -from taking part in actual fighting. Boys of fourteen and fifteen years -ran away from home and tramped long distances to join the volunteer -battalions. It is recorded that an Armenian widow at Kars, on hearing -that her only son had been killed in battle, exclaimed, "Curse me that I -did not give birth to ten more sons to fight and die for the freedom of -our country."</p> - -<p>The volunteer force was not large, but it was a mobile force well -adapted to the semi-guerilla kind of warfare carried on in Armenia, and -the men knew the country. They seem to have done good work as scouts in -particular, though they took part in many severe engagements and were -mentioned once or twice in Russian <i>communiqués</i> as "our Armenian -detachments." Generous <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>appreciation of the services and gallantry of -the volunteers as well as of Armenians in the army has been expressed by -Russian military commanders, the Press, and public men. High military -honours were conferred upon the volunteer leaders, and His Imperial -Majesty the Czar honoured the Armenian nation by his visit to the -Armenian Cathedral in Tiflis, demonstrating his satisfaction with the -part played by Armenians in the war.<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a></p> - -<p>There are, of course, many Armenian high officers in the Russian army, -including several generals, but so far they have not had the opportunity -of producing in this war outstanding military leaders of the calibre of -Loris Melikoff and Terkhougasoff. General Samsonoff, "the Russian -Kitchener," was killed early in the war in East Prussia in his gallant -and successful attempt to relieve the pressure on Paris.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p><p>The political effect of the strong and enthusiastic support of the -Russian cause by Armenians has been to keep in check the discontented -and fanatical section of the Tartars and other Moslems of the Caucasus, -who would have been disposed to make common cause with the Turks -whenever a favourable opportunity should present itself to do so without -much risk to themselves. The Tartars and other Moslem elements of the -Caucasus are as a whole genuinely loyal to Russia, but the existence of -a minority who would welcome the success of the Turkish invasion cannot -be denied. Some of the Ajars did, in fact, join the Turks during their -invasion of Ardahan.</p> - -<p>All things considered, therefore, those who have any knowledge of the -racial and political conditions in the Caucasus will not, I think, -regard it as in any sense an exaggeration to assert that the -whole-hearted support of the Armenians—and I may also add, though in a -lesser degree, the Georgians—has contributed very materially to the -success of Russian arms in the Caucasian theatre of the war. The absence -of that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> support, or even mere formal or lukewarm support, would not -only most probably have had serious consequences for the Caucasus, it -would have left the whole of Persia at the mercy of the Turks; and who -can say what the consequences of such a catastrophe would have been on -Arabia, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and even the northern frontiers of -India itself?</p> - -<p>Nearly all the able-bodied Armenians in France, between 1000 and 1500 -strong, joined the French Foreign Legion quite early in the war. Some -Armenians came from the United States to fight for France. Only some 250 -have survived, I understand, most of whom are proud possessors of the -Military Cross.</p> - -<p>Propaganda in neutral countries has played an important part during the -war. The just cause of the Allies has had no stauncher supporters or -better propagandists than the hundred and twenty-five thousand or more -Armenians in the United States, while the Great Tragedy of Armenia has -incidentally added to the armoury of the Allies a melancholy but -formidable moral weapon.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> Pierre Loti, the well-known French writer, who was an -ardent Turkophile before the war, after adding his quota to the current, -and, one is constrained to say, cheap, comments on the lack of courage -and numberless other failings of the Armenians, adds the following P.S. -in his <i>Turquie Agonisante</i> (pp. 94-95) after a longer sojourn in the -country and closer contact with realities. (I give the translation from -the French.)— -</p><p> -"Before concluding I desire to make honourable, sincere and spontaneous -amends to the Armenians, at least as regards their attitude in the ranks -of the Ottoman Army. This is certainly not due to the protestations -which they have inserted in the Constantinople Press by the power of -gold." [This is a curious admission by Pierre Loti; one of the stock -cries of the Turkophiles is that the Turk is above "bakshish."] "No, I -have many friends among Turkish officers; I have learned from them, and -there can be no doubt, that my earlier information was exaggerated, and -that, notwithstanding a good number of previous desertions, the -Armenians placed under their orders conducted themselves with courage. -Therefore, I am happy to be able to withdraw without <i>arrière pensée</i> -what I have said on this subject, and I apologize." -</p><p> -Of all British games and sports Armenians in different parts of the -British Empire, the Dutch Colonies and Persia have manifested a natural -predilection for Rugby Football, in which physical courage comes into -play more than in most other games. In recent years the Armenian College -of Calcutta won the Calcutta Schools' Cup three years in succession, -which gave it the right to retain the trophy. I am glad to see in the -March issue of <i>Ararat</i> that the Boy Scouts of the same college, under -Scoutmaster Dr. G. D. Hope, have won the King's Flag, presented by His -Majesty to the troop having the largest number of King's Scouts in India -and Burmah.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> I may here point out that—though it is stated in the -admirable historical summary in the Blue-book (p. 649) that "the number -of those who have emerged from hiding since the Russian occupation is -extraordinarily small"—this number has been growing very considerably -of late, as may be seen from Mr. Backhouse's telegram to the chairman of -the Armenian Refugees (Lord Mayor's) Fund, dated Tiflis, November 27, -1916, published in the newspapers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> Compare an Armenian officer's evidence, Blue-book, p. 231, -" ... they laid the blame for this defeat upon the Armenians, though he -could not tell why."</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> In an article on "The Armenian Massacres" in the April -<i>Contemporary Review</i>, Mr. Lewis Einstein, ex-member of the staff of the -United States Embassy in Constantinople, says: "Talaat attributed the -disasters that befell the Turks at Sarikamish, in Azerbaijan and at Van, -to the Armenian volunteers."</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> - -<h2>VII</h2> - -<blockquote><p>ARMENIA THE BATTLE-GROUND OF ASIA MINOR AND VICTIM OF CONTENDING EMPIRES</p></blockquote> - -<p>No country and people have suffered so severely from the clash of rival -empires, both in war and diplomacy, as have Armenia and the Armenians, -so far as is known to the recorded history of the world. Her -geographical position has made Armenia the cockpit of ambitious empires -and conquerors, and the highway of their armies in Western Asia, much as -Belgium and Poland have been the battle-grounds of Europe. But whereas -in these European battle-grounds the invading armies have generally -moved east and west only, Armenia has endured the horrors of invasion, -time after time, from north, south, east and west. Then, again, Armenia -being a much older country, the record of her suffering from the -invading armies of her stronger neighbours, "hacking their way"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> through -her territory, extends over a proportionately longer period than that of -Belgium and Poland. Armenia has been invaded and ravaged in turn by -Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Parthians, Macedonians, -Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Tartars and Turks. Only during the -first century <span class="smaller">B.C.</span> did she succeed in subduing all her neighbours, and -establishing a short-lived empire of her own, extending from the -Mediterranean to the Caspian.</p> - -<p>The analogy between Armenia and her European co-sufferers from the ills -of aggressive Imperialism ceases altogether, however, when we come to -the period of Turkish domination. The blood-stained history of that -régime is well enough known. Periodic explosions have reminded Europe of -the existence of the inferno of unbridled lust, corruption and predatory -barbarism which this unhappy people have been fated to endure for -centuries. What has not been brought into sufficient relief is the fact -that this "bloody tyranny" could have long since been brought to an end, -or, at all events,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> effectively curbed, if it had not been for the -jealousies and rivalries of the great modern Christian empires. The -history of the acts of European diplomacy in regard to Armenia and the -Near East during the last sixty or seventy years is not one of which the -diplomats and statesmen concerned can be particularly proud. Who can -claim for them to-day to have served, in the sum total of their results, -either the interests of the Christian subjects of the Porte, the -progress of civilization, the material interests of the Great Powers -themselves, or the supreme interests of peace?</p> - -<p>Mr. Balfour says in his famous Dispatch to the British Ambassador to the -United States that "Turkey has ceased to be a bulwark of peace," thereby -implying, obviously, that Turkey had played that part before. Mr. -Balfour is a great authority on political history, and when he avers -that Turkey has been a "bulwark of peace" she must have filled such a -rôle at some period of her history. But to his Christian subjects, at -any rate, the Turk has never brought peace. He has brought them fire and -sword<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> and a riot of unbridled lust, rapacity, corruption and cruelty -unparalleled even in the Dark Ages. The only peace he has brought them -has been the peace of death and devastation. He has not even left trees -to break the awful silence of desolation which he has spread over this -fair and fertile land once throbbing with human life and activity. That -is the price paid for whatever part Turkey may have played in the past -as a bulwark of international peace. Professor Valran of the University -of Aix-en-Provence estimates the Armenian population of Turkey in the -beginning of the nineteenth century at 5,000,000.<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> The population of -the not too healthy island of Java was the same at the same period. -Under the excellent rule of the Dutch, the population of that island has -grown up to over 35,000,000 during the century. What has become of the -Armenians, one of the most virile and prolific races of the world living -in a healthy country? Let the friends and protectors of the Turk and his -system of government give the answer. In particular let those answer -who, with the Turks' black and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> bloodstained record of centuries before -them, have, nevertheless, the effrontery to maintain, at this hour of -day, that the Turk has not been given a fair chance. The blood of the -myriads of innocents who have fallen victims to the Turks' incurable -barbarism throughout these centuries, cries aloud against such a brazen -and deliberate travesty of the truth.</p> - -<p>One of the principal enactments of the Treaty of Paris was to admit -Turkey into the comity of the Great Powers of Europe. To-day, after a -probation of sixty years, at a fearful cost to her Christian subjects, -it is at last admitted that Turkey has proved herself "decidedly foreign -to Western civilization." Could there be a more crushing condemnation of -the judgment of the statesmen responsible for that treaty in regard to -the Turk? The more one studies the record of the Turk, the more one -marvels at the unbounded confidence placed in his promises of reform by -some of the greatest statesmen of modern times. In vain have I ransacked -the history books in search of an instance where the Turk carried out, -or honestly attempted to carry out, a single one of his numerous -promises of reform. Every one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> of them was a snare and a pretence -designed merely to oil the wheels of a cunning diplomacy or tide over a -momentary embarrassment. Whether it was the Sultan or Grand Vizier or -Ambassador, whenever the Turk made a promise to improve the lot of his -Christian subjects, he had made up his mind beforehand that that promise -would never be performed.<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a></p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p><p>Since the beginning of last century Russia has been, by reason of her -geographical <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>contiguity, practically the only Power which the Turk has -really feared. In contrast with the near Eastern policies of the Western -Powers, Russian policy has been almost invariably hostile to the Turk -since the days of Peter the Great. Of course, this was not always pure -altruism on the part of the rulers of Russia. But, whatever the motive, -Russian policy certainly coincided absolutely with the interests of -humanity and civilization. And while in the West the policy of -"buttressing the Turk" (in the words of the Bishop of Oxford) often met -with strong opposition among the democracies of England and France, -Russian policy in regard to the Turk has always enjoyed the unanimous -support of the Russian people, who being the Turk's neighbour and having -had several wars with him, knew his true nature from prolonged personal -contact. The one departure from Russia's traditional policy was Count -Lobanoff's regrettable—and I may say inexplicable—refusal to take -joint action with Britain and France to put a term upon the butcheries -of 1895-96, and adopt such effective measures as would perhaps have put -it beyond the power of the Turk to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> indulge again in his diabolical -orgies of cold-blooded barbarism.</p> - -<p>His fear of Russia, which acted as a wholesome restraint upon the -predatory tendencies of the Turk, was weakened by the Treaty of Paris -taking away from Russia her effective protectorate over the Christian -subjects of the Porte, and was removed altogether by the Treaty of -Berlin and the Cyprus Convention. The Turk was quick to understand that -the Western Powers would not permit Russia to intervene on behalf of his -persecuted Christian subjects. He saw that conditions were favourable -for putting into execution his "policy" of getting rid of his Christian -subjects, and he forthwith set to work to carry out his foul project.</p> - -<p>Events have proved the Treaty of Berlin to have been the masterpiece of -Bismarck's policy of "divide et impera." It created, as it was designed -to create, a deep and bitter feeling of mistrust and antagonism between -Great Britain and Russia, which gave Germany her chance of gaining a -strong foothold in the Ottoman Empire.</p> - -<p>The appearance of Germany upon the scene created new dangers, which -have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> proved all but fatal to the Armenian people.</p> - -<p>The Emperor William II, on his return from his pilgrimage to the Holy -Land, paid a visit to, and fraternized with, the murderer of 250,000 -Armenians who had died for the sake of the very Christ from the scene of -whose life the Christian emperor had just returned. This, by the way, -was in characteristic contrast with King Edward's refusal of the -Sultan's offer of his portrait about the same time. This act of the -great and humane English king has touched the hearts of Armenians, who -cherish a deep and reverent affection for his memory.</p> - -<p>The result of the Emperor William's visit to Abdul Hamid was the Baghdad -Railway and many other concessions, and no doubt a great scheme of a -future Germano-Turkish Empire in the East.</p> - -<p>I believe it was Dr. Paul Rohrbach, the well-known German writer on Near -Eastern affairs, who suggested some years ago that the deportation of -the Armenians from their homes and their settlement in agricultural -colonies along the Baghdad Railway would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> be the best way to make that -line pay quick and handsome dividends.</p> - -<p>Some time ago I read in <i>The Near East</i> the account of a conversation -between an American missionary and a German officer travelling together -in Anatolia. The German officer confessed that what he had seen was -horrible, more horrible than anything he had ever seen before; "but," he -added, "what could we do? <i>The Armenians were in the way of our military -aims.</i>" Supposing that resistance to massacre by Armenian men was -interpreted by the German agents in Turkey as being "in the way of their -military aims," what possible excuse could there be for the abominable -treatment, the torture, the slaughter, and the driving to misery and -death of hundreds of thousands of women and children? Were they also in -the way of their military aims?</p> - -<p>While the Turks were butchering Christians in their hundreds of -thousands, the German Emperor was presenting a sword of honour to the -Sultan of Turkey and showering honours upon Enver Pasha at his -headquarters. While thousands of Christian<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> children and women were -being mercilessly slaughtered and driven to death by Germany's ally, and -their bodies thrown to the wolves and vultures in the Mesopotamian -deserts, the German Government was making provision for the housing and -tuition of thousands of Turkish youths in the technical schools of -Germany to fill the places of the "eliminated" Armenians. What have -Christian Germans to say to all this? Do the Johanniter Knights, of whom -the Kaiser is himself Grand Master, approve of these proceedings? Do -they think that He who said "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of -these little ones, ye have done it unto Me" knows of any distinction of -race? How can German Christians, from their rulers downwards, face God -and the Son of God in the intimacy of their prayers after sanctioning -these black deeds which are the very negation of God and the teaching of -Christ? Do the rulers of Germany and Turkey and the protagonists of the -Reventlow doctrine believe that empires, railways, or any other schemes -of expansion, built upon foundations of the blood and tears of hundreds -of thousands of human beings, will endure and prosper and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> bring forth -harvests of plenty and peace and happiness to their promoters, their -children, and their children's children? They are mistaken. My word may -count for naught to the rulers and leaders of mighty states; but it is -true. We are an ancient people. "We have seen empires come and empires -go." We have been ground for centuries in the mill of the ruthless clash -of contending empires; but in spite of our long and bitter sufferings -our belief to-day is as strong as ever in the existence of another mill, -the mill of Divine Justice, which grinds in its own good time, and may -grind slow, but "it grinds exceeding small." Who will doubt or deny that -violence to women and children and unoffending, defenceless men, "every -hair of whose head is numbered," will not be forgiven by their just and -Almighty Creator; that the sacrifice of them for ulterior selfish -objects will not be overlooked? Political and military acts of the -mightiest empires, entailing injustice, violence and suffering to weaker -peoples will bring Nemesis in their train in due course. The idol with -feet of clay, sunk in the blood of innocents, cannot endure. Sooner or -later it must fall.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> <i>Le Sémaphore de Marseille</i>, November 20, 1915.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> I am indebted to my friend Mr. H. N. Mosditchian for the -following account of an incident which throws some light on the ways of -the Turk— -</p><p> -"The massacres of Sassoon in 1893-1894, first described at the time by -Dr. Dillon in <i>The Daily Telegraph</i>, and the first of the series that -drenched Armenia with the blood of over 200,000 of her sons and -daughters, raised such a cry of horror and indignation throughout the -civilised world that Great Britain, France and Russia, through their -Embassies at Constantinople, prepared a Scheme of Reforms, known as the -Scheme of the 11th of May 1895, and after much difficulty and long -negotiations obtained thereto the approval of Abd-ul-Hamid, 'the Red -Sultan.' -</p><p> -"I was with the Patriarch when the Hon. M. H. Herbert, Secretary to the -British Embassy, brought to the Patriarchate the good tidings of the -Sultan's acceptance of the Scheme. Upon his special advice, the -Patriarch sent there and then telegraphic instructions to all the -Armenian Bishoprics in the provinces to chant Te Deums in the churches -and to offer up prayers for the benign and magnanimous Padishah! -</p><p> -"I was again with the Patriarch a day or two after when telegrams began -to pour in from the provinces announcing a fresh outbreak of massacres -throughout the country. I hastened to the Embassies of the Six Great -Powers to give them the appalling news and to ask for their immediate -assistance. As is well known, they did or could do nothing, and the -massacres went on, unchecked and unbridled, assuming every day larger -dimensions and a better organised thoroughness...." -</p><p> -I called on Judge Terrell, the American Ambassador, also. "I am not at -all surprised," said he, "at these fresh massacres. I knew they would be -coming, so much so that the moment I heard that the Sultan was about to -affix his signature to the Scheme of Reforms, I hastened to the Grand -Vezir and insisted upon his sending telegraphic orders to all the Valis -to take good care that no American subject was hurt. The Grand Vezir -protested of course that there was no necessity for such orders inasmuch -as peace and security reigned supreme in all the Vilayets, but I told -him that I knew what was going to happen shortly as well as he did, and -refused to leave until he had despatched the telegrams in my presence." -Judge Terrell then told me that it had long been known to him that the -Valis of all the Vilayets had received standing orders from the Sultan -to massacre the Armenians (<i>a</i>) whenever they should discover any -revolutionary movement among them, (<i>b</i>) whenever they should hear of a -British, French or Russian invasion of Turkish territory, and (<i>c</i>) -<i>whenever they should hear that the Sultan had agreed to and signed a -Scheme of Reforms</i>.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> - -<h2>VIII</h2> - -<blockquote><p>THE BLUE-BOOK—THE EPIC OF ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM, THE REVELATION OF -HER SPIRIT AND CHARACTER—"TRUTH" ON THE ARMENIANS: A DIGRESSION</p></blockquote> - -<p>To realize, even approximately, the unimaginable barbarities that have -been committed by the Turks during the Great Armenian Tragedy of 1915, -it is necessary to read the Blue-book itself. But the Blue-book is a -bulky volume, and the average man or woman has so many calls on his or -her attention in these stirring and momentous times, that I fear it will -not be read as widely as it deserves to be read in the interests of -humanity, Christianity, and civilization. I have, therefore, thought it -desirable to quote a number of extracts which will give the reader some -idea of the nature and magnitude of the horrors chronicled in that -fearful epic of a nation's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> martyrdom, in the hope that they may thereby -reach a wider circle of the public.</p> - -<p>Apart from giving the reader a general idea of the atrocities -themselves, I have selected and grouped the extracts with the object of -calling attention to the incidental or subsidiary morals and lessons -they convey, which have received little or no notice in the Press -reviews. The Blue-book reveals the spirit, the character and the ideals -which lay hidden under the unattractive outside appearance of the -Armenians, upon which has been based their mostly superficial judgment -of them by European travellers. Often under the influence of a sense of -indebtedness for an escort of Zaptiehs "graciously placed at their -disposal by a kindly vali" (in whose harem were probably languishing a -dozen or more enslaved women), they have seldom paused to understand the -tragedy of the dour, subdued, anxious mien of the Armenian peasant seen -trudging wearily along in the highways and byways of Asia Minor. They -little realized that the Armenian lived under the strain of constant -terrorism; that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> never knew when the honour of his wife or sister -might be violently assaulted; when he might be stabbed in the back; when -his cattle might be driven away or his crops burned or stolen. He was -afraid even of a too attractive personal appearance, lest he should -excite the cupidity and jealousy of his Turkish neighbour. If he fell -upon his persecutor and slew him in defence of the honour of his -womenfolk, it meant the wiping out not only of his family but of his -whole village. His own government was his deadly enemy, bent upon his -destruction. This has been the tragedy of the Armenian's life for -generations. It has been little known in the West because Armenia is a -long way off, and few European travellers have stopped to look below the -surface. He has lived with the <i>yatagan</i> hanging over his head, like the -sword of Damocles, from birth to death. Virile, industrious, patient, -long-suffering, but never despondent, he has clung to his faith, his -soil, his ancient culture, his nationality and ideals of civilization -with a tenacity that centuries of "bloody tyranny" have tended only to -steel more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> and more. That he has succeeded in preserving the ideals -which have cost his nation such heartbreaking sacrifices is abundantly -proved by the Blue-book. Here is one evidence: "Mr. Yarrow, seeing all -this, said, 'I am amazed at the self-control of the Armenians, for -though the Turks did not spare a single wounded Armenian, the Armenians -are helping us to save the Turks'" (p. 70).</p> - -<p>But of all the tales of calm, dignified heroism in face of death -recorded in the Blue-book, W. Effendi's letter (p. 133, and 504 of the -Blue-book) written on the eve of his, his young wife's and infant -child's deportation to what he knew to be certain death, will ever stand -out as an impressive example of the noblest heroism, the highest -conception of the teaching of Christ and a complete triumph of the -spirit, unsurpassed in the annals of Christian martyrdom. "May God -forgive this nation all their sin which they do without knowing," wrote -this true follower of Christ, while he was making ready for his and his -loved ones' journey to sorrow and death. It recalls<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> the story of St. -Stephen's martyrdom. W. Effendi's letter and Nurse Cavell's immortal -words, "patriotism is not enough," strike me as the two most remarkable -utterances delivered spontaneously by heroic spirits in proof of the -bankruptcy of the "frightfulness" to which they were on the point of -falling victims.</p> - -<p>There was a short notice in <i>Truth</i> of January 31, 1917, in connection -with Armenia Day which contained the following remark: "Some people -despise these 'eleventh Allies' as a mercenary race, but others, like -Mr. Noel Buxton, depict them in a much more attractive light."</p> - -<p>With the reader's indulgence I will digress for a moment to deal briefly -with this totally unjustified stigma cast wantonly upon the character of -a sorely tried nation.</p> - -<p>In the unoffensive sense of the word the whole human family may be -called "mercenary." I have not met or heard of a race of men in any of -the explored parts of the earth, whatever their colour, creed, or degree -of civilization, who had any conscientious objection to the acquiring of -as much money<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> as they could acquire by legitimate and honourable means. -I do not suppose <i>Truth</i> itself is dispensing its very helpful "Rubber -tips" week by week solely for the good of humanity. But if it is -asserted that the Armenian race puts the love of gold before everything -else in life, such an assertion at this juncture is a particularly -ill-timed, offensive and unworthy aspersion. A mercenary race, forsooth! -If the Armenian race had valued gold above its loyalty to its faith and -nationality; if it had attached greater value to material prosperity -than to spiritual ideals and principles, it would have accepted Islam -centuries ago—Heaven knows the temptation was great—and won a -predominant position for itself in Asia Minor. It would be counted -to-day not by two or three, but by twenty or thirty millions. But under -the longest and bloodiest pressure endured by any people in history, -culminating almost in its extermination, it refused to sell its soul.</p> - -<p>Thousands of Armenians could have saved their lives by feigning to -accept Islam, but, with few exceptions, they refused to commit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> even -that measure of spiritual dishonesty, which would perhaps not have been -considered unpardonable under the circumstances. There is scarcely any -instance of an Armenian woman trafficking her honour for money; which -is, perhaps, the most eloquent refutation of the calumny.</p> - -<p>What good object has <i>Truth</i> served by giving currency in its columns to -this libel against an oppressed people, almost wiped out because of its -Christian faith and its sympathy for and support of the Allied cause? -Even if there were the remotest justification for it one would have -thought that <i>Truth</i> would have shrunk, at this dark and bitter hour, -from adding insult to the agony of a people plunged into sorrow and -mourning for the loss of half its number. But the assertion that the -Armenians are a mercenary race is not true. It is part of the propaganda -carried on by a very few people who are either blinded by unreasoning -prejudice, or have some special purpose to serve, or believe that they -are discharging some kind of duty by whitewashing the Turk and -blackening the Armenian. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> believe that these admirers of the votaries -of "bloody tyranny" on the Bosphorus are very few indeed in this -country. Whoever they are and whatever their motives, conscious of my -obligations to the generous hospitality of this country—for which I -cannot be too grateful—but taking my stand on the broader ground of -Humanity, I wish to say to them, "Though you are in Great Britain, you -are not of it; though this great, humane and Christian country may be -your physical home by accident of birth, you will find your congenial -'spiritual home' in the offices of Count Reventlow and the <i>Tanine</i>. -Charity, after all, is a matter between a man and his conscience and his -God. If you cannot give your money to a starving woman or child without -massacring them morally, while the Turk is taking their life, pray spare -your money and let the Armenian die; it will please the Turk and his -allies. Perhaps it would be more in harmony with your sentiments and -political faith to lend your money to your friend the Turk. When the war -is over he may need a fresh supply of arms, for even the tender limbs of -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> countless women and children on whom he has practised his -'chivalry' may well have blunted and worn his old stock."</p> - -<p>There are mercenary Armenian individuals as there are mercenary persons -in every nation. It may be that, debarred from government posts except -when he was indispensable, the town Armenian in Turkey, like the Greek -and Syrian, has been compelled to direct his energies into commercial -channels in a larger proportion than free and independent nations. -Naturally, also, through generations of ruthless persecution, the -Armenian nation has thrown up a flotsam and jetsam of indigents -wandering far and wide in search of security and the means of earning a -living. But to brand the whole Armenian race as "mercenary" is -malevolent nonsense, or credulity due to a total ignorance of the facts. -Seventy or eighty per cent. of the Armenians in Turkish as well as -Russian Armenia are peasants, farmers and artisans. That is -approximately true also of the Persian Armenians. Even in the United -States the majority of the immigrants have taken to fruit-growing in -California. Armenians who have the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> means to give their sons a good -education almost invariably make them follow a profession in preference -to commerce, as witness the number of Armenian university professors, -doctors, lawyers and some artists and painters of considerable merit in -the United States.<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> Probably no people have made the sacrifices made -by Armenians, in proportion to their means, for the relief of distress -during the war. There have been a few exceptions among the very rich -whose moral sense has been blunted by luxury and self-indulgence. They -can be counted on the fingers of one hand. They belong to that class of -cosmopolitan financiers and traders who are no more thrilled by the -music of their country's or any country's name; who are unmoved by the -cry of starving women and children of their own or any race; whose home -is the world and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> whose god is gold; who are no more the masters but the -slaves of money. But this, again, is not peculiar to Armenians; very far -from it. It is a fraternity that embraces members of every, or almost -every, race; and Armenians are barely represented upon it. It is -palpably misleading as it is inaccurate to assert that these represent -the Armenian nation. In fact, as far as my knowledge goes, the masses of -the Armenian people are ashamed of them, because their worship of gold -and vanity are alien to the national spirit, and bring discredit upon -the nation. For generations Armenian educational and religious -institutions have been maintained by voluntary grants; and I do not know -that any European citizen bears a heavier burden for the needs of his -nation than does the individual Armenian.</p> - -<p>It must not be supposed from what I have said that all, or the majority, -of rich Armenians have been deaf or indifferent to their country's need. -That would be a mistake and an injustice. On the whole their response to -the call of their afflicted country has been satisfactory, considering<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> -that they had obligations to the belligerent countries to which they -owed allegiance. I know of one contribution of £30,000,<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a> while ten -Moscow merchants raised a million roubles between them for their -nation's needs. A prominent Armenian physician has relinquished a large -and remunerative practice at Petrograd to superintend personally the -administration of an orphanage at Erzerum, which he has opened on his -own private account. The Catholicos's palace at Etchmiadzin was -converted into a hospital for refugees in the early months of 1915. -Almost every Armenian peasant family in the Caucasus have housed and -cared for one or more refugees in their humble cottages ever since the -influx of their distressed kinsmen from the other side of the frontier -in the spring and summer of 1915. I have not marshalled these facts in a -spirit of flaunting the virtues of my race—we certainly hold no -monopoly of all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> the virtues, or indeed of all the vices, to which human -nature is heir—but I know of no better way to disprove the baseless -aspersions assiduously disseminated by some interested people for -purposes of pro-Turkish propaganda and accepted by the credulous as -true.</p> - -<p>Lord Bryce has known the Armenian people longer and more intimately than -any eminent European statesman, historian and diplomatist has ever done -before, and his dictum will no doubt be generally accepted as that of a -great and final authority. I therefore make no apology for quoting his -lordship's most recent utterance on the subject reported in the <i>Journal -of the Royal Society of Arts</i>, February 2, 1917—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"Having known a very large number of Armenians, he had been greatly -struck, not only with their high level of intelligence and -industry, but also by their intense patriotism. He did not know of -any people who had shown greater constancy, patience and patriotism -under difficulties and sufferings than the Armenians. He personally -had always found them perfectly loyal.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> He had frequently had -occasion to give them confidential advice and to trust them with -secrets, and never on any occasion had he found that confidence -misplaced.... As a proof of their loyalty and devotion to their -country he might mention that the Armenians living in America had -contributed sums enormous in proportion to their number and -resources, for they were nearly all persons of small means, for the -relief of the refugees who had been driven out by the Turkish -massacres. No people during the war had done more in proportion to -their capacities than the Armenians had done for the relief of -their suffering fellow-countrymen. A large number of them were also -fighting as volunteers in the armies of France, where they had -displayed the utmost courage and valour in the combats before -Verdun."</p></blockquote> - -<p>To return to the extracts from the Blue-book. Group "A" affords a -melancholy abundance of indisputable evidence that it was not Kurds and -brigands alone who did Satan's work in Armenia, but that the chief -culprits were Turkish officials, high and low, officers, soldiers, -gendarmes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> and rabble; even a member of parliament took a turn! They not -only played the principal part in the vast and revolting carnival of -blood, lust and savagery, but they took a delight and pride in the part -they played, and laughed at the sufferings and tortures of their -victims.<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a></p> - -<p>Group "B" bears evidence of a heroism and fidelity in torture and death, -to faith, honour and the ideal of nationality, unsurpassed in the -history of mankind, which must redound to the eternal glory of -Christianity and to the honour of the Armenian name. I respectfully -suggest for consideration by the Heads of the Christian Churches that a -day should be fixed to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> commemorate annually the martyrdom of this vast -number of Armenian Christians.</p> - -<p>Group "C" contains proofs of the conduct of insurgent Armenians in the -unequal struggles for self-defence, and it should be remembered that -these are but a few instances, mainly of what was seen or heard of by -foreigners. The ruined towns and villages, the silent fields and -highways of this land of blood and tears, what secrets of desperate -heroism in defence of wife and child, mother and sister, these guard -will probably never be known. Group "C" also contains evidence of the -fact that the Turks had to employ considerable bodies of troops to -overcome the desperate resistance of Armenians in many places, such as -Moush, Sassoon, Van, etc. A third feature in this group is, that the -Turks attributed their defeats in the Caucasus to the Armenians.<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a></p> - -<p>Taken together, these extracts, and the Blue-book from which they are -taken, form a better mirror of the characteristics of the two races than -all that has been written<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> on the subject for a century. They show the -radical dissimilarity of their natures, and the vast difference between -the respective stages of civilization in which the two races find -themselves.</p> - -<p>Was it Buddha or Confucius who said that the principal difference -between man and the rest of the animal world is, that man possesses the -feeling of pity for the pain and suffering of his fellow-men or animals? -What would they think of this strange race of human beings who delight -in torture and murder, sparing neither sex nor age, nor even unborn -babes and their mothers; who inflict pain and jeer at their victims?</p> - -<p>I remember reading in one of Mr. Lloyd George's speeches not long ago: -"It is not the trials one has to go through in life, but the way one -faces them that matters," or words to that effect. This is as true of -nations as it is of individuals. "In the reproof of chance lies the true -proof of men," and of nations. How has the Armenian nation conducted -itself in this great upheaval and borne the terrible ordeal revealed by -the Blue-book: an ordeal the horror and magnitude of which it is -absolutely beyond<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> the power of the human mind to imagine? The Blue-book -itself furnishes the answer. From the first day of the war, Armenians in -all countries understood the nature of the issues involved. They had no -doubt on which side lay their sympathies, which were never influenced by -the varying fortunes of the war. They were exposed to grave risks and -paid a terrible price. Could there be a better proof of intellectual -rectitude and the sincerity of sentiment? This, I trust, will silence -for ever the dastardly reflections often cast upon the honesty of the -Armenian people. There are some dishonest Armenians as there are some -dishonest men in all nations. But, whether through prejudice, malice, or -ignorance of the facts, to brand as dishonest a whole people who have -been on the Cross for half a millennium for their religion and -patriotism, is unworthy of civilized and right-minded men.</p> - -<p>There are two other important facts which the Blue-book establishes -beyond dispute. There was no revolt. Indeed, it would have been sheer -madness on the part of the Armenians to attempt a rising when their -able-bodied manhood was with the colours. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> second fact the Blue-book -reveals is, that the Armenian party leaders did their utmost to dissuade -the Young Turks from joining the war. When the veil of war has lifted, -and Europe comes to know more of what took place behind the scenes in -Constantinople prior to Turkey's entry into the war, it will be seen how -near the personal influence and eloquence of the Armenian deputy Zohrab -came to turning the scale against the fateful and suicidal decision. -This brilliant young jurist, an intimate personal friend of Enver and -Talaat who sought his advice almost daily, was murdered by their orders -on the way to Diyarbekir. Armenians have been charged with a lack of -political aptitude as well as with treachery to the Ottoman Empire. I -would specially call the attention of those who hold these -views—Europeans, Moslems, and thinking Turks themselves—to the fact -that, at a time of crisis, it was the Armenians who saw clearly the path -of safety for the empire, and showed their loyalty to it, in spite of -all they had suffered in the past, by their councils of prudence to -which the Young Turks lent a deaf ear.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p><p>While on the subject of the Blue-book, I cannot refrain from saying -that I noted with profound regret the distinction that was evidently -made, in many cases, between Catholic and Protestant Armenians on the -one hand, and Gregorians on the other, in the efforts that were made to -save them from massacre or deportation. It is no secret that His -Holiness the Pope and President Wilson intervened through their -representatives in Constantinople, and possibly in Berlin and Vienna, to -stop the massacres. I record this fact with the deepest gratitude. Of -course no such distinction can possibly have been made by the Pope or -President Wilson, or their ambassadors; it was probably due to the -well-meant activities of subordinates or of local European or American -residents.</p> - -<p>No doubt it was better to save Catholics and Protestants than none at -all, but the very idea of any distinction being thought of, under such -fateful circumstances, is obviously contrary to the spirit of -Christianity, and the passages referring to it make sad reading to a -Christian.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> Visitors to the San Francisco Exhibition will have seen -and admired the work of the Armenian sculptor Haik Partigian, whose -exhibits, I am told by one who saw them, were among the best, if not the -best, of all the exhibits in the Sculpture Section. Russia's great -marine painter Aivazovsky was an Armenian. The recently instituted -Society of Armenian Artists is holding its first exhibition in Tiflis at -the time of writing.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> It was reported in the Tiflis papers, after the above was -written, that Mr. Mantashian, the Baku oil king, has made a further -donation of £60,000 for agricultural improvements, and offered thirty -thoroughbreds to improve the breed of horses in Armenia.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> Some of the most distressing and disgraceful cases of -Turkish bestiality appeared in Doctor (Major) Aspland's report on the -hospital at Van, which was under his charge as representative of the -Lord Mayor's Armenian Relief Fund. Describing some of the individual -cases brought to him for treatment, Dr. Aspland says— -</p><p> -"Here is a young woman leaving hospital to-day, who was raped by eight -Kurds. She has suffered for months, and even now, in spite of -operations, will be crippled for the rest of her life. Here is <i>a small -girl aged five, similarly treated by Turks</i>, and is now lying in plaster -of Paris in order to recover from injury to the hip joint."—(<i>Ararat</i>, -October 1916, p. 172.)</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> Compare this with the diary of a Turkish officer, reported -in the <i>Russkaia Viedomosti</i> (p. 75).</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> - -<h2>IX</h2> - -<p class="center">EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE-BOOK</p> - - -<h3><i>Group A</i></h3> - -<p>"The Archbishop of Erzeroum, His Grace Sempad, who, with the Vali's -authorization, was returning to Constantinople, was murdered at -Erzindjan by the brigands in the service of the Union and Progress -Committee. The bishops of Trebizond, Kaisaria, Moush, Bitlis, Sairt, and -Erzindjan have all been murdered by order of the Young Turk Government" -(p. 23).</p> - -<p>"The shortest method for disposing of the women and children -concentrated in the various camps was to burn them. Fire was set to -large wooden sheds in Alidjan, Megrakom, Khaskegh, and other Armenian -villages, and these absolutely helpless women and children were roasted -to death.... And the executioners, who seem to have been unmoved by this -unparalleled savagery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> grasped infants by one leg and hurled them into -the fire, calling out to the burning mothers: 'Here are your lions'" (p. -86).</p> - -<p>"The Turks boasted of having now got rid of all the Armenians. I heard -it from the officers myself, how they revelled in thought that the -Armenians had been got rid of" (p. 88).</p> - -<p>"It was heartrending to hear the cries of the people and children who -were being burnt to death in their houses. The soldiers took great -delight in hearing them, and when people who were out in the streets -during the bombardment fell dead the soldiers merely laughed at them" -(p. 90).</p> - -<p>"Every officer boasted of the number he had personally massacred as his -share in ridding Turkey of the Armenian race" (p. 90).</p> - -<p>"Mehmed Effendi, the Ottoman deputy for Gendje (Ginj), collected about -forty women and children and killed them" (p. 94).</p> - -<p>"Of the other children, a girl was taken away and only escaped many -months later when the Russians came. Very reluctantly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> she poured out -her story to the Stapletons, from which it appeared that she had been -handed round to ten officers after the murder of her husband and his -mother, to be their sport" (p. 225).</p> - -<p>"'See what care the Government is taking of the Armenians,' the Vali -said, and she returned home surprised and pleased; but when she visited -the Orphanage again several days later, there were only thirteen of the -700 children left—the rest had disappeared. They had been taken, she -learnt, to a lake six hours' journey by road from the town and drowned" -(p. 260).</p> - -<p>"Sister D. A. was told, at Constantinople, that Turks of all parties -were united in their approval of what was being done to the Armenians, -and that Enver Pasha openly boasted of it as his personal achievement. -Talaat Bey, too, was reported to have remarked, on receiving news of -Vartkes's<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>assassination: 'There is no room in the Empire for both -Armenians and Turks. Either they had to go or we" (p. 261).</p> - -<p>"A crowd of Turkish women and children follow the police about like a -lot of vultures, and seize anything they can lay their hands on, and -when the more valuable things are carried out of a house by the police, -they rush in and take the balance. I see this performance every day with -my own eyes" (p. 289).</p> - -<p>"It was a real extermination and slaughter of the innocents, an -unheard-of thing, a black page stained with the flagrant violation of -the most sacred rights of humanity, of Christianity, of nationality" (p. -291).</p> - -<p>"When the Governor was petitioned to allow the infants to be entrusted -to charitable Moslem families, to save them from dying on the journey, -he replied: 'I will not leave here so much as the odour of the -Armenians; go away into the deserts of Arabia and dump your Armenia -there'" (p. 328).</p> - -<p>"P. P., the college blacksmith, was so terribly beaten that a month -later he was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> still unable to walk. Another was shod with horse-shoes. -At Y., Mr. A. D. (brother-in-law of the pastor, A. E., who suffered -martyrdom at Sivas twenty-one years ago) had his finger-nails torn out -for refusing to accept Islam. 'How,' he had answered, 'can I abandon the -Christ whom I have preached for twenty-years?'" (p. 378.)</p> - -<p>"In Angora I learned that the tanners and the butchers of the city had -been called to Asi Yozgad, and the Armenians committed to them for -murder. The tanner's knife is a circular affair, while the butcher's -knife is a small axe, and they killed people by using the instruments -which they knew best how to use" (p. 385).</p> - -<p>"The Ottoman Bank President showed bank-notes soaked with blood and -struck through with daggers with the blot round the hole, and some torn -that had evidently been ripped from the clothing of people who had been -killed—and these were placed on ordinary deposit in the bank by Turkish -Officers" (p. 386).</p> - -<p>"One girl had hanged herself on the way;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> others had poison with them. -Mothers were holding out their beautiful babies and begging the -missionaries to take them" (p. 403).</p> - -<p>"What was the meaning of all this? It was the deathblow aimed at -Christianity in Turkey, or, in other words, the extermination of the -Armenian people—their extermination or amalgamation" (p. 404).</p> - -<p>"During the weary days of travel I had as my companion a Turkish -captain, who, as the hours dragged by, came to look on me with less of -suspicion, growing quite friendly at times. Arrived at —— the captain -went out among the Armenian crowd and soon returned with an Armenian -girl of about fifteen years. She was forced into a compartment of an -adjoining railway coach, in company with a Turkish woman. When she saw -that her mother was not allowed to accompany her, she began to realize -something of the import of it all. She grew frantic in her efforts to -escape, scratching at the window, begging, screaming, tearing her hair -and wringing her hands, while the equally grief-crazed mother stood on -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> railway platform, helpless in her effort to save her daughter. The -captain, seeing the unconcealed disapproval in my face, came up and -said: 'I suppose, Effendi, you don't approve of such things, but let me -tell you how it is. Why, this girl is fortunate. I'll take her home with -me, raise her as a Moslem servant in my house. She will be well cared -for and saved from a worse fate—besides that, I even gave the mother a -lira gold piece for the girl.' And, as though that were not convincing -enough, he added: 'Why, these scoundrels have killed two of our Moslems -right here in this city, within the last few days,' as though that were -excuse enough, if excuse were needed, for annihilating the whole -Armenian race. I could not refrain from giving him my version of the -rotten, diabolical scheme, which, however, fell from his back like -water" (p. 410).</p> - -<p>"I learned here, too, of a nurse who had been in one of the mission -hospitals, who two days before my arrival there had become almost crazed -by the fear of falling into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> hands of the human fiends, and had -ended her life with poison. Were these isolated or unusual instances, it -would excite no comment in this year of unusual things, but when we know -of these things going on all over the empire, repeated in thousands of -instances, we begin to realize the enormity of the crimes committed. I -spoke again to the captain: 'Why are you taking such brutal measures to -accomplish your aim? Why not accept the offer of a friendly nation, -which offers to pay transportation if you will send these people out of -the country to a place of safety?' He replied: 'Why, don't you -understand, we don't want to have to repeat this thing again after a few -years? It's hot down in the deserts of Arabia, and there is no water, -and these people can't stand a hot climate, don't you see?' Yes, I saw. -Any one could see what would happen to most of them, long before Arabia -was reached" (p. 411).</p> - -<p>"Crowds of Turkish women were going about insolently prying into house -after house to find valuable rugs or other articles" (p. 411).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p><p>"The nation is being systematically done to death by a cruel and crafty -method, and their extermination is only a question of time" (p. 432).</p> - -<p>"Women with little children in their arms, or in the last days of -pregnancy, were driven along under the whip like cattle. Three different -cases came under my knowledge where the woman was delivered on the road, -and because her brutal driver hurried her along, she died of hæmorrhage" -(p. 472).</p> - -<p>"I saw one young woman drop down exhausted. The Turk gave her two or -three blows with his stick and she raised herself painfully" (p. 484).</p> - -<p>"I saw two women, one of them old, the other very young and very pretty, -carrying the corpse of another young woman; I had scarcely passed them -when cries of terror arose. The girl was struggling in the clutches of a -brute who was trying to drag her away. The corpse had fallen to the -ground, the girl, now half-unconscious, was writhing by the side of it, -the old woman was sobbing and wringing her hands" (p. 564).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p><p>"Sixteen hundred Armenians have had their throats cut in the prisons of -Diyarbekir. The Arashnort (bishop) was mutilated, drenched with alcohol, -and burnt alive in the prison yard, in the middle of a carousing crowd -of gendarmes, who even accompanied the scene with music. The massacres -at Benia, Adiaman, the Selefka have been carried out deliberately; -<i>there is not a single male left above the age of 13 years</i>; the girls -have been outraged mercilessly; we have seen their mutilated corpses -tied together in batches of four, eight, or ten, and cast into the -Euphrates. The majority had been mutilated in an indescribable manner" -(p. 21).</p> - -<p>"Five hundred young men were shot outside the town without any -formality. During the following two days the same process was carried -out with heartless and cold-blooded thoroughness in the eighty Armenian -villages of Ardjish, Adiljevas, and the rest of the district north of -Lake Van. In this manner some 24,000 Armenians were killed in three -days, their young women carried away and their homes looted" (p. 73).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p><p>"According to Turkish Government statistics 120,000 Armenians were -killed in this district" (p. 95).</p> - -<p>"The immense procession, sinking under its agony and fatigue, forces -itself along and moves forward without respite.... No pen can describe -what this tragic procession has endured, or what experiences it has -lived through, on its interminable road. The least detail of them makes -the human heart quail, and draws an unquenchable stream of bitter tears -from one's eyes.... Each fraction of the long procession has its -individual history, its especial pangs.... Here is a mother with her six -children, one on her back, the second clasped to her breast; the third -falls down on the road, and cries and wails because it cannot drag -itself further. The three others begin to wail in sympathy, and the poor -mother stands stock still, tearless, like a statue, utterly powerless to -help" (p. 197).</p> - -<p>"Babies were shot in their mothers' arms, small children were horribly -mutilated, women were stripped and beaten. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> villages were not -prepared for attack; many made no resistance; others resisted until -their ammunition gave out" (p. 36).</p> - -<p>"A little bride and a slim young girl sidled up to our wagon to talk. In -reply to our talk they told us that they were 'busy taking care of the -babies.' We asked what babies, and they said: 'Oh, those the effendis -stop here; the mothers nurse them and then go.' We asked if there were -many, and were told that every house was full. We were watched too -closely to make calls possible. Afterwards we found an officer ready to -talk, who said: 'We take them off after a while and kill them. What can -we do? The mothers cannot take them, and the Government cannot take care -of them for ever'" (p. 359).</p> - -<p>"This frightful suffering inspires no pity in the ruthless officials, -who throw themselves upon their wretched victims, armed with whips and -cudgels, without distinction of sex or age" (p. 414).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> - -<h3><i>Group B</i></h3> - -<p>"Many Armenian women preferred to throw themselves into the Euphrates -with their infants, or committed suicide in their homes. The Euphrates -and Tigris have become the sepulchre of thousands of Armenians" (p. 14).</p> - -<p>"While the Armenian refugees had been mutually helpful and -self-sacrificing, these Moslems showed themselves absolutely selfish, -callous and indifferent to each other's suffering" (p. 42).</p> - -<p>"Many went mad and threw their children away; some knelt down and prayed -amid the flames in which their bodies were burning; others shrieked and -cried for help which came from nowhere" (p. 86).</p> - -<p>"Several young women, who were in danger of falling into the Turks' -hands, threw themselves from the rocks, some of them with their infants -in their arms" (p. 87).</p> - -<p>"Among the massacred were two monks, one of them being the Father -Superior of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> Sourp Garabed, Yeghishe Vartabed, who had a chance of -escaping, but did not wish to be separated from his flock, and was -killed with them" (p. 96).</p> - -<p>"In some cases safety was bought by professing Mohammedanism, but many -died as martyrs to the faith" (p. 102).</p> - -<p>"The mother resisted, and was thrown over a bridge by one of the Turks. -The poor woman broke her arm, but her mule-driver dragged her up again. -Again the same Turks threw her down, with one of her daughters, from the -top of the mountain. The moment the married daughter saw her mother and -sister thrown down, she thrust the baby in her arms upon another woman, -ran after them, crying, 'Mother, mother!' and threw herself down the -same precipice" (p. 274).</p> - -<p>"Sirpouhi and Santukht, two young women of Ketcheurd, a village east of -Sivas, who were being led off to the harem, by Turks, threw themselves -into the river Halys, and were drowned with their infants in their arms. -Mlle. Sirpouhi, the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>nineteen-year-old daughter of Garabed Tufenjjian of -Herag, a graduate of the American College of Marsovan, was offered the -choice of saving herself by embracing Islam and marrying a Turk. -Sirpouhi retorted that it was an outrage to murder her father and then -make her a proposal of marriage. She would have nothing to do with a -godless and a murderous people; whereupon she, and seventeen other -Armenian girls who had refused conversion, were shamefully ill-treated -and afterwards killed near Tchamli-Bel gorge" (p. 325).</p> - -<p>"Many began to doubt even the existence of God. Under the severe strain -many individuals became demented, some of them permanently. There were -also some examples of the greatest heroism and faith, and some started -out on the journey courageously and calmly, saying in farewell: 'Pray -for us. We shall not see you again in this world, but some time we shall -meet again'" (p. 335).</p> - -<p>"'No, I cannot see what you see, and I cannot accept what I cannot -understand.' So the ox-carts came to the door and took<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> the family away. -The wife was a delicate lady and the two beautiful daughters well -educated. They were offered homes in harems, but said: 'No, we cannot -deny our Lord. We will go with our father'" (p. 354).</p> - -<p>"In a mountain village there was a girl who made herself famous. Here, -as everywhere else, the men were taken out at night and pitifully -killed. Then the women and children were sent in a crowd, but a large -number of young girls and brides were kept behind. This girl, who had -been a pupil in the school at X., was sent before the Governor, the -Judge, and the Council together, and they said to her: 'Your father is -dead, your brothers are dead, and all your other relatives are gone, but -we have kept you because we do not wish to make you suffer. Now just be -a good Turkish girl and you shall be married to a Turkish officer and be -comfortable and happy.' It is said that she looked quietly into their -faces and replied: 'My father is not dead, my brothers are not dead; it -is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> true you have killed them, but they live in Heaven. I shall live -with them. I can never do this if I am unfaithful to my conscience. As -for marrying, I have been taught that a woman must never marry a man -unless she loves him. This is a part of our religion. How can I love a -man who comes from a nation that has so recently killed my friends? I -should neither be a good Christian girl nor a good Turkish girl if I did -so. Do with me what you wish.' They sent her away, with the few other -brave ones, into the hopeless land. Stories of this kind can also be -duplicated" (p. 355).</p> - -<p>"The men were finally convinced of the uselessness of their efforts when -one of the younger and prettiest girls spoke up for herself and said: -'No one can mix in my decisions; I will not "turn" [change her -religion], and it is I myself that say it'" (p. 357).</p> - -<p>"Mr. A. F., a colporteur, had been willing to embrace Islam, but his -wife refused to recognize his apostasy, and declared that she would go -into exile with the rest of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> people, so he went with his wife and -was killed" (p. 378).</p> - -<p>"Again and again they said to me: 'Oh, if they would only kill me now, I -would not care; but I fear they will try to force me to become a -Mohammedan'" (p. 403).</p> - -<p>"When we consider the number forced into exile and the number beaten to -death and tortured in a thousand ways, the comparatively small number -that turned Moslem is a tribute to the staunchness of their hold on -Christianity" (p. 413).</p> - -<p>"If the events of the past year demonstrate anything, they show the -practical failure of Mohammedanism in its struggle for existence against -Christianity—in its attempt to eliminate a race which, because of -Christian education, has been proving increasingly a menace to -stagnating Moslem civilization. We may call it political necessity or -what not, but in essence it is a nominally ruling class, jealous of a -more progressive Christian race, striving by methods of primitive -savagery to maintain the leading place" (p. 413).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span></p><p>"The courage of that brave little doctor's wife, who knew she must take -her two babies and face starvation and death with them! Many began to -come to her home—to her, for comfort and cheer, and she gave it. I have -never seen such courage before. You have to go to the darkest places of -the earth to see the brightest lights, to the most obscure spot to find -the greatest heroes.</p> - -<p>"Her bright smile, with no trace of fear in it, was like a beacon light -in that mud village, where hundreds were doomed.</p> - -<p>"It was not because she did not understand how they felt; she was one of -them. It was not because she had no dear ones in peril; her husband was -far away, ministering to those who were sending her and her babies to -destruction" (p. 418).</p> - -<p>"One woman gave birth to twins in one of those crowded trucks, and -crossing a river she threw both her babies and then herself into the -water" (p. 420).</p> - -<p>"And how are the people going? As they came into B. M., weary and with -swollen and bleeding feet, clasping their babes to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> their breasts, they -utter not one murmur or word of complaint; but you see their eyes move -and hear the words: 'For Jesus' sake, for Jesus' sake!'" (p. 478).</p> - -<p>"Let me quote from W. Effendi, from a letter he wrote a day before his -deportation with his young wife and infant child and with the whole -congregation—</p> - -<p>"'We now understand that it is a great miracle that our nation has lived -so many years amongst such a nation as this. From this we realize that -God can and has shut the mouths of lions for many years. May God -restrain them! I am afraid they mean to kill some of us, cast some of us -into most cruel starvation and send the rest out of this country; so I -have very little hope of seeing you again in this world. But be sure -that, by God's special help, I will do my best to encourage others to -die manly. I will also look for God's help for myself to die as a -Christian. May this country see that, if we cannot live here as men, we -can die as men. May many die as men of God. May God forgive this nation -all their sin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> which they do without knowing. May the Armenians teach -Jesus' life by their death, which they could not teach by their life or -have failed in showing forth. It is my great desire to see a Reverend -Ali, or Osman, or Mohammed. May Jesus soon see many Turkish Christians -as the fruit of His blood.</p> - -<p>"'May the war end soon, in order to save the Moslems from their cruelty -(for they increase in that from day to day) and from their ingrained -habit of torturing others. Therefore we are waiting on God, for the sake -of the Moslems as well as of the Armenians. May He appear soon'" (p. -504).</p> - -<p>"Before the girls were taken, the Kaimakam asked each one, in the -presence of the Principal of the College, whether they wanted to become -Mohammedans and stay, or go. They all replied that they would go. Only -Miss H. became a Mohammedan, and went to live with G. Professors E. and -F. F. had been arrested with other Armenians, but in the name of all the -teachers some £250 to £300 were presented to the officials, and so they -were let free" (p. 370).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p><p>"The priests were among the first to be sent off. A Turk described how -K. K. was killed. They stripped him of all his clothes, excepting his -underclothing. With his hands bound behind his back, he knelt, with his -son beside him, and they finished him off with axes, while he was -praying. The same description was given of the execution of L. L.—how -they took off his head by hacking down into his shoulders with axes and -carving the head out like a bust" (p. 371).</p> - -<h3><i>Group C</i></h3> - -<p>"But the [Armenian] revolutionists conducted themselves with remarkable -restraint and prudence; controlled their hot-headed youth; patrolled the -streets to prevent skirmishes; and bade the villagers endure in silence: -better a village or two burned unavenged than that any attempt at -reprisals should furnish an excuse for massacre" (p. 33).</p> - -<p>"Some of the rules for their men [the Armenian defenders of Van] were: -'Keep<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> clean; do not drink; tell the truth; do not curse the religion of -the enemy'" (p. 35).</p> - -<p>"But, enraged as Djevdet was by this unexpected and prolonged -resistance, was it to be hoped that he could be persuaded to spare the -lives of one of these men, women and children?" (p. 39).</p> - -<p>"Not all the Turks had fled from the city [Van]. Some old men and women -and children had stayed behind, many of them in hiding. The Armenian -soldiers, unlike Turks, were not making war on such" (p. 41).</p> - -<p>"Our Turkish refugees cost us a fearful price.... Then, for four days -more, two Armenian nurses cared for the [Turkish] sick ones at night and -an untrained man nurse helped me during the daytime" (p. 42).</p> - -<p>"Mr. Yarrow, seeing all this, said: 'I am amazed at the self-control of -the Armenians, for though the Turks did not spare a single wounded -Armenian, the Armenians are helping us to save the Turks—a thing that I -do not believe even Europeans would do'" (p. 70).</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span></p><p>"The Turks offered to the Georgians the provinces of Koutais and of -Tiflis, the Batoum district and a part of the province of Trebizond; to -the Tartars, Shousha, the mountain country as far as Vladikavkaz, Bakou, -and a part of the province of Elisavetpol; to the Armenians they offered -Kars, the province of Erivan, a part of Elisavetpol; a fragment of the -province of Erzeroum, Van and Bitlis. According to the Young Turk -scheme, all these groups were to become autonomous under a Turkish -protectorate. The Erzeroum Congress refused these proposals, and advised -the Young Turks not to hurl themselves into the European -conflagration—a dangerous adventure which would lead Turkey to ruin" -(p. 80).</p> - -<p>"The Turkish regulars and Kurds, amounting now to something like 30,000 -altogether, pushed higher and higher up the heights and surrounded the -main Armenian position at close quarters. Then followed one of those -desperate and heroic struggles for life which have always been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> the -pride of mountaineers. Men, women and children fought with knives, -scythes, stones, and anything else they could handle. They rolled blocks -of stone down the steep slopes, killing many of the enemy. In a -frightful hand-to-hand combat, women were seen thrusting their knives -into the throats of Turks and thus accounting for many of them. On -August 5, the last day of the fighting, the blood-stained rocks of Antok -were captured by the Turks. The Armenian warriors of Sassoun, except -those who had worked round to the rear of the Turks to attack them on -their flanks, had died in battle" (p. 87).</p> - -<p>"In the first week of July 20,000 soldiers arrived from Constantinople -by way of Harpout with munitions and eleven guns, and laid siege to -Moush" (p. 89).</p> - -<p>"The energetic Armenian committees have taken care of their own people, -and have been unexpectedly generous to the Syrians who are quartered in -their midst" (p. 107).</p> - -<p>"He met an Armenian officer who had escaped from the Turks, who told him -of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> the deportation and massacre of the Armenians. He said that the -attitude of the Turks towards the Armenians was more or less good at the -beginning of the war, but it was suddenly changed after the Turkish -defeat at Sari-Kamysh, as they laid the blame for this defeat upon the -Armenians, though he could not tell why" (p. 231).</p> - -<p>"The fact cannot be too strongly emphasized that there was no -'rebellion'" (p. 34).</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> Mr. Vartkes was an Armenian deputy in the Ottoman -Parliament, who was murdered, together with another deputy, Mr. Zohrab, -when he was being escorted by gendarmes from Aleppo to be -court-martialled at Diyarbekir (see Documents 7 and 9).—<span class="smcap">Editor.</span></p></div> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p> - -<h2>X</h2> - -<blockquote><p>GREAT BRITAIN AND ARMENIA—THE LATE DUKE OF ARGYLL'S VIEWS—AN APPEAL TO -BRITAIN</p></blockquote> - -<p>There is no brighter page in the glorious history of the British Empire -than the records of the liberties that conduce to the contentment and -happiness of peoples—freedom of thought and worship, freedom of speech -and association, freedom of movement and habitation, freedom of -language, etc.; as well as measures of self-government varying in -accordance with local needs and circumstances—granted unstintingly to -the great family of nations and races constituting that marvellous -commonwealth. This policy of broad, liberal justice has proved, under -the stern test of this great war, the highest statesmanship and the -strongest bond of empire. Freedom, justice, humanity have proved an -infinitely stronger impetus to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> loyalty than "frightfulness," a stronger -cement, a superior and better "paying" stock-in-trade of empire by far -than the jack-boot and the <i>yatagan</i>. The conclusive and practical -demonstration of this great fact by the British Empire will probably -exercise a far-reaching influence for good on the future policies of -empires and the liberties of mankind. The British Flag has not only -carried security, order and justice wherever it has gone, it has -scrupulously respected religious and national sentiment everywhere. It -has not denied to the peoples under its sway, or attempted to suppress, -the sentiments and allegiances which it has itself held sacred. It has -maintained the freedom of the seas as I believe no international device -could have achieved it. I do not say this to please British readers. I -have lived and travelled among small peoples and subject peoples large -and small, and that is the impression I have gathered. Thus the Union -Jack has become a symbol of freedom and fairplay the world over, and -persecuted peoples have long had the conviction, deep down in their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> -hearts, that British influence is continually at work towards their -ultimate liberation. If we were to reverse Mr. Gladstone's famous -challenge concerning Austria, and ask, <i>mutatis mutandis</i>: "Can any one -put his finger on the map of the world and say, 'Here the British Empire -has wrought evil'?" it may be that Count Reventlow himself and the -author of the "Hymn of Hate" might find themselves baffled. However -opinions may differ as to the justice of some of her wars, the just and -liberal treatment of the peoples that have come under British dominion -is an indisputable historical fact to which the masses of mankind owe at -least as much gratitude as they do to the French Revolution. Ireland may -be singled out, and not without reason, if I may say so, as the one -shaded spot on this bright page of the story of the spread of British -liberty. To the neutral observer it certainly seems strange that -Ireland, so near the home of liberty and the stronghold of democratic -institutions, should be so long denied the full and free enjoyment of -those blessings liberally bestowed upon the more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> distant parts of the -empire. Possibly neutral observers do not and cannot understand the -difficulties and obstacles that have hitherto proved insuperable. It is -outside the scope of my subject and beyond my competence to enter into a -discussion of the Irish question here, but this much I may say, that -Ireland should convince rulers in all countries that material prosperity -alone "is no remedy." Security, order, prosperity, an efficient and -equitable administration may palliate but can never heal a political -injustice. They can never satisfy the legitimate aspirations for -self-rule of a high-spirited and cultured people conscious of a strong, -indestructible will as well as the undoubted capacity to govern itself. -On the other hand, to compare the wrongs and sufferings of Ireland (and -Poland) with the agony of Armenia, as is sometimes done, is to compare a -headache, an acute headache if you will, with the Black Death.</p> - -<p>It is in keeping with the ill-fortune that has dogged the footsteps of -the Armenian people for five centuries that Armenia should have been the -one exception to the rule;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> the one country which has been denied the -blessings and benefits that have accrued to every small people which has -come within the sphere of, or whose fortunes have been directly or -indirectly affected by, the policy or interests of the British Empire.</p> - -<p>One of the most striking features of what has been said and written in -this country on the treatment meted out by the Turks to their Armenian -subjects during the war has been the paucity of reference to the effect, -incidental and indirect no doubt, but the real and disastrous effect, -nevertheless, of British policy in Turkey since the Crimean War upon the -fate of the Armenian subjects of the Turk. This is in contrast with what -was said and written during previous massacres, and is no doubt -attributable to the fact of the country being at war. I am not touching -this aspect of the question in the way of a grievance. I well know, and -most gratefully recognize what the British Government and people have -done and are still doing for us during the long and ghastly nightmare -through which we are passing. The noble and unremitting efforts of Lord<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> -and Lady Bryce, Lady Frederick Cavendish, Mr. Aneurin Williams, Mr. T. -P. O'Connor, Miss Robinson, Mrs. and Miss Hickson, Mrs. Cole, Mr. Noel -Buxton and his brother the Rev. Harold Buxton, Mr. Arthur G. Symonds, -Mr. Llew Williams, the Rev. Greenland, Mr. Arnold J. Toynbee, and so -many other friends of Armenia in this country, have placed us under a -lasting debt of gratitude to them and to Britain. Lord Bryce's name will -live in Armenian history as long as Armenia lasts.</p> - -<p>But I do think it is fair, in justice to the people of this great and -righteous empire, to one-half of the Armenian nation who have fallen as -heroes and heroines both in war and martyrdom, and to "the little blood" -that is left to the Armenian people, that the facts in this connection -should be placed frankly and fully before the British public at this -juncture, so that it may be able to form an equitable estimate of the -reparation due to the Armenians, not only for the crimes and ravages -committed by the enemy during the war, but also in the light of the -obligations and responsibilities incurred by Europe in general and -Great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> Britain in particular for the Armenian subjects of the Ottoman -Empire by Art. 61 of the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention.</p> - -<p>I have said "Great Britain," but it would be more accurate to say "the -British Government of the day," for I firmly believe—in fact, who will -doubt?—that if the British people had had the slightest suspicion that -the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention had in them the germs of -the disaster that has since overtaken the Christian subjects of the -Porte, they would never have ratified those treaties. Nor do I suggest, -I need hardly say, that the statesmen who are responsible for these -diplomatic instruments consciously and deliberately jeopardized the -existence of an ancient Christian people. Lord Salisbury's sympathetic -utterances in 1895-96 show unmistakably how deeply distressed he was at -the grievous turn events had taken, and still more at the powerlessness -of the Concert of Europe to save the Armenians from the position of -extreme peril in which the Concert had placed them in 1878.</p> - -<p>Successive British Governments have made<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> frequent attempts to improve -the lot of the Armenians; but the more they tried the more the Turks -massacred. There is no fairer-minded public than the British, whose -hospitality and the blessings of whose rule I have gratefully enjoyed -for many years, as have some thousands of my compatriots in almost every -part of the empire. There is also no one more ready and anxious to pay -his debt than the Briton when he knows what he owes. I have therefore no -fear whatever of arousing any resentment by calling the attention of the -British public to the existence of this old liability. On the contrary, -I am convinced that the fact will be taken note of in good part, and by -most even thankfully. I read a Press article not long ago—it was, if I -remember rightly, a review of Mr. Llew Williams's book, <i>Armenia Past -and Present</i> in <i>The Court Journal</i>—which ended with the following -question: "If these terrible things are true and we have any -responsibility, why are we not told so?"</p> - -<p>As regards the nature of the responsibilities and obligations, I refer -my readers to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> the <a href="#Page_189">Appendix</a>, where will be found the texts of Art. 61 of -the Treaty of Berlin, Art. 18 of the Treaty of San Stefano—which was -torn up and superseded by the Treaty of Berlin—the full text of the -Cyprus Convention, and Lord Salisbury's Dispatch to Sir Henry Layard -containing instructions for the negotiation of that Convention.</p> - -<p>I may here point out that though at first sight there appears to be -little difference between the wording of Art. 16 of the Treaty of San -Stefano and Art. 61 of the Treaty of Berlin, there is this fundamental -difference between the application of the two clauses that, while the -former left the Russian Army in occupation of the Armenian provinces -until the reforms should be an accomplished fact, the latter was a mere -Turkish promise to be performed after their evacuation by the Russian -forces. How the Turk performed his promise is well enough known, and -forms the darkest page of modern history—probably of all history.</p> - -<p>Those who have the interest and the time for fuller information on the -subject I recommend to refer to Mr. Gladstone's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> famous speeches on the -Eastern Question and the Treaty of Berlin, the debates in both Houses of -Parliament on the massacres of 1895-96, Canon Maccoll's "The Sultan and -the Powers," Mr. W. Llew Williams's "Armenia Past and Present," and last -but not least, "Our Responsibilities for Turkey," by the late Duke of -Argyll. This frank and admirable commentary on the bearing of British -policy upon the Armenian question is now unfortunately out of print. I -therefore quote, with apologies, the following lengthy extract for the -convenience of those who may have difficulty in procuring a copy. It is -an authority that will command general and respectful attention.<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a> -(The italics are mine.)</p> - -<p>"Nothing can be more childish than to suppose that the significance and -effect of such a change as this<a name="FNanchor_27_27" id="FNanchor_27_27"></a><a href="#Footnote_27_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a> can be measured or appreciated by -looking at the mere grammatical meaning of the words. The words seemed -harmless enough. They may even<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> seem to be most benevolent and most wise -in the interests of the Christian subjects of the Porte in Armenia. But -when we look at the facts which lay behind the words, and at the motives -which were at work among the contracting parties, we must see that -nothing could have been devised more fatal to their interests. The -change which the new words affected in the Treaty of San Stefano wounded -the pride and the most justifiable ambition of Russia to be the -protector of her co-religionists in provinces with which no other -Christian Power had any natural connection. On the other hand, it -delighted the low cunning of the Turk, in constituting another 'rift -within the lute' which by and by would be quite sure to make the 'music -mute' of any effective concert between the Powers of Europe. The Turk -could see at a glance that, whilst it relieved him of the dangerous -pressure of Russia, it substituted no other pressure which his own -infinite dexterity in delays could not easily make abortive. <i>As for the -unfortunate Armenians, the change was simply one which must tend to -expose them to the</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> <i>increased enmity of their tyrants, whilst it damaged -and discouraged the only protection which was possible under the -inexorable conditions of the physical geography of the country.</i><a name="FNanchor_28_28" id="FNanchor_28_28"></a><a href="#Footnote_28_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a></p> - -<p>"But this is not the whole of the responsibility which falls on us out -of the international transactions connected with the Treaty of Berlin. -After that treaty had been concluded, we entered by ourselves into a -separate, and for a while a secret, convention with Turkey, by which we -undertook to defend her Asiatic provinces by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> force of arms from any -further conquests on the part of Russia, and in return we asked for -nothing more than a lease of Cyprus, and a new crop of Turkish promises -that she would introduce reforms in her administration of Armenia. No -security whatever was asked or offered for the execution of those -promises. We simply repeated the old mistake of 1856, of trusting -entirely to the good faith of Turkey, or to her gratitude. But this time -the mistake was repeated after twenty-two years' continued experience of -the futility of such a trust. As to gratitude, it must have been quite -clear to the Turks that we were acting in our own supposed interests in -resisting the advance of Russia at any cost.</p> - -<p>"No doubt we had occasion to remember, with some natural bitterness, the -sacrifice to Russia of all that the gallant General Williams had done -for Turkey in his splendid defence of Kars. But we ought to have -remembered, also, how dreadful had been the account given by that able -and gallant man of the detestable Government which he was defending. We -ought to have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>remembered how easy were the reforms which he had -recommended, if the Turkish Government had been honest; and how they had -all been systematically evaded. We ought, above all, to have considered -the inevitable effect of this new treaty of guarantee upon the sharp -cunning of the Turks. They saw how eagerly it was sought by us, and they -must have concluded that, whilst we were clearly not only earnest, but -excited, in our opposition to Russia, we were comparatively careless and -lukewarm about any changes in their own system of government. <i>They must -have seen that the new convention</i><a name="FNanchor_29_29" id="FNanchor_29_29"></a><a href="#Footnote_29_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a> <i>practically superseded even the -slightest restraints put upon them by the Treaty of Berlin, and that the -Christian population of Armenia were practically left entirely at their mercy.</i></p> - -<p>"Let us look back upon all these transactions as a whole, and try to -form some estimate of the position of responsibility in which they have -placed us towards the Christian populations subject to the Ottoman -dominion. In 1854-56 we had saved that dominion from destruction by -defeating,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> and locally disarming, its great natural enemy. We had set -up that dominion with new immunities from attack, and we had choked off -from any protectorate over the Christians the only Power which would or -could exert any such influence with effect. We had done this without -providing any substitute of our own, except a recorded promise from the -Turks. We had provided no machinery whereby bad faith on the part of -Turkey could be proved and punished. Then, twenty years later, in 1876, -we had obstinately refused to join the other Powers of Europe in -remedying this great defect, by putting a combined pressure on Turkey to -compel her to establish effective guarantee for the future. In 1878 we -had denounced the treaty in which Russia, by her own expenditure of -blood and treasure, had imposed on Turkey the obligations which we had -admitted to be needful, but which we had ourselves declined to do -anything to enforce. Then, in the same year, at Berlin, we had again -done all we could to choke off the only Power which had the means and -the disposition to secure the fulfilment of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> any promises at all. -<i>Particularly in Armenia we had substituted for a promise to Russia -which her power, her geographical position, and her pride might have -really led her to enforce, another promise to all the Powers which, on -the face of it, was absurd—namely, a promise to let all the Powers -'superintend the execution' of domestic reforms in a remote and very -inaccessible country.</i> Lastly, in the same year, as we had already -choked off Russia, we now proceeded by a separate Convention to choke -off also all the other Powers collectively, by inducing Turkey to give a -special promise to ourselves, apart from them altogether. For the -performance of this special promise we provided no security whatever, -but trusted entirely, as we had done in 1856, to the good faith of a -Power which we knew had none. <i>With Russia deeply offended and -estranged, and the rest of Europe set aside or superseded—such were the -conditions under which we abandoned the Christian subjects of the Porte -in Asia to a Government incurably barbarous and corrupt.</i></p> - -<p>"And now, we are astonished and disgusted by finding that the terrible -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span>consequences of all this selfish folly have fallen on those whom we had -professed, and whom we were bound by every consideration of honour, to -protect. Surely these years might have brought us a reconsideration of -our position. The fever of our popular Russophobia had sensibly abated. -We had secured our "scientific frontier" in India, and Russian expansion -had taken a new direction in the Far East. New combinations—and some -new disseverments—had taken place in Europe. The whole position of -affairs was favourable to a policy of escape from bad traditions—from -obsolete doctrines—and from duties which it was impossible we could -discharge. Surely we might have asked ourselves, What had we been doing -all these years to fulfil those duties? Nothing. And yet all along we -were not ignorant that the vicious Government which we had so long -helped to sustain against all the natural agencies that would have -brought it to an end long ago was getting no better, but rather worse. -We knew this perfectly well, and we have recorded our knowledge of it in -a document of unimpeachable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> authority. In the second year after the -Treaty of Berlin, when the obligations we had undertaken under it were -still fresh in our recollection, we had made one more endeavour to -recall the Ottoman Power to some sense of shame, if not to some sense of -duty. In 1880 we had a special Envoy at the Porte, one of our most -distinguished public men—Mr. Goschen; and we had called together at -Constantinople a meeting of all the Ambassadors of the six Powers of -Europe who were signatories of the Treaty of Berlin. They drew up an -Identic Note, which they all signed and presented to the Porte. In that -Note they declared that no reforms had been, or were even on the way to -being, adopted, and that so desperate was the misgovernment of the -country, that 'it would lead in all probability to the destruction of -the Christian population of vast districts.' Could a more dreadful -confession have been made in respect to the conduct and policy of any -Christian Government?</p> - -<p>"This Identic Note commented severely on the calculated falsehoods of -all kinds, and on the cunning procrastinations, which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> characterized the -conduct and language of the Porte. It concluded by reminding that -Government, as an essential fact, 'that by treaty engagements Turkey was -bound to introduce the reforms which had been often indicated,' and that -these reforms were to be 'carried out under the supervision of the Powers.'</p> - -<p>"We might as well have addressed our representations to a convict just -released from a long sentence, and determined at once to renew his -career of crime. And so we had gone on for fifteen more years since -1880, failing to take, or even attempt taking, any effectual measures to -protect the helpless populations subject to a Government which we knew -to be so cruel and oppressive—<i>populations towards whom we lay under so -many responsibilities, from our persistent protection of their -oppressors</i>. At last comes, in 1894, one of those appalling outbreaks of -brutality on the part of the Turks which always horrify, but need never -astonish, the world. They are all according to what Bishop Butler would -have called the 'natural constitution and course of things,' that is to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> -say, they are the natural results of the nature and government of the -Ottoman Turks."</p> - -<p class="space-above">Such is the nature of Great Britain's debt to us. It was rashly incurred -by her statesmen. Successive British Governments have made strenuous -efforts and run great risks to discharge it. But it has proved -undischargeable for forty years, with consequences to us which are well -known. This terrible war and the ensuing peace will give Great Britain -both the power and the opportunity to discharge that obligation, and our -weapons for enforcing our claim are the honour, the conscience and the -never-failing sense of justice of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and -the British Empire. I appeal to these in the name of my sorely-stricken -nation, pale, prostrate and bleeding almost to death, to stand by us and -fight our battle at the Peace Conference. And if my appeal reaches a -wide enough circle of British and Irish men and women, I am confident -that my nation will not die, but will live and prosper, and carve out a -future that will amply compensate her for the past.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> <i>Our Responsibilities for Turkey</i>, by the Duke of Argyll, -K.G., K.T., John Murray, 1896, p. 72.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_27_27" id="Footnote_27_27"></a><a href="#FNanchor_27_27"><span class="label">[27]</span></a> The supersession of Article 16 of the Treaty of San -Stefano by Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_28_28" id="Footnote_28_28"></a><a href="#FNanchor_28_28"><span class="label">[28]</span></a> <i>Town Topics</i> of February 10, 1917, had the following: -"The idiotic and ignorant criticism of the Navy one hears occasionally, -recalls an immortal answer by a harassed First Lord, during an earlier -Armenian atrocity (1895-96)— -</p><p> -"'Will the right honourable gentleman tell the House definitely whether -it is proposed to send a British battleship to Armenia?' asked the bore -who worried about every country but his own. -</p><p> -"'It is not proposed to send any ships there,' replied the Minister -gravely. 'Navigation, I am informed by expert advisers at the Admiralty, -has not been good in the vicinity of Ararat since the cruise of the -Ark.'" -</p><p> -Would to God that this intelligence had reached the Foreign Offices of -Europe twenty years earlier, before the signing of the Treaty of -Berlin.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_29_29" id="Footnote_29_29"></a><a href="#FNanchor_29_29"><span class="label">[29]</span></a> The Cyprus Convention.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XI</h2> - -<p class="center">AN APPEAL TO THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE</p> - -<p>Gentlemen, this historic conference has come together to draw up a map -of a new Europe and a new Near East which will in no part violate the -principle of nationality—the great weakness and inherent injustice of -former treaties, which has been largely responsible for the disastrous -war now happily come to an end.</p> - -<p>You have also assembled as a great international tribunal to uphold the -sanctity of law and humanity, and to give judgment as to the just -reparation that must be made, and as to the penalties to be exacted for -all outrages committed during the war against humanity and the laws and -usages of civilized warfare.</p> - -<p>Among the multitude of problems, great and small, that await a just and -wise <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span>settlement at your hands, there is also the Armenian question.</p> - -<p>This question may appear, to some of you at least, a small and -insignificant one in the presence of the great and weighty questions of -world-wide importance that await settlement. I claim for it without any -fear of contradiction that in point of outraged humanity and -civilization, measured by the sacrifice of innocence, the magnitude and -unspeakable horrors of the martyrdom, destruction and ruin that has been -brought upon this people with a calculated, deliberate object, and -without the slightest provocation; I maintain that, on these -incontestable grounds, this is the greatest Wrong that ever demanded -justice and reparation at the bar of a great International Tribunal.</p> - -<p>And it is not Turkey and Germany alone who owe us reparation, although -upon their shoulders lies the guilt for the innocent blood that has been -ruthlessly shed, the wanton destruction that has been wrought and the -untold suffering and sorrow brought upon this people during the war. All -the Great Powers of Europe have their share of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> responsibility for -leaving them at the mercy of the Turk to be murdered, burned, outraged, -enslaved, to provide this or that European Statesman the satisfaction of -having scored a point against his opponent in the sordid jealousies and -rivalries of conflicting interests.</p> - -<p>In 1877 Russian armies, partly under Armenian generals, occupied our -country, and we hoped and believed that the hour of our liberation from -the hideous nightmare of Turkish domination had struck.</p> - -<p>It was a short-lived joy. The Congress of Berlin assembled soon after, -tore up the Treaty of San Stefano which had given us the blessing of -effective Russian protection, compelled the liberating Russian armies to -evacuate our country, and left us once again the sport and prey of our -Turkish and Kurdish tormentors.</p> - -<p>After the butcheries of 1895-96 Great Britain was prepared to exact -effective guarantees from the Sultan Abdul Hamid, if necessary by force -of arms, against a repetition of these unspeakable barbarities; but the -Russian Government of the day, sore<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> at the rebuff administered to it by -the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention, opposed Great Britain's -proposal of taking coercive measures to stay the hand of the Great -Assassin.</p> - -<p>In 1913 a Scheme of Reforms proposed by Russia formed the subject of -discussion by the Powers, and was finally agreed to by Turkey after it -had undergone such modifications and revisions at the instance of the -Turks, backed by Germany, as to render it of little practical value. The -war intervened before the scheme could be put into operation, and it -remained a dead letter, as had all its predecessors. Meanwhile massacre, -outrage, rapine, plunder, and all conceivable forms of oppression and -persecution went on without respite, though in varying degrees of -intensity, culminating in the frightful hecatombs of the last two years.</p> - -<p>Although, of course, such was not their object and intention, the net -result of these transactions was to give the Turk the opportunity, as -events have unfortunately proved, of murdering, burning, drowning, -torturing, violating, enslaving and forcibly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> converting to Islam at -least 2,000,000 unoffending and defenceless Christians within the -comparatively short space of forty years. I do not for a moment suggest -that the authors of these Treaties themselves foresaw such a result of -their efforts. But that makes no difference to the result. Europe backed -"the wrong horse," as Lord Salisbury had the courage to say, and the -stakes were the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent -Christians—men, women and children—and a sum of human suffering and -misery such as the world has probably never seen before.</p> - -<p>I gratefully acknowledge the efforts made by the successive British, -French, Russian and Italian Governments, from time to time, to bring -moral or diplomatic pressure upon the Turks to treat us with less -harshness and inhumanity. But the Turk, Young and Old, knew that -coercion would never be used against him. He treated all European -representations with amusement and contempt and went his way -relentlessly, intent upon wiping out the whole race. He felt more secure -from the danger of coercion after the Christian Emperor William II, on -his return from his pilgrimage to the Holy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> Land, paid a visit to and -fraternized with the Sultan Abdul Hamid while his hands were still red -with the blood of the fearful massacres of 1895-96.</p> - -<p>That, gentlemen, has been the net result of the solemn promises given by -the Turks in the Treaty of Berlin, for which every Signatory Power has -its share of responsibility. Since that Treaty became the law of Europe -we have made numerous appeals and representations for the application of -Art. 61. The reply we received from the Ministers of the Signatory -Powers was almost the same every time and everywhere. "Insistence on the -application of Art. 61 will lead to complications; you must wait for a -favourable opportunity."</p> - -<p>Gentlemen, that long-looked-for opportunity has at last come. -Armenia—"the little blood that is left to her"—stands at the bar of -this Conference, full of hope and expectation that the Entente Powers -will compel Turkey in the first place to make full reparation for the -untold horrors, outrages and injustices that she has inflicted upon her; -that they will compel Germany to compensate her for her acquiescence in -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> atrocities committed by the Turks while Turkey was under her -influence and control; and that they will add their own quota as a debt -of honour and conscience in return for a part at least of what she has -had to endure as a result of the diplomatic transactions cited above, -for which they have their share of responsibility. You cannot give us -back our dead, but this Conference gives you the opportunity of exacting -and making a reparation as generous as our trials and sacrifices have -been heavy.</p> - -<p>"What do you expect this Conference to give the Armenian people as their -adequate reparation and just rights?" I would probably be asked.</p> - -<p>This is what I should expect the Conference to give to my nation, in all -justice and equity:</p> - -<p>The formation of an autonomous Armenia, comprising the vilayets of Van, -Bitlis, Erzeroum, Kharput, Diyarbekir and Eastern Sivas, also Cilicia -with an outlet on the Gulf of Alexandretta, say from the port of -Alexandretta to a few miles south-west of Mersina.</p> - -<p>This State to be an internationally guaranteed neutral State with its -ports<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> and markets open to all nations. It would have an Organic Statute -drawn up for it by the Protecting Powers, England, France, and Russia, -giving equality before the law to all the different elements of the -population with extra-territorial rights and consular courts for -Europeans for a term of years. Russia to act as mandatory of the -Protecting Powers, and during the first few years the executive to -consist of a Governor-General or High Commissioner and a mixed -Legislative Council appointed by the Protecting Powers. A Legislative -Assembly to be called together as soon as the country regains its normal -state.</p> - -<p>The country being at present in a more or less chaotic state, an army of -occupation will be necessary for as many years as will be required to -organize and train an efficient gendarmerie from the local population. -European advisers and heads of departments would be necessary, but there -are large numbers of experienced Armenian administrators, magistrates, -post and telegraph inspectors, engineers, etc., etc., in the Ottoman -Empire as well as in the Caucasus, Egypt and the Balkans, who would -gladly put their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> services at the disposal of their own country. Some -would probably come from America, India and elsewhere. Adequate -financial compensation by Turkey<a name="FNanchor_30_30" id="FNanchor_30_30"></a><a href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a> and Germany would place at the -disposal of the executive ample funds to begin the work of rebuilding -the ruined towns and villages and reconstruction generally, and to carry -on the Government of the country until the first year's harvest is sown -and gathered and revenue begins coming into the Treasury.</p> - -<p>This is the scheme I would propose in broad outline, it being impossible -to go into details here.</p> - -<p>"But there is not a large enough number of Armenians left to form a -State," I may be told, as I have been told so often recently. (I may say -here, in parenthesis, that the Turkish and German delegates cannot -advance this objection, as their Governments have denied the existence -of any massacres.)</p> - -<p>That is an entirely mistaken assumption, created by the frequent but -inaccurate use<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> of the phrase "Armenian extermination." The Turks did -make a final ruthless attempt to exterminate us, and have dealt us a -staggering blow as a race; but, gentlemen, they have not quite succeeded -in their nefarious design, and it would be a sad day, indeed, for -civilization if such a design had succeeded.</p> - -<p>There are to-day 500,000 Turkish Armenians in the parts of vilayets in -occupation of the Russian armies, in the Caucasus and Northern Persia. -Far from their spirits being broken, these people are animated with the -unshakable determination that their beloved country shall rise again -from its ashes and their nation revive and enter upon a new era of -security and free development. Armenians all over the world are animated -with the same spirit and determination. Of the above half-million 50,000 -or 60,000, mostly able-bodied men, are in different parts of the -occupied provinces. There are a little over 250,000 refugees in the -Caucasus and Persia, and some 200,000 emigrants and refugees from -pre-war massacres; most of them are ready to return to their homes, one -potent reason for the readiness of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>pre-war emigrants to return -being the growing scarcity and dearness of land in the fertile parts of -the Caucasus. Then there are the hundreds of thousands of Armenians in -concentration camps in Northern Mesopotamia and Syria. How many are -alive to return to their devastated homes, I cannot say. Perhaps the -Turkish delegate will be able to inform the Conference on that point. -Then there are still large numbers of Armenians—though mostly old men, -women and children, so far as our information goes—in Anatolia and -Thrace, and over 200,000 mostly young, intelligent, ambitious men, who -have emigrated since the beginning of Abdul Hamid's reign of terror, to -the United States, Egypt, the Balkans, and different other countries. A -not unimportant number of these will return to their native land ready -to "do their bit" in the—to them—sacred work of its reconstruction and -regeneration with invincible industry.</p> - -<p>This will give us within a very short time an Armenian population of not -much under one million souls in the proposed Autonomous Armenia. It may -not form a majority taken as a whole, but it will form the largest<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> -coherent ethnological element. In many important centres, such as Van, -Alashgerd, etc., where there are almost no Turks left and a much smaller -number of Kurds than there was before the war, it will form an absolute -majority. This is an important fact which the Conference should bear in -mind. Although the Armenian element is sadly reduced in numbers, the -great majority of the Turkish and kindred elements in these occupied -provinces have, as is their wont, followed the retreating Turkish armies -and will probably never return. On the other hand, Armenians have for -some time past and do still percolate through the Turkish lines in -groups of various sizes and gain the Russian lines. This movement of -population will almost certainly continue for some years, tending to -increase the Armenian and reduce the Turkish element in the proposed -Armenian State, if such a State is set up. Similar movements of -populations have always taken place whenever any piece of Turkish -territory has passed under Christian rule.</p> - -<p>I may also remind the Congress that when Greece achieved her -independence, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> population of Greece proper did not exceed 400,000.</p> - -<p>Another important point bearing on this question of population is the -fact, to which most students of Near Eastern affairs have borne witness, -that the Armenian race is endowed with extraordinary powers of -recuperation, is almost entirely free from the diseases that impede the -rapid growth of population, and is one of the most prolific races in the -world. Their neighbours, on the evidence of travellers and students, are -less free from disease and, in spite of polygamy, or perhaps partly -because of it, are much less prolific.</p> - -<p>But apart from mere counting of heads, it is, I believe, generally known -and admitted that there is a vast difference between the moral, -intellectual, economic, and industrial value of the Armenian population -as compared with most of its neighbours, the Armenians being markedly -superior in every field of human activity. They have proved this even -under the most trying handicaps, and when they have had a fair field -they have easily proved themselves the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> equals of Europeans. In fact, -the Armenian mind is much more European than Asiatic.<a name="FNanchor_31_31" id="FNanchor_31_31"></a><a href="#Footnote_31_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a></p> - -<p>Lord Cromer has said that "the Armenians with the Syrians, are the -intellectual cream of Near Eastern peoples."</p> - -<p>But apart from all these practical and certainly essential and vital -considerations there remains, messieurs, the moral argument which, I -feel quite certain, this august Conference, representing the will and -the conscience of Europe, is not minded to ignore.</p> - -<p>After the massacres and deportations of 1915 Talaat Bey is reported to -have said: "I have killed the idea of Armenian autonomy for at least -fifty years." Whether he said it or not, that was clearly the object—to -kill the Armenian question by wiping out the Armenian race, and -incidentally to destroy the roots of Christianity in Asia Minor.</p> - -<p>Is this Conference going to condone and justify the barbarous and -revolting practice, as a State policy, of the deliberate attempt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> to -murder a whole nation in cold blood, by permitting that infamous policy -to succeed in its object?</p> - -<p>Is it conceivable that this historic Conference can bring itself to -decree that the myriads of our brothers and sisters who have fallen -victims to the super-tyrants' fury, for their religion and their nation, -as well as those who have fallen in the common struggle for Right, have -suffered and died in vain?</p> - -<p>In the name not only of the living, but also of the dead, I appeal to -you; I appeal to the heart and conscience of Europe to desist from -enacting such a flagrant and cruel injustice.</p> - -<p>M. Paul Doumer, late President of the French Senate, declared in Paris -not long ago, with a fine sense of French chivalry and outraged -humanity, that when the question of Armenian population came to be -considered at the end of the war, the dead must be counted with the -living. Who but my martyred nation has the moral right to invoke the -memorable and exalted words of the French officer who, at a moment of -dire straits for men, looked at his fallen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> heroes around him and -exclaimed "Debout les morts!"?</p> - -<p>I appeal to you, in particular, great and noble-hearted Russia, our -mighty neighbour and protector. Our destiny is indissolubly bound up -with yours. Without the protection of your mighty sword and your most -generous grants to our refugees, the Turk would have succeeded in his -sinister design. We will remain ever grateful to you, and loyal to the -death. We have always proved our unswerving loyalty to you in your hour -of peril. We in our turn have rendered services which have been of value -to you. Your generals gave our men great praise. Your foremost -newspapers hailed our soldiers and volunteers, and with truth, as the -saviours of the Caucasus. Your great Statesmen and Ministers declared in -the Duma that our terrible sufferings were chiefly due to our loyalty to -Russia. Have trust in us. Help us to stand on our feet again and rebuild -our devastated homes. <i>Leave us freedom to develop and progress -according to our own national genius.</i> Some of your newspapers are -speaking of a scheme<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> to plant Russian colonies in Armenia, "to create a -dividing zone between the Russian and Turkish Armenians."<a name="FNanchor_32_32" id="FNanchor_32_32"></a><a href="#Footnote_32_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a> If this is -true, it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> is an injustice. I am speaking candidly as a friend of Russia, -and a supporter of my nationality as my birthright. Russians will always -be welcome amongst us. To show our feelings towards you I may mention -the fact that in conversation between <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>themselves Armenians do not speak -of you as "Russians" but as "kéri," which means "uncle." But it is -manifestly unfair to establish colonies and apportion lands before the -repatriation of our numerous refugees, some of whom may be the owners of -the land given away. Besides, what is the object or the necessity of a -"dividing zone" between the Turkish and Russian Armenians? We are all -ready to rally to your support again if the need should arise, as we -have always done in your righteous struggle against barbarism. Such -measures, before the blood of our numerous victims is dry on our land, -grieve and perplex us. I say again, we welcome your protection, but -enable us to say always, as Sir Wilfrid Laurier said of the French -Canadians, "We are loyal because we are free." With such just and -liberal treatment from you, we will not only create in a short time -important markets for your trade down to the shores of the -Mediterranean, but you will have in us a reliable bulwark and -counterpoise, on your southern frontier, against the turbulent elements -who are a standing menace to that frontier. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> stronger you help us to -grow, the more secure that frontier of your empire will be.</p> - -<p>To England, France and Italy I appeal jointly with Russia, to prevent -the Congress from finally condemning to death our long-cherished and -legitimate aspirations of national regeneration, for which we have paid -such a fearful price. In particular I appeal to you to give us an outlet -to the sea, not only as an indispensable necessity of our economic life -and development, but also as the avenue of Western Culture which a hard -and cruel fate has so long withheld from us.</p> - -<p>Let the radiant sun of liberty and security shine again on our land of -sorrow and drive away for ever the stifling miasma of the Turkish -blight, and there will spring to life, within a generation, a people -with a passionate craving for the light and progress of the West—a -people morally and mentally equipped and adapted for the assimilation of -the New Dispensation not only for its own benefit, but also for its -dissemination amongst its less advanced neighbours—a well-qualified and -willing instrument and leaven of Christian civilization.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_30_30" id="Footnote_30_30"></a><a href="#FNanchor_30_30"><span class="label">[30]</span></a> A friend of mine, a Turkish Armenian well acquainted with -local conditions, told me that £50,000,000 would be a conservative -estimate of the material loss of the 1,200,000 massacred, deported, -enslaved, but in all cases despoiled, Armenians.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_31_31" id="Footnote_31_31"></a><a href="#FNanchor_31_31"><span class="label">[31]</span></a> M. J. de Morgan says in an article in <i>La Revue de Paris</i> -(May 1, 1916): "Les Arméniens sont des Orientaux par leur habitat -seulement, mais des Européens par leurs origins, leur parler, leur -religion, leurs mœurs et leurs aptitudes."</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_32_32" id="Footnote_32_32"></a><a href="#FNanchor_32_32"><span class="label">[32]</span></a> The <i>Retch</i>, the organ of the Constitutional Democrats in -Russia, has published the following in its issue of July 28, 1916 -(O.S.)— -</p><p> -"The scheme of settling Russian emigrants in the occupied parts of -Turkish Armenia, recently discussed in the Duma, is being energetically -carried out. This matter has been the subject of a lively discussion -between the Emigration and Military authorities. Investigations are in -progress, not only in the districts near the frontier, but also further -afield, the fertile Mush valley being the object of special attention. -Agricultural battalions have been in course of organization since last -autumn and already number 5000 men. More will be found presently. -<i>Armenians and Georgians are excluded.</i> The task of these young arms is -to cultivate the fields on which investigations have been carried out, -under the supervision of agricultural experts, in order to facilitate -the provisioning of the army. The question of emigrating the families of -these men is also under consideration. -</p><p> -"Side by side with this scheme there exists another scheme of settling -Cossacks in Turkish Armenia, on similar lines to what has already been -done in Northern Caucasus with good results. <i>Those who have conceived -these schemes have in view the creation of a sufficiently broad zone -inhabited by Russians, separating the Russian Armenians from the Turkish -Armenians.</i> -</p><p> -"Armenian refugees are gradually returning to their country and resuming -the work of cultivating their lands. They usually settle in the villages -that have suffered least, their own villages having been totally ruined. -</p><p> -"To avoid confusion, the Grand Duke Nicholas issued a Ukase in March -last, warning these returned refugees to keep themselves in readiness to -vacate these districts on the establishment of Russian Civil -Administration. In the same Ukase the Commander-in-Chief of the -Caucasian Army has decreed that the vacant lands in the plains of -Alashkert, Diadin and Bayazid may be given in hire up to the time of the -return of their rightful owners. <i>General Yudenitch has issued orders, -however, prohibiting the settlement in these places of any other -immigrants except Russians and Cossacks.</i> Only those natives are -permitted to return who are able to prove ownership of land or property -by legal documents. This arrangement makes it impossible for the natives -(Armenians) to return to their homes because it is ridiculous to speak -of title-deeds, when dealing with land in Turkey; and as for other -documents which prove ownership, these always get lost during flight. -</p><p> -"In the above three plains, also in parts of the plain of Bassain, the -surviving native inhabitants are debarred from returning to their homes -and resuming their peaceful occupations."</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span></p> - -<h2>POSTSCRIPT</h2> - -<p>Since the foregoing pages were written and before they had left the -printer's hands, two momentous events have occurred which must -profoundly influence not only the remaining course of the war, but also, -and more especially, the settlement of the peace on its termination: two -events that together mark the greatest triumph of democracy and -civilization the world has seen. The Russian revolution and the entry of -the great American Republic into the ranks of the champions of Right and -Humanity have not only brought peace nearer, they have banished any -doubt that may have existed in the minds of sceptics both in belligerent -and neutral countries that this war of wars is a struggle between the -forces of Light and Liberty and the powers of Darkness and Reaction.</p> - -<p>After watching the course of the struggle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> for more than thirty months, -taking note of the difference between the methods of warfare employed by -the opposing groups of belligerents; after ascertaining their respective -aims; after long, patient and careful deliberation, the greatest of all -the neutral judges came to the conclusion that "civilization itself -seems to be in the balance." (It will not be forgotten in the Entente -countries, I feel sure, that though unlimited submarine "frightfulness" -was the immediate <i>casus belli</i>, the martyrdom of Armenia played an -important part in leading President Wilson and the people of the United -States to that conclusion.) The world's greatest Democracy, imbued with -a deep-rooted love of peace and abhorrence of war as to which no doubt -or suspicion anywhere exists, has broken away from a century-old -tradition, which was the very foundation of its external policy, and -drawn the sword impelled not by ambition or the furtherance of material -interests of any kind, but by honour and the instinctive call of true -chivalry to stand by those who have carried on a long and fierce -struggle to save the "desperately<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> assaulted" free institutions, -principles and ideals which are its own and humanity's most precious and -sacred possessions. For the first time in history—I think one can -safely say that—a great nation, led by a great and sagacious leader, -has gone to war prompted almost entirely with the disinterested motive -of upholding its own ideals and the ideals and rights of humanity—truly -an event of which the best elements of the human race will always be -proud; which will ever stand out as a bright and noble landmark in the -history of the world.</p> - -<p>While these epoch-making events have stamped the cause of the Allies -with the seal of supreme moral sanction, they have also made assurance -doubly sure that the end of the war will confer upon the world a lasting -peace based upon <i>real</i> justice and equity. The presence of the -delegates of the United States at the Peace Conference side by side with -the representatives of the British Empire, France, Italy, and free -Russia will constitute a sure and sterling guarantee to the world that -the determining<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> factors in the moulding of its destinies will not be -the selfish interests, avowed or veiled, of this or that empire, not the -whims and ambitions of despots and ruling castes or the greed of -cosmopolitan financiers, but "the pure milk," of the broad interests of -justice and peace, the rights of nations great and small and the freedom -and welfare of mankind itself.</p> - -<p>To the Armenian people it is a final pledge that the reparation to be -demanded and obtained for them, in the terms of peace will be -commensurate, in full measure, with the magnitude of the wrongs and -sufferings inflicted upon them because, in a vast waste of ancient -barbarism and fraud, they formed an oasis embodying the ideals and -principles which the democracies of Europe and America are struggling to -vindicate.</p> - -<p>If the great and free nations of Europe have greeted these auspicious -events with the satisfaction and enthusiasm we have witnessed in these -last days, it can be readily imagined how intense is the rejoicing they -have evoked in the hearts of the most ruthlessly oppressed of all -peoples, so long<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> denied the blessings whose advent has been placed -beyond all doubt by President Wilson's clarion call to Democracy and by -the declarations of the Provisional Government of free Russia.</p> - -<p>That the declarations of the Provisional Government of free and -regenerated Russia have been received with profound satisfaction by -Armenians, goes without saying. These declarations added to those -already made by the Allied Governments in regard to their war-aims, and -President Wilson's "Declaration of Liberty"—as his inspiring and -memorable address to Congress has been rightly called—finally ensure -the realization of Armenia's legitimate aspiration to freedom and -self-government. And if the Russian people should decide that the new -Russia shall be a Republic, that would open out the vista of a -thoroughly democratic, integral and united Armenian State free to work -out her regeneration according to her own national genius, under the -guidance of the Protecting Powers and with their and America's generous -moral and material support.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p><p>America's interest in Armenia and the excellent work of her Missions in -numerous Armenian centres both in Armenia itself and throughout Asia -Minor leave no doubt that when the time for reconstruction comes, -American aid—moral, material and cultural—will be forthcoming on a -scale and in a manner worthy of that great country and the lofty aims -for which she entered the war. For, what part of the vast war-stricken -area in Europe and the Near East more acutely and tragically exemplifies -the evils which the Allies and the United States are determined to put -an end to once and for all, and what nobler and more fitting culmination -to their gigantic efforts and sacrifices for humanity, than the -redemption and re-birth of this thrice-martyred ancient Christian -people?</p> - -<p>Before concluding, I take this opportunity to call attention to a -passage in Mr. Asquith's speech in the House of Commons on the entry of -the United States into the war, which brings into strong relief the -guilt of the Governments of the Central Powers in the stupendous crime -of attempting the murder of a nation, although the occasion<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> of the -speech was of course the very antithesis of the attitude of the Central -Powers towards the Armenian atrocities.</p> - -<p>"In such a situation," said Mr. Asquith, "aloofness is seen to be not -only a blunder but a crime. To stand aside with stopped ears, with -folded arms, with an averted gaze, when you have the power to intervene -is to become not a mere spectator, but an accomplice."<a name="FNanchor_33_33" id="FNanchor_33_33"></a><a href="#Footnote_33_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a></p> - -<p>I am quoting this striking utterance by one of England's greatest living -statesmen also in the hope that it may furnish food for reflection to -those pro-Turks who have maintained during pre-war massacres, and still -maintain, with Count Reventlow and his followers, that the massacre of -his Christian subjects by the Turk is his own concern, and that nobody -has the right or the obligation to intervene and create new conditions -that will eliminate the possibility of its recurrence.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_33_33" id="Footnote_33_33"></a><a href="#FNanchor_33_33"><span class="label">[33]</span></a> <i>The Times</i>, April 19, 1917.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">APPENDIX</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p> - -<h2>APPENDIX</h2> - -<p class="bold">ARTICLE XVI OF THE TREATY OF SAN STEFANO</p> - -<p>As the evacuation by the Russian troops of the territory which they -occupy in Armenia, and which is to be restored to Turkey, might give -rise to conflicts and complications detrimental to the maintenance of -good relations between the two countries, the Sublime Porte engages to -carry into effect, without further delay, the improvements and reforms -demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by Armenians, -and to guarantee their security from Kurds and Circassians.</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="bold">ARTICLE LXI OF THE TREATY OF BERLIN</p> - -<p>The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out, without further delay, the -improvements and reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces -inhabited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the -Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the steps taken -to this effect to the Powers, who will superintend their application.</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="bold">THE CYPRUS CONVENTION</p> - -<p class="center">TURKEY NO. 36 (1878)</p> - -<p>Correspondence respecting the Convention between Great Britain and -Turkey, of June 4, 1878.</p> - -<p>Presented to the Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty 1878.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p><p><span class="smcap">List of Papers</span></p> - -<blockquote><p>No. 1. The Marquis of Salisbury to Mr. Layard, May 30, 1878.</p> - -<p>No. 2. Sir A. H. Layard to the Marquis of Salisbury, one Inclosure -June 5, 1878.</p> - -<p>No. 3. Sir A. H. Layard to the Marquis of Salisbury, one Inclosure -July 1, 1878.</p></blockquote> - -<p>No. 1 is the letter which conveys to Mr. Layard Lord Salisbury's -instructions for entering into the Convention (as follows)—</p> - -<blockquote><p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Marquis of Salisbury to Mr. Layard.</span></p> - -<p class="right">Foreign Office,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> May 30, 1878.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Sir</span>,</p> - -<p>The progress of the confidential negotiations which have for some -time past been in progress between Her Majesty's Government and the -Government of Russia make it probable that those Articles of the -Treaty of San Stefano which concern European Turkey will be -sufficiently modified to bring them into harmony with the interests -of the other European Powers, and of England in particular.</p> - -<p>There is, however, no such prospect with respect to that portion of -the Treaty which concerns Turkey in Asia. It is sufficiently -manifest that, in respect to Batoum and the fortresses north of the -Araxes, the Government of Russia is not prepared to recede from the -stipulations to which the Porte has been led by the events of the -war to consent. Her Majesty's Government have consequently been -forced to consider the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> effect which these agreements, if they are -neither annulled nor counteracted, will have upon the future of the -Asiatic provinces of the Ottoman Empire and upon the interests of -England, which are closely affected by the condition of those provinces.</p> - -<p>It is impossible that Her Majesty's Government can look upon these -changes with indifference. Asiatic Turkey contains populations of -many different races and creeds, possessing no capacity for -self-government<a name="FNanchor_34_34" id="FNanchor_34_34"></a><a href="#Footnote_34_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a> and no aspirations for independence, but owing -their tranquillity and whatever prospect of political well-being -they possess entirely to the rule of the Sultan. But the Government -of the Ottoman Dynasty is that of an ancient but still alien -conqueror, resting more upon actual power than upon the sympathies -of common nationality. The defeat which the Turkish arms have -sustained and the known embarrassments of the Government will -produce a general belief in its decadence and an expectation of -speedy political change, which in the East are more dangerous than -actual discontent to the stability of a Government. If the -population of Syria, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia see that the Porte -has no guarantee for its continued existence but its own strength, -they will, after the evidence which recent events have furnished of -the frailty of that reliance, begin to calculate upon the speedy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> -fall of the Ottoman domination, and to turn their eyes towards its successor.</p> - -<p>Even if it be certain that Batoum and Ardahan and Kars will not -become the base from which emissaries of intrigue will issue forth, -to be in due time followed by invading armies, the mere retention -of them by Russia will exercise a powerful influence in -disintegrating the Asiatic dominion of the Porte. As a monument of -feeble defence on the one side, and successful aggression on the -other, they will be regarded by the Asiatic population as -foreboding the course of political history in the immediate future, -and will stimulate, by the combined action of hope and fear, -devotion to the Power which is in the ascendant, and desertion of -the Power which is thought to be falling into decay.</p> - -<p>It is impossible for Her Majesty's Government to accept, without -making an effort to avert it, the effect which such a state of -feeling would produce upon regions whose political condition deeply -concerns the Oriental interests of Great Britain. They do not -propose to attempt the accomplishment of this object by taking -military measures for the purpose of replacing the conquered -districts in the possession of the Porte. Such an undertaking would -be arduous and costly, and would involve great calamities, and it -would not be effective for the object which Her Majesty's -Government have in view, unless subsequently strengthened by -precautions which can be taken almost as effectually without -incurring the miseries of a preliminary war. The only provision -which can furnish a substantial security for the stability of -Ottoman rule in Asiatic Turkey, and which would be as essential -after the re-conquest of the Russian annexations as it is now, is -an engagement on the part of a Power strong enough to fulfil it, -that any further encroachments by Russia<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> upon Turkish territory in -Asia will be prevented by force of arms. Such an undertaking, if -given fully and unreservedly, will prevent the occurrence of the -contingency which would bring it into operation, and will, at the -same time, give to the populations of the Asiatic provinces the -requisite confidence that Turkish rule in Asia is not destined to a -speedy fall.</p> - -<p>There are, however, two conditions which it would be necessary for -the Porte to subscribe before England could give such assurance.</p> - -<p>Her Majesty's Government intimated to the Porte, on the occasion of -the Conference at Constantinople, that they were not prepared to -sanction misgovernment and oppression, and it will be requisite, -before they can enter into any agreement for the defence of the -Asiatic territories of the Porte in certain eventualities, that -they should be formally assured of the intention of the Porte to -introduce the necessary reforms into the government of the -Christian and other subjects of the Porte in these regions. It is -not desirable to require more than an engagement in general terms; -for the specific measures to be taken could only be defined after a -more careful inquiry and deliberation than could be secured at the -present juncture.</p> - -<p>It is not impossible that a careful selection and a faithful -support of the individual officers to whom power is to be entrusted -in those countries would be a more important element in the -improvement of the condition of the people than even legislative -changes; but the assurances required to give England a right to -insist on satisfactory arrangements for these purposes will be an -indispensable part of any agreement to which Her Majesty's -Government could consent. It will further be necessary, in order to -enable Her Majesty's Government efficiently to execute the -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>engagements now proposed, that they should occupy a position near -the coast of Asia Minor and Syria. The proximity of British -officers, and, if necessary, British troops, will be the best -security that all the objects of this agreement shall be attained. -The Island of Cyprus appears to them to be in all respects the most -available for this object. Her Majesty's Government do not wish to -ask the Sultan to alienate territory from his sovereignty or to -diminish the receipts which now pass into his Treasury. They will, -therefore, propose that, while the administration and occupation of -the island shall be assigned to Her Majesty, the territory shall -still continue to be part of the Ottoman Empire, and that the -excess of the revenue over the expenditure, whatever it at present -may be, shall be paid over annually by the British Government to -the Treasury of the Sultan.</p> - -<p>Inasmuch as the whole of this proposal is due to the annexations -which Russia has made in Asiatic Turkey, and the consequences which -it is apprehended will flow therefrom, it must be fully understood -that, if the cause of the danger should cease, the precautionary -agreement will cease at the same time. If the Government of Russia -should at any time surrender to the Porte the territory it has -acquired in Asia by the recent war, the stipulations in the -proposed agreements will cease to operate, and the island will be -immediately evacuated.</p> - -<p>I request, therefore, your Excellency to propose to the Porte to -agree to a Convention to the following effect, and I have to convey -to you full authority to conclude the same on behalf of the Queen -and of Her Majesty's Government—</p> - -<p class="space-above">"If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be retained by -Russia, and if any attempt shall be made at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> any future time by -Russia to take possession of any further portion of the Asiatic -territories of the Sultan, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of -Peace, England engages to join the Sultan in defending them by -force of arms. In return, the Sultan promises to England to -introduce necessary reforms (to be agreed upon later between the -two Powers) into the government of the Christian and other subjects -of the Porte in these territories; and, in order to enable England -to make necessary provision for executing her engagement the Sultan -further consents to assign the Island of Cyprus to be occupied and -administered by England."</p> - -<p class="right">I am, etc.,<span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3"> </span><br /> -(Signed) <span class="smcap">Salisbury</span>.</p></blockquote> - -<p>No. 2 is the Convention itself, as follows—</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Article I</span></p> - -<p>If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be retained by Russia, -and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by Russia to take -possession of any further territories of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan -in Asia, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of Peace, England engages to -join His Imperial Majesty the Sultan in defending them by force of arms.</p> - -<p>In return, His Imperial Majesty the Sultan promises to England to -introduce necessary reforms, to be agreed upon later by the two Powers, -into the government and for the protection of the Christian and other -subjects of the Porte in these territories; and in order to enable -England to make necessary provision for executing her engagement His -Imperial Majesty the Sultan further consents to assign the Island of -Cyprus to be occupied and administered by England.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Article II</span></p> - -<p>The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications thereof -shall be exchanged, within the space of one month, or sooner if -possible.</p> - -<p>In Witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the -same, and have affixed thereto the seal of their arms.</p> - -<p>Done at Constantinople, the fourth day of June, in the year One thousand -eight hundred and seventy-eight.</p> - -<p class="right">(L.S.) <span class="smcap">A. H. Layard.</span><br /> -(L.S.) <span class="smcap">Safvet.</span></p> - -<p>No. 3 is the Annex to the above Convention, consisting of Six Articles, -signed at Constantinople on July 1, 1878, by A. H. Layard and Safvet -respectively. The first five Articles deal with the manner in which the -Island of Cyprus would be governed, whilst under British occupation. The -final Article, viz. Article VI, is as follows—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"That if Russia restores to Turkey Kars and the other Conquests -made by her in Armenia during the last war, the Island of Cyprus -will be evacuated by England; and the Convention of June 4, 1878, -will be at an end."</p></blockquote> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_34_34" id="Footnote_34_34"></a><a href="#FNanchor_34_34"><span class="label">[34]</span></a> By a curious irony of events, at the time these lines were -written by the great English statesman, Egypt was governed by an -Armenian Prime Minister, Nubar Pasha, while the victorious Russian Army -in the Caucasus was under the command of the Armenian General Loris -Melikoff, the victor of Kars, who later became Minister of the Interior -and one of the most trusted advisers of the Czar Liberator. It is -interesting to note that Egypt had an Armenian Prime Minister during the -reign of the Khalif Al-Mustansir (1036-94) by the name of Badr-el-Gamali -(probably a variation of Bedros Gamalian), "who governed wisely and well -for twenty years (1073-94)."—<i>See</i> <span class="smcap">Adrian Fortescue</span>: <i>The Lesser -Eastern Churches</i>, p. 237.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<h3>NOTE</h3> - -<p class="center"><a href="#Page_29">(p. 29.)</a></p> - -<p>"The Turanian movement is not the spasmodic effort of a few enthusiasts. -It represents a carefully matured plan most elaborately studied in its -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span>philosophical and practical aspects, and carried out on a vast and -ambitious scale. The spirit of its teaching has been made to permeate -all classes of the purely Turkish population, including women; while, in -the army, it has been taught in the shape of a patriotic creed, and the -force of military discipline has been laid at the service of its -promoters. The movement, therefore, no longer expresses the creed of a -limited number of nationalist fanatics, represented by the Central -Committee of Union and Progress, or the extremist section of it, but of -practically the whole of the Turkish people, backed by the formidable -power of the army. Thus, the view that would represent the Turkish -people as unwitting or unwilling tools in the hands of the Unionist -Government can no longer be accepted. The Turkish race as a whole, with -but few exceptions, stands convicted of indulging in a wanton political -dream, for the realization of which it seized the opportunity of the -world-war to commit most atrocious crimes. It is true that the initial -responsibility lies with the C.U.P., but the whole of the Turkish nation -has since shared the responsibility by its ready response. This is borne -out by the easy success attained by the Unionist Government in -modifying—with hardly a dissentient voice—the system of State -education, embracing even the elementary schools, and in -misappropriating the <i>Wakfs</i> funds.</p> - -<p>"Military officers of the higher grades were instructed to pay -periodical visits to the barracks and there deliver lectures of a mixed -religious and racial character, prepared by the Government. Were not the -Turkish heart a ready soil, such sowings would not have yielded such an -early and abundant harvest. In spite of successive admixtures of blood, -the Turks have retained the original instincts of the wild men of the -Steppes,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> and a creed aiming at conquest and domination through -destruction and bloodshed found eager response in their souls. Islam, -sympathetic as it is, despite its militant character, was sacrificed for -the realization of this widest of human dreams. There was not enough of -'iron and blood' in its teaching. The Turanian creed, framed on the -Prussian pattern of militarism, appealed a thousand times more to the -Turks' savage nature; and the proof is that, without any compulsion -being employed, it quickly supplanted the religious heritage of -centuries. The troops took up readily the heroic Turanian songs in place -of the usual prayers which had, until lately, been compulsory, but are -so no more. The simplest of Anatolians willingly accepted the idea that -the prophet of later days is Enver! The fundamental rules of Islam -became, for them, the Testimony (for the unity of God), Reason, -Character, and the Collection of contributions for the Government and -the War under the Turkish banner."</p> - -<p>(From an article entitled "Turanian and Moslem" in <i>The Near East</i>, -April 20, 1917.)</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay & Sons, Limited</span>,<br /> BRUNSWICK ST., -STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.</p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARMENIA AND THE WAR***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 53887-h.htm or 53887-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/3/8/8/53887">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/8/8/53887</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition.</p> - -<p>Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org</p> - -<p>This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.</p> - -</body> -</html> - diff --git a/old/53887-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/53887-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 897d027..0000000 --- a/old/53887-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53887.txt b/old/53887.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 54e8649..0000000 --- a/old/53887.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4498 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Armenia and the War, by A. P. (Avetoon Pesak) -Hacobian - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Armenia and the War - - -Author: A. P. (Avetoon Pesak) Hacobian - - - -Release Date: January 4, 2017 [eBook #53887] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARMENIA AND THE WAR*** - - -E-text prepared by Cindy Horton, Martin Pettit, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/armeniaandwaran00hacogoog - - - - - -ARMENIA AND THE WAR - -An Armenian's Point of View -with an Appeal to Britain and -the Coming Peace Conference - -by - -A. P. HACOBIAN - -With a Preface by the Rt. Hon. Viscount Bryce, O.M. - - - - - - - -Hodder and Stoughton -London New York Toronto -MCMXVII - - - "They are slaves who fear to speak - For the fallen and the weak: - They are slaves who will not choose - Hatred, scoffing and abuse, - Rather than in silence shrink - From the truth they needs must think: - They are slaves who dare not be - In the right with two or three." - - LOWELL. - - -"_To serve Armenia is to serve civilization._" - -_W. E. GLADSTONE._ - - -"_We have put our money on the wrong horse._"[1] - -_THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY._ - - -" ... _a Government incurably barbarous and corrupt._" - -_THE DUKE OF ARGYLL._ - - -" ... _the Ottoman Empire ... decidedly foreign to Western -civilization._" - -_ALLIES' NOTE TO PRESIDENT WILSON, -January 11, 1917._ - - - - -INTRODUCTORY NOTE - - -The end of the war will leave Great Britain and her Allies the practical -arbiters of the destinies of Europe and the Near East. The predominant -part played in the prosecution of the war by Great Britain and the -British Empire will entitle them to an equally decisive voice in the -councils of the Peace Conference. That proud position carries with it a -supreme privilege as well as a heavy moral responsibility. That the -voice and weight of Britain and Greater Britain will be cast, on all -occasions, on the side of justice and liberty, there cannot be the -slightest doubt. But however just and fair-minded a judge may be, it is -impossible for him to dispense justice without hearing all sides of the -case before him. - -That is my plea for placing this statement of the cause of my afflicted -country before the British public, confident that, with its inherent -love of fair play, it will give my pleading a fair hearing. - -I am anxious to make one point clear. I hold no authority and claim no -right whatever to speak for the nation or any national or local -organization of any kind. The views set forth in this little volume are -the views of an individual Armenian who feels, as do no doubt all his -compatriots, that the Armenian blood that has flowed so freely in this -war, imposes upon every living Armenian the sacred duty of employing all -legitimate means in his power to secure to the survivors the justice and -reparation to which their numerous fallen relatives have given them an -overwhelming and indisputable title. They are my views, and the -responsibility for them rests on myself and myself alone. - -I have stated my views frankly. One or two of my friends were kind -enough to express the opinion that that might injure our cause. While I -appreciate their interest and solicitude, I do not share their fears. I -am convinced that the truth can never be unpopular with the British -public or prejudice a good cause. - -I have, of necessity, had to quote freely from many sources, and I take -this opportunity to express my apologies and indebtedness to the -authorities quoted, in particular to Lord Bryce and Mr. Arnold J. -Toynbee for very kindly permitting me to quote extracts from the Blue -Book. - -A. P. HACOBIAN. - -_London, -February, 1917._ - - - - -PREFACE - - -Of all the peoples upon whom this war has brought calamity and -suffering, the Armenian people have had the most to endure. Great as has -been the misery inflicted by the invaders upon the non-combatant -populations of Belgium and Northern France, upon Poland, upon Serbia, -the misery of Armenia, though far less known to the outer world, has -been far more terrible. - -When the European War broke out, in 1914, the Government of the Turkish -Empire had fallen into the hands of a small gang of unscrupulous -ruffians calling themselves the Committee of Union and Progress, who -were ruling through their command of the army, but in the name of the -harmless and imbecile Sultan. By means which have not been fully -disclosed, but the nature of which can be easily conjectured, this gang -were won over to serve the interests of Germany; and at Germany's -bidding they declared war against the Western Allies, thus dragging all -the subjects of Turkey, Muslim and Christian, into a conflict with which -they had no concern. The Armenian Christians scattered through the -Asiatic part of the Turkish dominions, having had melancholy experience -in the Adana massacres some years previously of what cruelties the -ruling gang were capable of perpetrating, were careful to remain quiet, -and to furnish no pretext to the Turkish authorities for an attack upon -them. But the rulers of Turkey showed that they did not need a pretext -for the execution of the nefarious purposes they cherished. They had -formed a design for the extermination of the non-Mohammedan elements in -the population of Asiatic Turkey, in order to make what they called a -homogeneous nation, consisting of Mohammedans only. The wickedness of -such a design was equalled only by its blind folly, for the Christian -Armenians of Asia Minor and the north-eastern provinces constituted the -most industrious, the most intelligent, and the best-educated part of -the population. Most of the traders and merchants, nearly all the -skilled artisans, were Armenians, and to destroy them was to destroy the -chief industrial asset which these regions possessed. However, this was -the plan of the Committee of Union and Progress, and as soon as they -began to feel, in the spring of 1915, that the Allied expedition against -the Dardanelles was not likely to succeed, they proceeded to execute it. -They first disarmed all the Armenians in order to have them at their -mercy; and in some cases, in order to make it appear that the Armenians -were intending to take up arms, they actually sent weapons into the -towns and then had them seized as evidence against the Christians. When -such arms as the Christians possessed had been secured, orders for -massacre were issued from Constantinople to the local governors. The -whole Armenian population was seized. The grown men were slaughtered -without mercy. The younger women were sold in the market place to the -highest bidder, or appropriated by Turkish military officers and civil -officials to become slaves in Turkish harems. The boys were handed over -to dervishes to be carried off and brought up as Muslims. The rest of -the hapless victims, all the older men and women, the mothers and their -babes clinging to them, were torn from their homes and driven out along -the tracks which led into the desert region of northern Syria and -Arabia. Most of them perished on the way from hardships, from disease, -from starvation. A few were still surviving some months ago near Aleppo -and along the banks of the Euphrates. Many, probably thousands, were -drowned in that river and its tributaries, martyrs to their Christian -faith, which they had refused to renounce; for it was generally possible -for women, and sometimes for men, to save themselves by accepting -Mohammedanism. By these various methods hundreds of thousands--the -number is variously estimated at from 500,000 to 800,000--have perished. -And all this was done with the tacit acquiescence of the German -Government, some of whose representatives on the spot are even said to -have encouraged the Turks in their work of slaughter, while the -Government confined its action to propagating in Germany, so as to -deceive its own people, false stories which alleged that the Armenians -had been punished for insurrectionary movements. - -All these facts, with many details too horrible to be repeated here, are -set forth in the Blue Book recently published in England, containing -accounts based upon incontrovertible evidence, and to which no reply has -been made, though some denials, palpably false, have emanated from the -Turkish gang, and some others from the German Government. - -The victims who have thus been put to death, a large part of the whole -Armenian people, belong to what is one of the oldest nations in the -world, which has been Christian and civilized ever since the third -century of our era. If any people ever deserved the sympathy of the -civilized world, it is they who have clung to their faith and the -traditions of their ancient kingdom ever since that kingdom was -overthrown by the Turkish invaders many centuries ago. They now appeal -to the Allied Nations who are fighting the battle of Right and Humanity -against the German Government and its barbarous Turkish allies, asking -that when the end of the war comes their case may be considered and -they may be for ever delivered from the Turkish yoke. Nowhere is their -hard case better known than in the United States, for it is the American -missionaries who have, by their admirable schools and colleges planted -in many cities of Asiatic Turkey, done more for them than any other -country has done, giving them light, consolation and sympathy. - - -The author of this little book is an Armenian gentleman belonging to a -family originally from Ispahan in Persia, but now settled in England. He -speaks with intimate knowledge as well as with patriotic feeling, and -states the case of his countrymen with a moderation well fitted to -inspire confidence. Upon the arguments he puts forward I do not venture -to express any opinion in detail. But those who know something of -Asiatic Turkey will recognize with him that the Armenians are, by their -intelligence and their irrepressible energy, the race best fitted to -restore prosperity to regions desolated by Turkish oppression. The -educated Armenians, notwithstanding all they have suffered, are abreast -of the modern world of civilization. Among them are many men of science -and learning, as well as artists and poets. They are scattered in many -lands. I have visited large Armenian colonies as far west as California, -and there are others as far east as Rangoon. Many of the exiles would -return to their ancient home if they could but be guaranteed that -security and peace which they have never had, and can never have, under -the rule of the Turk. May we not confidently hope that the Allied Powers -will find means for giving it to them at the end of this war, for -extending to them that security which they have long desired and are -capable of using well? - -BRYCE. - -_May, 1917._ - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] _After the massacres of 1895-1896, Lord Salisbury, who had himself -taken a prominent part in the consummation of the Treaty of Berlin and -the Cyprus Convention, frankly admitted the failure of the policy which -gave birth to these treaties, and the futility of relying upon Turkish -promises._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - PAGE - I. ARMENIA AS A WAR ISSUE--GREATEST SUFFERER - FROM TURKO-PRUSSIAN "FRIGHTFULNESS"--EFFECT - ON AMERICAN OPINION 1 - - II. ARMENIA AND REPARATION--ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM--CONDEMNATION - AND DEMAND FOR REPARATION INADEQUATELY EXPRESSED 10 - - III. "THE GENTLE AND CLEAN-FIGHTING TURK" 22 - - IV. ANGLO-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP A VITAL NECESSITY - FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS IN ASIA--MOSLEMS - AND TURKISH RULE--ARMENIANS PROGRESSIVE - AND DEMOCRATIC BY TEMPERAMENT 40 - - V. ARMENIA AS A PEACE PROBLEM--VIEWS OF THE - "MANCHESTER GUARDIAN" AND THE "SPECTATOR"--CAN - ARMENIANS STAND ALONE AMONG - THE KURDS?--AMERICAN OPINION AND THE FUTURE OF ARMENIA 50 - - VI. ARMENIA'S SERVICES IN THE WAR 66 - - VII. ARMENIA THE BATTLE-GROUND OF ASIA MINOR - AND VICTIM OF CONTENDING EMPIRES 81 - -VIII. THE BLUE-BOOK--THE EPIC OF ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM, - THE REVELATION OF HER SPIRIT AND - CHARACTER--"TRUTH" ON THE ARMENIANS: A DIGRESSION 94 - - IX. EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE BOOK 114 - - X. GREAT BRITAIN AND ARMENIA--THE LATE DUKE - OF ARGYLL'S VIEWS--AN APPEAL TO BRITAIN 140 - - XI. AN APPEAL TO THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE 160 - - - POSTSCRIPT 181 - - APPENDIX 189 - - - - -ARMENIA AND THE WAR - - - - -I - - ARMENIA AS A WAR ISSUE--GREATEST SUFFERER FROM TURKO-PRUSSIAN - "FRIGHTFULNESS"--EFFECT ON AMERICAN OPINION - - -The first official advance for peace made by Germany and her Allies, -although couched in defiant and menacing terms, was nevertheless an -unmistakable signal of distress, and has brought the world within -measurable distance of that just and durable peace which the Allies have -set out to achieve. The prospect of approaching peace has set on foot a -general reiteration of the issues at stake, and consideration of the -terms and problems of peace. Public attention in this country will -naturally be occupied, in the first place, with the momentous issues and -interests of the United Kingdom, the British Empire and her Allies -raised by the war and to be settled and secured by the impending peace. -It will therefore, I hope, not be considered amiss or premature for a -member of one of those small and oppressed peoples engulfed in the -vortex of the war who look to Great Britain and her Allies for -deliverance, reparation and the security of their future liberty, to put -before the British public his views, as well as facts and arguments that -may be of some service in enabling it to form a just estimate of the -claims and merits of one of the smaller problems which run the risk of -not receiving a full hearing at the Peace Conference, in the presence of -a multitude of larger and more important questions. - -The item in the Allied peace terms stated in their reply to President -Wilson's note, "the setting free of the populations subject to the -bloody tyranny of the Turks," is the bearer to Armenians of a message of -comfort and hope. It heralds the dawn of a new day that will mark the -end of the long and hideous nightmare of Turkish tyranny. - -If President Wilson, the American people, or other neutrals were in -search of evidence that would prove to them conclusively which of the -two groups of belligerents is sincere in its professions of regard for -"the rights and privileges of weak peoples and small states"; if Belgium -had not been violated and ravaged; if the _Lusitania_ and so many -hospital ships, liners and merchantmen had not been sunk without any -care as to the fate of the wounded, the children and women, the -non-combatant men and crews; if Zeppelins had not spread death and -destruction among women and children in their homes in the night; if all -these and so many other outrages had not been committed, and there had -been, in the whole course of the war, no other act of the Quadruple -Alliance in any degree contrary to the laws and usages of civilized -warfare and dictates of humanity, the single word ARMENIA would provide -that proof--a crushing, monumental proof--as to who is and who is not -sincere in the professions of regard for right, justice and humanity. -The spirit of desolated Armenia stands at the head of the phantom -spirits of outraged humanity, which must rise and shatter to atoms -every mask of benevolence, righteousness and injured innocence that the -protagonists of "frightfulness" may assume for the deception of their -own peoples and neutrals. - -But in the United States at least there is no need for any fresh proof -or explanation of the issue at this stage, and the martyrdom of Armenia -has contributed largely to that state of American opinion. I have little -doubt that President Wilson's Peace Note and speech to the Senate are -the first steps towards America casting her whole weight into the scale, -aiming at the realization of a just and lasting peace. - -The intense interest evinced by the people and Government of the United -States in the fate of Armenia and the Armenians is abundantly shown not -only by the generous gifts of money for the relief of the survivors and -the noble personal services by devoted missionaries and relief agents, -some of whom lost their lives in their work of mercy; but also by -diplomatic action on behalf of the Armenians in Constantinople (where -Mr. Morgenthau, to his great honour, struggled valiantly to stay the -hand of the ruthless oppressor), and by the prominence given to any and -every scrap of news concerning the holocaust in Armenia. It is no -exaggeration to say that, military operations apart, no incident of the -war, not excepting the violation and martyrdom of Belgium, has been -given more space and prominence in the American Press than anything -connected with the martyrdom of Armenia and Syria and the relief of the -refugees and exiles. - -In his reply to the Armenian deputation who on December 14, 1916, -presented to him an illuminated parchment from the Catholicos expressing -His Holiness's gratitude and thanks to the American nation, President -Wilson said, _inter alia_-- - - - "We have tried to do what was possible to save your people from the - ravages of war. My great regret is, that we have been able to - accomplish so little. There have been many suffering peoples as the - result of that terrible struggle, and _the lot of none has touched - the American heart more than the suffering of the Armenians_."[2] - - -Nothing in the war has brought home to the people of the United States -the moral issues of the war more strongly and vividly than the -unprecedented barbarities committed by the Turks in their diabolical -attempt to wipe out the Armenian race. No event of the war has been more -damaging to the Central Powers in the eyes of the United States. Here -they have seen the ruthless spirit of the twin enemies of humanity and -liberty--the Turkish _yatagan_ supported by the Prussian jack-boot--in -its hideous nakedness, at work in the depths of Asia, unrestrained and -unperceived, as they thought, by the light of civilization. - -This gospel of the jack-boot and the _yatagan_ will be best illustrated -by putting side by side two quotations, one from the _Tanine_, the -official organ of the Committee of Union and Progress in Constantinople, -and the other from a statement made by Count Reventlow in October 1915. -The _Tanine_ "invited the Government to exterminate or forcibly convert -to Islam all Armenian women in Turkey as the only means of saving the -Ottoman Empire."[3] Count Reventlow, the high priest of the gospel of -Brute Force and Militarism, writing in the _Tageszeitung_ in defence and -approval of Turkey's appalling crime, said that it was the Ottoman -Government's obvious right and duty to take the strongest repressive -measures against "the bloodthirsty Armenians"--the measures advocated by -the _Tanine_, which were carried out by Count Reventlow's worthy allies -on the Bosphorus with a completeness and ferocity that must have greatly -pleased him. - -The German Government and German apologists have made a great parade of -the use of Indian and African troops in Europe by the Allies. By all -reports, these troops have fought as clean a fight as any troops in the -war. I think that in the judgment of future historians no incident of -this war, whose history is so heavily shadowed on one side with -outrages and violations of the laws of civilized warfare, will meet with -so strong a condemnation as Germany's alliance with the Young Turks, the -declaration of a "holy war" at her behest, and its dire consequences for -the already sorely tried Christian subjects of the Turks. (It should be -remembered that Germany and Austria are signatories to the Treaty of -Berlin, Art. 61 of which was to have brought about "the improvements and -reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by the -Armenians," and to have "guaranteed their security against the Kurds and -Circassians." This point cannot be too strongly emphasized.) She could -have foreseen these consequences; and if she did not foresee them, she -could have stopped them when they made themselves apparent. Turkey's -entry into the war placed her Christian subjects in a position of great -peril, as it has been her custom to wreak upon them her vengeance for -defeats; while a state of war freed her from the moral restraint of -Europe. It was hoped that German and Austrian influence would check -this tendency. How cruelly events have shattered that hope! They have -proved that it was too much to expect humanity and the ordinary feelings -of chivalry and compassion for the honour and suffering of women and -children from the State policies of these great Christian Governments -and the majority of their agents in Turkey. I do not believe that this -ungodly and inhuman policy has received general approbation either in -Germany or Austria-Hungary. This is evident from the quotations from -German missionary journals in the Blue-book on the "Treatment of -Armenians in the Ottoman Empire."[4] It is also proved by the protests -addressed to the Imperial Chancellor by several Catholic and Protestant -organizations. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[2] Quoted in _The New Armenia_ of New York, January 1, 1917. The -italics are mine. - -[3] Quoted in _Guerre Sociale_ (Paris), September 16, 1915. - -[4] _The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire._ Documents -presented to Viscount Grey of Fallodon, Secretary of State for Foreign -Affairs, with a preface by Viscount Bryce (Hodder & Stoughton). - - - - -II - - ARMENIA AND REPARATION--ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM--CONDEMNATION AND - DEMAND FOR REPARATION INADEQUATELY EXPRESSED - - -The Governments of the Allies have unanimously declared that peace is -only possible on the principles of adequate reparation for the past, -adequate security for the future, and recognition of the principle of -nationalities and of the free existence of small states. - -"Reparation" means no doubt in the first place reparation for the wanton -and ruthless destruction of unoffending and defenceless civilian lives -and property. - -It is characteristic of the British sense of justice and fair play that -Belgium, France and Serbia should be given the first place in their -demand for reparation, for, of course, there are the British victims of -"frightfulness," Zeppelin and submarine victims and the victims of -judicial murders to be atoned for and recompensed. - -This unanimous demand for reparation to the smaller nations for all they -have suffered as a result of the brutal and unscrupulous aggression of -their more powerful neighbours, and their security and free development, -augurs well for the future. It is an earnest given by the Entente Powers -to the world, of the sincerity of their declarations regarding the -unselfish, just and worthy objects which they entered the war to attain. - -I must be excused, however, if I confess to feeling not a little -perplexity at the fact that, in discussing the peace terms, the great -organs of British public opinion, with some notable exceptions,[5] have -made little or no reference to Armenia in the demand for penalties, -reparation and redemption. This fact must have impressed Mr. Arthur -Henderson, who, in his reference to Armenia quoted more fully elsewhere, -remarked that " ... Armenian atrocities _were not much talked about_ -here ... etc." My anxiety will be understood when I point out that for -us it is not a question of a little more or less territory, a little -larger or smaller indemnity. For us more than for any other race -involved in the war it is a question of "to be or not to be" in a real -and fateful sense: the rebirth of Armenian nationality from the -profusion of its lost blood and heaps of smouldering ashes, or the end -of that long-cherished and bled-for aspiration, and the consummation of -the "policy" of Abdul Hamid and the Young Turks. - -The first general discussion of the terms of peace has coincided with -the publication, as a Blue-book, of Lord Bryce's comprehensive -documentary evidence on the attempt of the Turks to murder the Armenian -nation in cold blood. I gratefully acknowledge the fact that many -newspapers wrote sympathetic editorial articles or reviews on the -Blue-book, emphasizing, with incontestable force, that this conclusive -evidence of the abominable crimes committed by the Turks in Armenia -without any protest from official Germany, is a crushing reply to the -German Chancellor's protestations of solicitude for humanity. - -But, opportune as has been the immediate effect of this fresh evidence -of Lord Bryce's noble and untiring labours in the cause of humanity, as -a tragic and terrible exposure of the irony of the Central Powers' -professions of pity for suffering humanity, that is surely not the only -or the principal moral to be drawn from these haunting pages. They -constitute a terrible and lasting reproach to the European diplomacy of -our time. They unfold to the horrified gaze of mankind a vast column of -human smoke and human anguish rising to the heavens as the incense of -the most fearful yet most glorious mass-martyrdom the world has ever -seen, but casting a shadow of lasting shame upon Christendom and -civilization. The unparalleled outburst of barbarity they reveal did -not come as a surprise. Europe had heard its premonitory rumblings these -last forty years. As far back as 1880 the representatives of the Great -Powers in their famous and futile Identic Note to the Sublime Porte, -said: "So desperate was the misgovernment of the country that it would -lead in all probability to the destruction of the Christian population -of vast districts." The massacres of 1895-1896 and 1909 cost the lives -of 250,000 to 300,000 Armenians. But most of the European statesmen of -the day persistently refused to believe that "the gentle Turk" was -capable of such bursts of unspeakable barbarism; while Bismarck declared -openly that the whole Eastern Question was not worth "the bones of a -Pomeranian grenadier." His successors have followed and improved upon -his ruthless, unchristian policy, and Europe sees the result. - -With due respect to the small minority of humane Turks, who, I dare say, -are themselves shocked at what their rulers, their soldiery and populace -have proved themselves capable of, the Turk as a race has added yet -another and vaster monument than ever before to the long series of -similar monuments that fill the pages of his blood-stained history, in -proof of the unchangeable brutality of his nature. You cannot reason or -argue with him. Nor can you expect justice or ordinary human feelings -from such a nature. The only sane and honest way to deal with him is to -make him innocuous. It is official Europe that is to blame for leaving -him so long at large and his prey at his mercy. It is European diplomacy -of the past forty years that is responsible for looking on while the -relentless mutilation was going on limb by limb, until Moloch saw his -chance in the war and all but devoured his hapless victim, with the -tacit acquiescence of the Governments of two great Christian empires, -and the applause of Count Reventlow and his disciples. - -How is it to be explained that this deliberately planned destruction of -more than half a million human beings by all the tortures of the Dark -Ages, and the deportation and enslavement worse than death of more than -half a million, have not aroused the righteous wrath of the great -British writers and thinkers of the day to nearly the same extent as the -martyrdom of Belgium? How is it that great writers and poets have not -felt the call of expressing to the world in the language of genius the -stupefying horror as well as the moral grandeur of this vast, -unparalleled tragedy?[6] Great Britain has always been, and is to-day -more than ever, the champion and "the hope of the oppressed and the -despair of the oppressor." That sympathy, horror and indignation exist -in this country in the fullest measure there is not the slightest doubt. -One sees proofs and indications of their existence at every turn. But -why, in Heaven's name, is it not proclaimed to the world that the -culprits may know and tremble and stay their hand? Bishops have been -burnt to death, hundreds of churches desecrated, and ministers of Christ -tortured and murdered; hundreds of thousands of Christian women and -children done to death in circumstances of unspeakable barbarity and -bestiality. Why are the Churches of Great Britain and all Christendom -not raising a cry of indignation that will reverberate throughout the -world and strike the fear of God into the hearts of these assassins and -all powers of darkness? Why is not a word said as a tribute, so richly -deserved, to the heroic and indomitable spirit of the men and women and -even children who chose torture and death rather than deny their Christ, -sacrifice their honour or renounce their nationality?[7] Here is -assuredly the most inspiring example of all times of the triumph of the -spirit of Christ and the fidelity in death to conscience, personal -honour and independence, over savage fury and brutal lust at the highest -pitch ever attained in them by fiends in human form; a triumph and an -example more inspiring, and with a deeper and more lasting significance -for humanity and Christianity, perhaps, than this great and terrible war -itself; and the Churches and spokesmen and writers of great Christian -countries, belligerent and neutral, pass over that aspect of the Great -Tragedy almost in complete silence! - -I do not ask tributes for the martyrs; let their praise be sung by the -hosts of heaven. Nor is this a complaint; and it would be a presumption -on my part to assume the role of critic or mentor to leaders of -religion, thought and learning in great Christian countries. It is far -indeed from my intention to assume such a role. But these are facts -which I contemplate with inexpressible sorrow, almost despair--facts -which perplex and puzzle me and which surpass my understanding. Perhaps -my judgment is dimmed and embittered by my nation's sufferings. If that -is so, is any one surprised that the Armenian soul should be bitter -to-day, bitter with a bitterness, anguish and indignation such as the -soul of man has never tasted before, or any people can possibly imagine? - -Some papers speak of the sufferings of the Armenians being _equal_ to -those of the Belgians. - -Armenians know, if any one does, what bondage and suffering under the -tyrant's heel mean, and they yield to none in their profound sympathy -and admiration for heroic Belgium, Serbia and the occupied parts of -France. The martyrdom of 5000 unoffending Belgian civilians is a -horrible enough episode, but surely there is some difference between -5000 and 600,000 victims, to say nothing of the 600,000 who were -enslaved, forcibly converted to Islam, and driven in caravans of torture -and death to the Mesopotamian deserts.[8] What is the condition of -these unfortunates, and how many have survived, must remain a dread -secret of the desert until the end of the war. - -Is it because the victims are Armenians, mere Armenians so used to -massacre, so long abandoned by Europe to the lust and pleasure of "the -Gentle Turk"? That may be so in the eyes of men. But there is God, and -in His eyes the life and pain and torture and death of an Armenian -child, woman, or man are the same, exactly the same, as those of any -other child, woman, or man without exception. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[5] Armenians are especially indebted to the _Manchester Guardian_ and -_The Times_ for their valuable services to their cause, humanity and -truth in exposing the reign of terror in Armenia and the Turk's -affectation of "clean-fighting." Part 101 of _The Times History and -Encyclopaedia of the War_ was the first detailed account of what had -happened in Armenia since the outbreak of war, and I may add that, -considering the difficulties of obtaining information, it is a -remarkably well-informed account. - -[6] Mr. Israel Zangwill concludes a moving and eloquent tribute to the -agony of Armenia in _The New Armenia_ (New York) of March 1, 1917, -entitled "The Majesty of Armenia," in the following words--"I bow before -this higher majesty of sorrow. I take the crown of thorns from Israel's -head and I place it upon Armenia's." - -Is it not a strange fact that of all contemporary authors and publicists -of note, it should have fallen to a famous and gifted Jew to pay the -first tribute to "the majesty" of Armenia's martyrdom for the Christian -faith? - -[7] Mr. P. W. Wilson's sympathetic and appreciative articles in _The -Westminster Gazette_ and _The Daily News and Leader_ of February 3, -1917, appeared after the above was written. While I am most grateful to -Mr. Wilson and the two great organs of British public opinion, I avail -myself of this opportunity to make one or two observations on some of -the points Mr. Wilson has raised-- - -"The first impulse of the refugee" has not only been "to start a shop" -but also to start a school and improvise the means of continuing the -publication of the newspaper he was publishing in Van before the exile, -as the Belgians have done here under more favourable circumstances. The -toleration practised by Armenians and their Church is not due to -adversity, but the true understanding of Christianity. The spirit of -toleration breathes through the pages of the history of the Armenian -Church from the earliest times. - -Mr. Wilson says: "It is doubtless regrettable that the Armenians should -have failed to recommend their progressive conception of life to the -Moslems around them." This is a striking example of the misconception -that so often exists in the minds of even the most sympathetic observers -of Armenian affairs. Mr. Wilson knows no doubt for how much prestige -counts in the East. If the European missions with all the prestige of -their great nations, governments, embassies, consulates, etc., behind -them (to say nothing of the unlimited funds at their disposal) have had -such little success in Moslem countries, is it reasonable to blame the -Armenians, oppressed, harried, tortured, massacred, plunged into the -depths of misery, for not having fared better? What respect could the -Armenian's religion inspire among his Moslem neighbours who murdered his -bishops and priests, desecrated his churches and inflicted the most -revolting insults upon the outward symbols of his faith, while his -powerful co-religionists stood by and did nothing? Under these -circumstances what better service could the Armenian render his religion -than die for it? In happier days, the early Armenian Christians were -largely instrumental in converting the Georgians. - -[8] It is some consolation to know, as some reports say, that the Arabs -have treated these unfortunates kindly. It is an indication of--and a -credit to--their superior civilization. - - - - -III - - "THE GENTLE AND CLEAN-FIGHTING TURK"[9] - - -The Allies have declared in their reply to President Wilson that one of -their aims is "the turning out of Europe of the Ottoman Empire, _as -decidedly foreign to Western civilization_." - -This fact of the Turk being "decidedly foreign to Western civilization," -affirmed on the authority and conviction of the Governments of four of -the greatest and most advanced nations of Europe, needs no further -proof. Nevertheless it seems desirable, in the interests of truth, to -endeavour to dissipate the misconception that has been created by the -extraordinary myth of "the clean-fighting Turk." - -There has been a disposition in this country, natural and intelligible -under the circumstances, to attribute the recent (let us hope the last) -and most terrible of the Armenian massacres wholly or largely to German -influence. That the German Government had it in its power to stop this -gigantic crime if it had so wished, there is no doubt. It seems likely -also that the Turk applied to his brutal scheme the method and -thoroughness he had learned from his German ally. But seriously to -assert, as some writers and speakers have done, that German influence -instigated the massacres, is to shut one's eyes to the Turk's record -ever since he became known to history. One need only turn the pages of -his history--a veritable chamber of horrors--to convince oneself that -massacre, outrage, and devastation have always been congenial to the -Turk. - -Without for a moment wishing to absolve the German Government of its -responsibility, before God and humanity, for not exerting its influence -to save more than a million absolutely innocent human beings from death, -slow torture, and slavery: the fact, nevertheless, remains that Hulagu, -Sultan Selim, Bayazid and Abdul Hamid were not under German influence, -that there were no Germans at the sack of Constantinople or the -massacres of Bagdad and Sivas, or, in more recent times, at the -butcheries of Chios, Greece, Crete, Batak, Macedonia, Sassoon, Urfa, or -Adana. The Turk, in fact, has nothing to learn from his Teutonic ally -in "frightfulness"; he has a great deal to teach him. I readily admit -that there are some Turks who are gentle and good men. Some of these -have risked good positions and even their lives to protect Armenian -women and children. But most unfortunately for us, for humanity and for -the Turks themselves, such good Turks are few and far between. - -It is true that orders for the extirpation of the Armenians were issued -from Constantinople, but can any one imagine such revolting orders -_being carried out_ by "gentle and clean-fighting" troops and people? I -shall be much surprised if any unprejudiced man or woman in any -civilized country believes that any but the Turkish populace and -soldiery would be capable of carrying out such orders. History at any -rate has given us no such evidence. - -I believe that, under a just and honest government and better -influences, the Turkish peasant will, in course of time, lose his -proneness to cruelty, for he has good qualities. But if this war is -intended to see the end of tyranny, oppression, brutal religious and -political persecution and the discontent and unrest that such -conditions always produce; if it is to prevent the possibility of a -repetition of the hell that the Turks have let loose in Armenia since -they entered the war and _so often before the war_; then it is clear -that never again must the Turk be allowed to possess the power over -other races, which he has so abominably abused ever since he "hacked his -way through" to the fair, fertile and once highly prosperous country -which he has devastated and converted into a charnel-house. - -The Armenians of Turkey had no separatist aspirations. They knew that -was impracticable. Nothing would have suited them better than a reformed -government in Turkey, that would give them security of life, honour and -property, the free development of their national and religious -institutions and an approach to equality with Moslems before the law. On -the promulgation of the Constitution, all the Armenian revolutionary -societies were transformed into peaceable and orderly political parties -as by magic. They had great hopes of achieving these aims and the -regeneration of the Ottoman Empire from within in co-operation with the -Young Turks before the war, and they gave the Committee of Union and -Progress (was there ever a more incongruous misnomer?) all the support -they could, which was by no means negligible; but they had not long to -wait to be completely and bitterly disillusioned. The Adana massacres -gave their hopes the first blow. The Armenian leaders proved too earnest -and sincere democrats for the Committee leaders who, with few -exceptions, were actuated, as events proved, more by inordinate personal -ambition than the "liberty" and "equality" which they so loudly -proclaimed and which have proved such a hideous mockery. The -chauvinistic wing soon gained complete ascendancy over the party, which -resolved on the covert or forcible "Ottomanization" of all non-Turk -races of the Empire (as is proved by the recent exposures of the Grand -Sheriff of Mecca), and ended by joining the Germans in the war in the -hope of conquering Egypt and the Caucasus. - -It is a mistake to think that Germany forced Turkey into the war -against her will by the presence of the _Goeben_ and _Breslau_. Those -who had any knowledge of Turkish affairs had no doubt of the existence -of a military understanding between Germany and Turkey for some years -before the war. The arrival of a military mission at Constantinople -under Liman von Sanders left no doubt on that point. - -On the outbreak of the European war, the Armenian Dashnakist Party met -in congress at Erzerum to determine the attitude to be observed by the -Party in relation to the war. Hearing of this, the Young Turks forthwith -sent representatives to ascertain the attitude of the Party in the event -of Turkey going to war against Russia. (See Blue-book, p. 80.) This took -place some weeks before the arrival of the _Goeben_ and _Breslau_ at -Constantinople. Nor was the war as unpopular with the Turkish masses at -the outset as is thought by many. If that were so there would have been -a revolt against the Young Turks, and Turkey would have been detached -from the Central Powers long ago. It may be less popular now, because -their dreams of conquest have been shattered and the whole country is -suffering. No Turk, Young or Old, had any particular objection to the -prospects of the conquest either of Egypt or the Caucasus, and many of -them aimed at a Moslem Triple Alliance between Turkey, Persia and -Afghanistan under German auspices, and even dreamt dreams of an empire -that would ultimately embrace India and the whole of Northern -Africa![10] - -The Young Turks have tried their hand at the government of the Ottoman -Empire, and have failed more completely and proved infinitely more cruel -and brutal than the old Turks. Besides this, their betrayal of the -Entente Powers and the vast and unprecedented crime which they have -committed against humanity have left only one solution possible that -holds out any promise of peace, justice and normal progress in the -future. That one solution is, to draw up a new map of the Ottoman Empire -on the basis of nationality and historical rights, reparation in -proportion to services and sacrifices during the war, and the proved -aptitude of the races concerned for progress and development on the -lines of Western civilization. - -There has long existed in Europe a school of politicians who have always -asked: "If you eliminate Turkish rule over the Turks' subject races, -what will you put in its place?" After what has happened in Armenia and -Syria, he would be a bold man or a prejudiced man who would deny that -_any_ change will be an improvement. - -The unfitness of the Turk to govern alien, and especially Christian -peoples has been proved by such an overwhelming accumulation of -historical evidence and rivers of innocent Christian blood, that to urge -the contrary must appear like an attempt to obscure the sun by the palm -of the hand. - -If this war is to bring peace and progress to Asia Minor instead of -chronic anarchy, bloodshed and devastation as in the past, there must be -an end of Turkish domination over alien races in any shape or form. By -all means give the Turk the chance of governing himself in the provinces -inhabited purely by Turks. - -During the Turkish retreat from Thrace in 1913, the evidence of -newspaper correspondents was that the Turk was leaving Europe in the -same state--moral, material and intellectual--as he entered it four -centuries ago. The fact is, that centuries of contact with civilization -has made no difference to the nature of the Turk. War brings to the -surface the true nature of a people as nothing else can. The Turk has -proved by his conduct in this war that he is as cruel and brutal as he -was when he first swooped down as the scourge of God in Asia Minor one -thousand years ago. By centuries of conquest and domination he has -acquired an attractive free and easy outward manner which has stamped -him a "gentleman" in the eyes of European travellers. But the same -"gentleman" who will charm you with his manner will murder or enslave -any number of women and children without the slightest twinge of -conscience. Such is the Turkish "gentleman." The Turks are to-day -proving their gratitude for a hundred years of British and French -support by throwing the whole of their man-power and resources--largely -built up by British and French capital--into the scale on the side of -Germany. They have put at the disposal of Germany and held for Germany -the land routes by which alone she can hope to threaten the British and -French colonial empires. They have done their best to do England and her -Allies all the injury they can, and have given the enemies of England -all the help they can. And still the Turk and even the Young Turk have -friends and protectors in this country.[11] This, to my mind, is the -most astonishing phenomenon of the whole war. It must appear strange to -thinking Moslems that there should be found, in great and mighty -Christian countries, respected and prominent men who defend the Young -Turks at the very moment when their _proteges_ are persecuting and -massacring their weak and defenceless co-religionists in countless -thousands. I gravely doubt whether such an act is calculated to enhance -the prestige of Christianity in the eyes of the Moslem world. - -Have the apologists of the Turks ever put themselves this question: "If -under German influence the Turks have been capable of attempting the -cold-blooded murder of a whole nation, how is the fact to be explained, -that under the same influence they were able to gain the reputation of -'clean fighters'?" - -The irony of it all is, that in a war in which more than twenty -different nations are engaged, the Turk and the Turk alone among the -belligerents should have gained the epithet of "clean-fighter," though, -note well, from one of his adversaries only. How is this fact to be -explained? Is it seriously claimed that the Turk has proved himself, -under the test of war, superior in morals and chivalry to all the -nations of Europe? - -Turkish mentality is not understood in Western Europe. The Turk has a -fanatical bravery which, however, easily degenerates into brutality. The -Russians, Rumanians and Serbs have fought the Turks for centuries. It -would be interesting to have their opinion of his "clean-fighting" -qualities. The fact is, the Turk knows he may need English help again -some day. He knows that there has long existed in England a school of -politicians which has believed that British interests in the Near East -will be best served by supporting the Turk. He knows that England has -millions of Mohammedan subjects who have still some sympathy for him on -religious grounds, and whose susceptibilities Englishmen are naturally -anxious to avoid hurting. He also knows that the British soldier is a -chivalrous warrior who gives full credit to his adversary for any good -qualities he may seem to possess. He understands the power of public -opinion in England. He sees, in short, that there is in England a -fertile and responsive psychological soil ready to nurture and fructify -a hundred-fold the smallest show of "clean-fighting" he may make. -Accordingly, the order goes forth to the Turkish soldier to be on his -best behaviour whenever and wherever he is fighting British troops, and -the Turkish soldier obeys with the blind obedience which is his chief -characteristic. - -That is the true explanation of the amazing fact that so many--though -not all--British officers and soldiers have written or spoken of the -Turk as a clean-fighter. It is well-known that some wounded Australians -who had the misfortune of falling into the hands of the Turks were most -brutally mutilated in the early part of the Dardanelles campaign. A -wounded and gallant young New Zealander told me at a Hampstead hospital -that the Turks "put three bullets into him," while he was being carried -to the rear of the fighting line on a stretcher. (In case my remarks -concerning the clean-fighting qualities of the Turk should be -misconstrued or misrepresented as in any way implying a doubt as to the -evidence of British officers and soldiers, I wish to say emphatically, -what hardly needs affirmation, that I regard such evidence as absolutely -above doubt or question.) - -The Russians said in one of their official _communiques_ that a number -of their wounded had been mutilated by the Turks. - -Two Russian hospital ships have been deliberately torpedoed by -submarines manned by Turks and flying the Turkish flag. - -I do not of course suggest that there are no really clean-fighting men -among the Turks. There must be many such. It should be borne in mind in -this connection that, in the early stages of the war, the Turkish army -contained a considerable sprinkling of Christians--Greeks, Armenians, -Syrians, etc. But to label the Turks _as such and as a whole_ as clean -fighters and gentle folk is to admit the success of the most subtle -propagandist make-believe of the war and the biggest hoax ever played -off by Oriental cunning upon a chivalrous and unsuspecting adversary. - -Armenians have known the Turk for centuries. They have known him _as he -is_, not as he affects to be in the presence of a European, and they can -claim credit for some knowledge of the subject. I venture to predict -that there is severe disillusionment in store for those who still -believe in the genuineness of Turkish "clean-fighting" and "chivalry," -when the British prisoners in Turkey return. Strange indeed must be -this Turkish conception of chivalry to sanction the enslavement and -slaughter of women and children in hundreds of thousands, instead of -protecting them and their honour as the ordinary code of chivalry -demands. - -A Reuter telegram from Cairo published in _The Daily Chronicle_ of -February 13, 1917, contained the following-- - - - "It is learnt on reliable authority that the British, French, and - Russian prisoners who are employed on the construction of the new - line are treated most roughly by the Germans and Turks, and that a - large number are falling ill from dysentery and filling the - military hospitals at Aleppo. Those who have not been attacked by - dysentery have fallen victims to other diseases, resulting from bad - food, rough treatment, and overwork. - - "One of the tricks adopted by the Germans and Turks, in order to - throw dust in the eyes of the British regarding the treatment of - prisoners, was the honour paid to General Townshend, who was - returned his sword and accorded the best treatment possible. They - brought him to Constantinople, and made him write a letter of - thanks for the good treatment he and his men had received at the - hands of the Turks. - - "General Townshend did not know at the time he wrote this letter - what misery and hardship were awaiting his unhappy troops." - - -I may here quote in support of my contention one of the foremost living -European authorities on Near Eastern affairs, and one who certainly will -not be suspected of anti-Turkish prejudices--I mean Colonel Sir Mark -Sykes, M.P. Addressing a meeting at Kew on January 17, 1917 (I quote -from _The Near East_ of January 19, 1917), Sir Mark said-- - - - "The Turk, who in the last ten years had thrown back to the - primitive Turanian Conqueror, was not content with dominating, but - was now engaged in exterminating the Armenian, the Syrian - Christian, and the Arabs, and was even now beginning to bully the - Jews. The Turk had overthrown Islam as Prussia had overthrown - Christianity. Prussia had replaced God by Thor and the Cross by - his hammer. The Turk had replaced Mohammed by Oghuz and Allah by - the "White Wolf" of the primitive Turks. No belief was to be placed - in that cloak of chivalry under which in exceptional cases the Turk - tried to hide his abominable acts.[12] He might treat General - Townshend well; but how was he treating the thousands of Indians - and Englishmen in his hands? If it were possible that the - Teuton-Turanian federation of violence could win this war it would - be twenty generations before mankind regained its liberty." - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[9] Since this chapter was written, the following authoritative and -important piece of evidence on this much-debated subject has appeared in -_The Weekly Dispatch_ of March 4, 1917, from the pen of General Sir -O'Moore Creagh, V.C.-- - -" ... I have experience of the Turk. He is a merciless oppressor, whose -real character is often hidden behind a pleasant manner, and who is -ready to cut your throat with a sort of savage courtesy. Appeal to his -fanaticism, and in the trenches he has no fear of death; but he is very -subject, in case of reverse, to cowardly panic, which to a considerable -extent detracts from his worth as a soldier.... - -"I know some of our men who have met the Turk both on the Tigris and in -Gallipoli speak of him as a clean fighter. Certainly when he meets his -match he fights fairly enough, but when he is an easy victor he is -remorseless and merciless; and robs, murders, and ravishes with the -unrestrained savagery which lies at the base of his character. The -British prisoners taken by the Turk in the present war have been -disgracefully treated, and, as we know, denied clothing, medicine, and -the ordinary necessaries of life, starved, and even refused shelter in -extremes of heat and cold. The people who are always ready to praise the -Turk as a clean fighter should remember that he has a lot to answer for -in the present war." - -[10] See Appendix, p. 188. - -[11] See Sir Edwin Pears's article in _The Contemporary Review_, October -1916. (I note this with the deepest regret, for Armenians are under a -heavy debt of gratitude to Sir Edwin Pears for his generous and -authoritative defence of their cause in the past.) - -[12] In reply to a question by Colonel Yate in the House of Commons on -February 12, 1917: "Mr. Hope said repeated representation had been made -to the Turkish Government to allow U.S. representatives to visit the -camps, but up to now without success. Efforts, however, would be -continued. Information had reached the Government that the conditions -under which officers were interned were fairly satisfactory, but the -condition of other prisoners was deplorable."--_Evening Standard._ - -_Truth_ says, in its issue of February 21, 1917: "I have in my -possession a letter written last autumn by a British Army officer, one -of the defenders of Kut, who was then at a place called Vozga, 160 miles -from Tigris Valley railhead. The unfortunate prisoner complains bitterly -of the privations which he and others have to endure at the hands of the -Turks." - - - - -IV - - ANGLO-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP A VITAL NECESSITY FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS - IN ASIA--MOSLEMS AND TURKISH RULE--ARMENIANS PROGRESSIVE AND - DEMOCRATIC BY TEMPERAMENT - - -The exaggerated panegyrics on the virtues of the Turk, while the Turk is -at war with England and her Allies and Turkish emissaries are busy -making all the mischief they can among loyal subjects of the British -Empire, exploiting religion as a weapon of squalid intrigue, point to -the existence of influences which have been at work ever since Turkey -joined the war, to screen from public view and to palliate the enormity -of Turkish perfidy in making common cause with England's enemies in the -hour of England's difficulty. These same influences seem to regard with -disfavour the growth of Anglo-Russian friendship and would apparently -not be sorry to see some hitch or other occur that would weaken or -endanger the permanence of that friendship. - -This may be an unfounded assumption, and I hope it is. But if these -pro-Turkish and anti-Russian influences exist in fact, and gain enough -strength to exercise any influence on the course of events after the -war, it will be a calamity for the smaller nations of the Near and -Middle East, and in fact for all Asia. It will be a hindrance and a -deterrent to the tranquillity and development that has been so long -denied to these regions. Close and cordial friendship between England -and Russia are almost as indispensable a condition of life and growth -and progress to these backward countries as light and heat. It is -scarcely for me to say that it is also necessary for the future peace of -Asia and the world. The unnatural and unfounded mutual distrust that -shadowed Anglo-Russian relations throughout almost the whole of the past -century has been chiefly responsible for the woes and miseries of the -peoples of the Near East, Moslems as well as Christians. It has kept -back the clock of progress and civilization for at least fifty years. We -have felt its effect in our daily lives and regard any prospect of its -return with the utmost apprehension and regret. Pan-Turanian intrigues -under the cloak of Pan-Islamism will not end with the war. They will be -continued after the war by their protagonists, whose chief concern is, -not the interests of the Mohammedan religion, but the unscrupulous -exploitation of religious sentiment for personal ends, and the -disturbance of the tranquillity and ordered government which in the -present chaotic state of these countries are only possible under the -strong and just arm of British, Russian, or French protection. Any -weakening in Anglo-Russian friendship would give these intriguers their -chance, of which they would not be slow to take the fullest advantage, -with injurious consequences to the countries concerned and to the -general interests of peace. The best elements of Islam, and specially -the peasant populations which form the vast majority of the Moslem -world, know and have proved by their loyalty that they have nothing to -fear from Britain, Russia and France, who have always not only -respected, but fostered their religious interests and given them, in -addition, the inestimable blessings of freedom, justice, security and -prosperity such as they could never expect to enjoy under any other -regime. - -It is idle to pretend that any subject race loves any form of -domination for its own sake. But many races and countries in Asia and -Africa are so situated that independence is beyond the bounds of -practicability. Any change would result in an exchange of one domination -for another. Some forms of domination are sincerely welcomed because, as -against the evil of domination, they have not only conferred upon the -peoples under their rule benefits and blessings which they themselves -could not possibly have achieved, but have allowed them freedom of -development on their national lines. Such in varying degrees is the -nature of British, French, Russian, and I may add, Dutch dominion over -the alien races under their rule. What has Turkish domination been to -its subject races? An unmitigated curse to Christian, Moslem and Jew -alike, with this difference, that while the Moslem and Jew have been -reduced by merciless taxation and robbery to extreme poverty, the -Christian races have been bled almost to death. The Turks have -deliberately fostered the criminal propensities of large sections of -their people and encouraged their free indulgence to check the growth -and progress of the moral and civilizing elements in their dominions. If -some of the Moslems of India, Egypt or Tunis, whose sympathy with the -Turks on religious grounds every one will understand and respect, would -live under Turkish rule for a few months, I have no doubt they would be -completely cured of their love for the Turk as such, hasten back to -their homes and beg the British and the French to remain in their -countries for ever. Similarly, if it were possible for the most rabid -pro-Turks in this or any European country to live some time under the -Turk, disguised as Armenians or Syrians, they would also be cured and -more than cured of their admiration for the Turk; then only would they -come to understand his real nature. - -The following account of the experiences of some Indian pilgrims at -Kerbela at the outbreak of war, which appeared in _The Times_ of June 6, -1916, bears out my contention-- - - - "The Bombay Government have published the story of an Indian Moslem - pilgrim, Zakir Husain, who recently escaped from Kerbela (Baghdad - Vilayet), whither he went on pilgrimage with his mother and sister - in the summer of 1914. - - "Zakir Husain states that after the outbreak of war all routes - homewards were blocked, and the many Indian pilgrims at Kerbela - were subjected to the utmost discomfort and cruelty. The Turkish - authorities issued orders that the goods and women of Indians were - the legal property of those who plundered them. Their houses were - searched, their goods taken, and dozens of Indians were arrested - and deported to the Aleppo side, while their families and children - were left in Kerbela. - - "Throughout these fourteen months," he continued, "we never got - meals more than once a day. We could not get any work, and - consequently we had to beg from door to door in order to get a few - scraps of bread to eat, and the state of the women and children was - worse even than that of the men. For a man to be an Indian was - considered a sufficient reason by Turks to torture and imprison - him. We protested that we were Moslems, but they never paid heed. - They themselves are no Moslems, and do not act according to the - precepts of Islam. According to what I heard, the Indians in - Nejef, Kazimain, and Baghdad have also been treated in the same - cruel way as we were; hundreds have been deported and their houses - pillaged." - - -The following from _The Times_ of December 26, 1916, is another -illustration of the way Turks treat Moslems of another race who refuse -to become the blind slaves of their political madness-- - - - "Emir Faisal, commander of the Arabian forces in the vicinity of - Medina, has telegraphed to Mecca stating that the Turks have hanged - and crucified and employed every species of barbarity against the - population of Medina." - - -Turn now from that picture to the following appeal made to Armenians by -one of their principal Tiflis daily papers, _Mschak_ (Labourer), of May -16, 1915-- - - - "To-day the Moslem Benevolent Society is organizing a collection - for building and maintaining a shelter for the children of the - (Moslem) refugees. War causes suffering to the population of the - country without distinction of race or creed. Moslems as well as - Christians have to face the effects of the war, therefore the - scheme of the Moslem Benevolent Society to establish a shelter for - the children of Moslem refugees is deserving of all sympathy and - support. We are convinced that the Armenian community also, having - in mind the universal idea of humanity, will take part in the - collection and do their duty as a humane people and good - neighbours." - - -These incidents, small in themselves, bring into strong relief the -difference between the mentality and degree of civilization of the two -races. The Armenian appeal on behalf of refugee Moslem children at a -time when one half of their own race was in the throes of the most -ferocious of the numerous attacks made upon its existence, is also -incidentally a reply, more trenchant than the most eloquent argument in -words, to those pro-Turks who have from time to time expressed fears for -the rights of the Turks, Kurds, Tcherkesses, Kizilbashis, etc., in an -autonomous Armenia. Such a fear is either due to ignorance of the -characteristics of the races concerned, or to prejudice. It is -inconceivable that any Armenian Government would tolerate, much less -impose upon orderly and good citizens, an injustice which Armenians -have themselves endured and struggled against for generations, and which -is, for that reason, abhorrent to their very nature. A study of the -Armenian Church organization will prove to the most sceptical that the -Armenian temperament is essentially democratic. In the smallest village -the candidate for priesthood must be elected by a vote of the -inhabitants before he can be ordained by the bishop of the diocese. The -Armenian deputies in the Russian State Duma as well as the late members -of the Ottoman Parliament are and were supporters of the Progressives. -Armenians who have risen to positions of influence in the service of -foreign countries have invariably used their influence in the cause of -progress. General Loris Melikoff as Minister of the Interior had -actually prepared a scheme for the reform of the Government of Russia -when his Imperial Master, the Czar Alexander II, died, and the scheme -was shelved. Nubar Pasha, the famous Egyptian-Armenian statesman, for -many years Prime Minister, was largely responsible for the abolition of -the _corvee_ in Egypt, and the introduction of many other reforms. The -writer of Nubar Pasha's biography in the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_, -referring to his substitution of Mixed Courts in place of the -"Capitulations," says (Eleventh Ed., Vol. 19, p. 843), "That in spite of -the jealousies of all the Powers, in spite of the opposition of the -Porte, he should have succeeded, places him at once in the first rank of -statesmen of his period." Prince Malcolm Khan, for some years Persian -Minister in London, sowed the first seeds of constitutional government -in Persia, for the defence of which another Armenian, Yeprem Khan, laid -down his life while leading the constitutional struggle against Mohamed -Ali Shah. The first constitution of the Ottoman Empire, known as the -Midhat Constitution, was largely the work of Midhat Pasha's Armenian -Under-Secretary, Odian Effendi. These are but a few outstanding -instances. It must appear inconceivable to right-minded men that a race -with such a past record, achieved under all sorts of handicaps, will -either establish a regime of tyranny over other races or prove incapable -of self-government after a transition period under European advisers, as -is alleged by some. - - - - -V - - ARMENIA AS A PEACE PROBLEM--VIEWS OF THE "MANCHESTER GUARDIAN" AND - THE "SPECTATOR"--CAN ARMENIANS STAND ALONE AMONG THE - KURDS?--AMERICAN OPINION AND THE FUTURE OF ARMENIA - - -Although the Allies have declared in their reply to President Wilson -that one of their aims is "the liberation of the peoples who now lie -beneath the murderous tyranny of the Turks," no official or -authoritative statement has yet been made by the Allied Governments as -regards the precise future status of Armenia. Mr. Asquith in his -Guildhall speech spoke of "reparation and redemption." M. Briand in a -letter to M. Louis Martin, Senator of the Var, published in the _Courier -du Parlement_ (Paris) of November 12, 1916, says: "When the hour for -legitimate reparation shall have struck, France will not forget the -terrible trials of the Armenians, and, in accord with her Allies, she -will take the necessary measures to ensure for Armenia a life of peace -and progress." M. Anatole France, in his speech at the great "Homage a -l'Armenie" meeting in the Sorbonne in April 1916, used these words: -"L'Armenie expire, mais elle renaitra. Le peu de sang qui lui reste est -un sang precieux dont sortira une posterite heroique. Un peuple qui ne -veut pas mourir ne meurt pas. Apres la victoire de nos armees, qui -combattent pour la liberte, les Allies auront de grands devoirs a -remplir. Et le plus sacre de ces devoirs sera de rendre la vie aux -peuples martyrs, a la Belgique, a la Serbie. Alors ils assureront la -surete et l'independance de l'Armenie. Penches sur elle, ils lui diront: -'Ma soeur, leve toi! ne souffre plus. Tu es desormais libre de vivre -selon ton genie et foi!'"[13] - -M. Paul Deschanel, the President of the French Senate, and M. Painleve, -Minister of Public Instruction, spoke in more or less similar terms. - -The most recent authoritative reference to Armenia--and one which is of -special importance, coming as it does from a member of the Inner Cabinet -or War Council--is Mr. Arthur Henderson's statement in his conversation -with the correspondent of the _New York Tribune_, reported in _The -Times_ of January 8, 1916, as follows: "Speaking of the part of Turkey -in the war, Mr. Henderson said that though Armenian atrocities were not -much talked about here, they had undoubtedly made a deep impression on -the minds of the working population, who, he thought, were determined -that never again should a Christian nation be under the yoke of the -Turk." These are comforting words indeed to Armenians, as were those of -Mr. Asquith at the Guildhall. Nothing could give the Armenian people -more comfort and hope for the future than this assurance of the British -working man's sympathy--of which they never had any doubt--and his -determination to see them freed from the Turkish yoke once and for all. - -But here again Mr. Henderson--no doubt for very good reasons--gave no -intimation of the intentions of the British or Allied Governments -concerning the new status of Armenia after its liberation from the -Turkish yoke. - -It has been suggested that American opinion would favour annexation by -Russia as a means of putting an end to Turkish atrocities and -misgovernment of Armenia. This reading of American opinion is not -supported by President Wilson's statement in his historic speech to the -Senate that "no right anywhere exists to hand peoples from sovereignty -to sovereignty as if they were property." All the Allied countries, and -probably all neutrals, are determined to see the end of the Turkish -reign of terror in Armenia. But _annexation_ by Russia or any other -Great Power, before the blood is dry of hundreds of thousands of -Armenians sacrificed for their faith and passionate adherence to their -ideal of nationality, must seem particularly unjust to all fair-minded -men in all countries, especially the great American democracy, who -themselves put an end to misgovernment of a much milder kind in Cuba, -but did not annex it. Indeed, having herself, jointly with her Allies, -solemnly laid down the "recognition of the principle of nationalities" -as one of the terms of peace stated in the Allied Note to President -Wilson, it seems unthinkable that Russia, on her part, would entertain -the intention of _annexing_, and especially of annexing a country and -people who have paid a terrible price largely on account of their -sympathy with and support of the Allied cause, and rendered services the -value of which Russia herself has generously recognized. - -It is argued in some quarters that the Armenian highlands are a -strategic necessity to Russia. There is a "scrap of paper" ring in such -an argument, and I for one cannot believe that the justice-loving -Russian people would allow such considerations to override a solemn -pledge and the principle of common justice. An Allied protectorate with -Russia acting as their mandatory would place these strategically -important regions under practically as effective a Russian control as -outright annexation, while it would have the additional advantages of -giving real effect to the "recognition of the principle of -nationalities," and avoiding injustice, injury and affront to the -national sentiment of a people which has endured such grievous -sufferings and sacrifices to uphold that sentiment. - -As I write, two important references to the future of Armenia have -appeared in the Press. One in the _Manchester Guardian_--that old -and constant champion of wronged and suffering humanity--quoted -by _The Times_ of December 30, 1916, as follows: "Another word -remains--Armenia--a word of ghastly horror, carrying the memory of deeds -not done in the world since Christ was born--a country swept clear by -the wholesale murder of its people. To Turkey that country must never -and under no circumstances go back...." - -The other reference is made by the _Spectator_ in its issue of December -30, in a leading article entitled "The Allied Terms." It says-- - - - "The process of freeing nationalities from oppression must be - applied organically to the Turkish Empire. The Armenians, or what - remains of the race, whose agonized calls for help and mercy have - been heard even through the din of the present war, will probably - have to be placed under the tutelage of Russia. They could not - stand alone among the Kurds." - - -If by "Russian tutelage" the _Spectator_ means the setting up of a -self-governing Armenia under Russian suzerainty, that would amount, in -my opinion, to the approximate realization of the hopes and aspirations -of the Armenian people, provided that by "Armenia" is understood the six -vilayets and Cilicia; provided also that Great Britain and France -retained the rights of Protecting Powers as in the case of Greece. -Anything short of this, any parcelling out of Armenia, either by -annexation or "tutelage" of different parts under different Powers, -would not only be irreconcilable with the "recognition of the principle -of nationalities" which the Allies have solemnly declared to be one of -their principal aims and terms of peace; it would imply an outrage upon -the ideal of nationality which is the ruling passion of Armenians -everywhere. Lynch, the great Armenian authority, has called the -Armenians "the strongest nationalists in the world." This ideal of -nationality has grown stronger, more alive and resolute than ever by -their services and unimaginable sufferings and sacrifices in the war. -"The little blood that is left them" has become doubly and trebly -precious to the survivors. They rightly feel that they have established, -and more than established, their title to autonomy and a strong claim -upon the whole-hearted support of the Allied Powers to enable them to -stand on their feet again and make a fair start on the road to -nationhood. If Armenia is cut up and parcelled out without regard for -this fervent living sentiment of Armenian nationalism, and their high -hopes and expectations are dashed to the ground, it will conceivably -engender in all Armenians a deep sense of wrong and injustice, an -intense discontent with the new order of things, that are not likely to -conduce to that contentment and that smoothness of relations between the -governors and the governed that are the essentials and the fundamental -preliminary steps towards setting these much-troubled regions on the -road towards good government, progress and civilization. - -The "principle of nationalities" and of "government by the consent of -the governed" will be applied all along the line: Belgium, -Alsace-Lorraine, Serbia, Poland, Bohemia, Transylvania, Arabia, Syria, -Palestine, will have restored to them or will be granted the forms of -government most acceptable to the peoples concerned. These true and -righteous principles, which will herald the dawn of universal justice -and morality in the treatment of their weaker brethren by the Great -Powers of Europe, will cease to operate only when Armenia comes to be -dealt with. Armenia alone, who has suffered the most tragic, the most -grievous and heartrending Calvary, shall be denied an Easter. Why? -Because the Armenian people have lost too much blood; because they have -paid too high a price for their fidelity to their faith, the -preservation of their distinctive national life and their strong support -of the Allied cause. That would be an unspeakably cruel and bitter -climax to the unending nightmare of Turkish tyranny, the Great Tragedy -and martyrdom of the Armenian people. It will be nothing less than a -confirmation of the death sentence passed by Abdul Hamid and the Young -Turks on the ideal of Armenian nationality. - -Let those who speak lightly of _annexation_ by Russia put themselves in -the place of the tens of thousands of Armenians who have lost wife and -children, sons, brothers, fathers, near or distant relatives, both in -massacre as well as in what they understood to be a sacred struggle for -liberty, to say nothing of their complete economic ruin. They would be -much more or much less than human if they did not feel a deep and -smarting sense of wrong at seeing all their appalling sacrifices and -important services result in a mere exchange of the _Kaimakam_ for the -_Chinovnik_. It is far indeed from my purpose to put the two types of -official and the respective systems of government they represent on the -same level. They differ as day from night. In my opinion and to my -knowledge the vast majority of Armenians will welcome Russian suzerainty -with sincere satisfaction. But, after the ordeal of blood and fire -through which they have passed, they must feel, as I believe they do -feel with ample justification, that they have a right to a voice and a -liberal measure of participation in the government of their own country. - -I cannot do better than quote here a passage from Mr. Gladstone's great -speech on the Treaty of Berlin, which is applicable to Armenia, and than -which there could be no wiser, more just or authoritative guidance for -the formation of a sound and just view on the Armenian and kindred -problems-- - - - "My meaning, Sir, was that, for one, I utterly repelled the - doctrine that the power of Turkey is to be dragged to the ground - for the purpose of handing over the Dominion that Turkey now - exercises to some other great State, be that State either Russia or - Austria or even England. In my opinion such a view is utterly - false, and even ruinous, and has been the source of the main - difficulties in which the Government have been involved, and in - which they have involved the country. I hold that those provinces - of the Turkish Empire, which have been so cruelly and unjustly - ruled, ought to be regarded as existing, not for the sake of any - other Power whatever, but for the sake of the populations by whom - they are inhabited. The object of our desire ought to be the - development of those populations on their own soil, as its proper - masters, and as the persons with a view to whose welfare its - destination ought to be determined." - - -It may be argued that things have changed since 1878. The answer to that -is that principles are immutable. The only change is the cruel reduction -of the Armenian population. I ask, first of all: "Is it fair and right -and just that we should suffer massacre and persecution for generations, -and when the time for reparation comes, should be penalized because so -many of us have been massacred?" Secondly, it should not be forgotten -that although the Armenian element of the population has been reduced, -the Turks and Kurds have also suffered very considerable losses. -Thirdly, the Armenians are much more advanced intellectually to-day than -they were forty years ago, while their neighbours--Turks, Kurds, and -others--are stagnating in the same primitive state as they were -forty--or, for that matter, four hundred--years ago. Another -circumstance which adds materially to the chances of success of an -autonomous Armenia is the existence of a number of nourishing Armenian -communities of various sizes in other countries--in the Russian Caucasus -and the Russian Empire, Persia, the United States, Egypt, the Balkans, -France, Great Britain, India, Java, etc.--which are at the present time -looking forward with enthusiasm and readiness for sacrifice, to "do -their bit" in the sacred work of the reconstruction of their stricken -and beloved Motherland. - -Coming to the _Spectator's_ contention that "they (the Armenians) could -not stand alone against the Kurds," I can assure the _Spectator_ that -there is no cause whatever for apprehension on that score, if only the -Russian Government and Army authorities will agree to allow the -Armenians to organize under their guidance and supervision, immediately -after the war, a number of flying columns from among discharged Armenian -volunteers and soldiers in the regular army, for the specific purpose of -carrying out a "drive" from one end of the country to the other and -disarming the Kurds. The Armenian volunteers, of whom I speak in another -chapter, have had a good deal of fighting to do with the Kurds during -the war and have proved more than their match, in many cases against -superior numbers. - -The prevailing erroneous belief that the Armenians "could not stand -alone among the Kurds" has its origin in the fact that for centuries (up -to 1908) Armenians have been an easy prey to the Kurds by reason of -their being prohibited to possess or carry arms on pain of death, while -the Kurds were supplied with arms from the government arsenals, and -encouraged and supported in every way by the central government to -harass the Armenians. What chance would the bravest people in the world -have under such circumstances? Since 1908, when the prohibition of -carrying arms by Christians was relaxed, it is a well-known fact, -attested by European travellers, that Kurds never attacked Armenian -villages which they knew to be armed. Zeytoon and Sassoon have -demonstrated beyond question that when Armenians have met Turks on -anything like equal terms, they have proved their match. These isolated, -compact communities of fearless mountaineers were never entirely -subjugated by the Turks until the outbreak of the present war, when the -Zeytoonlis were overwhelmed by Turkish treachery and the Sassoonlis died -fighting to the last man and woman (_see_ Blue-book, pp. 84 and 87). - -In 1905 the Tartars, who are nearly twice as numerous as the Armenians -in the Caucasus, made a sudden attack upon the latter in the Hamidian -style. But thanks to the equity of Russian government, Armenians in the -Caucasus were as free to carry arms as Tartars, so the Tartars soon -regained their "humane sentiments" and offered peace to stop further -bloodshed. I would recommend those who entertain any fears of Armenians -being able to defend themselves against Kurds or Tartars to read -Villari's _Fire and Sword in the Caucasus_ and Moore's _The Orient -Express_. - -At all events Europe will not be taking any risk in giving the Armenians -the opportunity of proving that they can "make good" in spite of the -Kurds, and also, as we hope, can gradually civilize the Kurds and other -neighbouring backward races.[14] - -As far as I know (in fact I have no doubt about it), Armenians are -prepared to take the risk of "standing alone among the Kurds", provided -that the Entente Powers afford them the necessary assistance during the -first few years of reconstruction and initiation, and above all, -provided that they enjoy the whole-hearted and benevolent good-will of -Russia, for which, it is as certain as anything human can be, their -great protector and neighbour will reap a rich harvest in the future--as -rich a harvest as that which Britain is reaping to-day for her act of -justice and statesmanship in South Africa. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[13] "Armenia is dying, but she will be born again--the little blood -that is left to her is the precious blood from which will arise a heroic -posterity. A people that refuses to die will not die. After the victory -of our armies, which are fighting for justice and liberty, the Allies -will have great duties to fulfil. And the most sacred of these duties -will be to bring back to life the martyred peoples, Belgium and Serbia. -Then they will assure the security and independence of Armenia. Bending -over her they will say to her: 'Rise, sister! suffer no more. Henceforth -you are free to live according to your genius and your faith!'" - -[14] Armenians have from time to time opened schools for Kurdish -children, but their efforts were not successful, mainly owing to the -unfriendly attitude of the Turkish authorities. - - - - -VI - - ARMENIA'S SERVICES IN THE WAR - - -I have spoken earlier in these pages of the services of the Armenians to -the Allied cause in the war. What are these services? - -The Armenian name has been so long and so often associated with massacre -that it has given rise to the general but utterly unfounded belief by -those who have not gone deeper into the matter, that Armenians are -devoid of physical courage and allow themselves to be butchered like -sheep.[15] Where this belief is not based upon ignorance of the facts -and circumstances, it is, I am bound to say, a particularly dastardly -piece of calumny upon a people who have groaned for centuries under a -brutal tyrant's heel, with an indomitable spirit that has ever been and -is even to-day the Turk's despair. The struggle that has gone on for -five or six centuries between Armenian and Turk symbolizes, perhaps -better than any event in history, the invincibility of the spirit of -Christianity and liberty and the ideal of nationality against -overwhelming odds of ruthless tyranny, the savagery of the Dark Ages and -the unscrupulous and mendacious exploitation of religious passion. That -struggle has been as unequal as can well be imagined, but we have not -permitted the forces of darkness to triumph over the spirit of Light and -Liberty, though the price paid has come very near that of our -annihilation. Nevertheless, we have been able, in this world-wide -struggle, not dissimilar to our own long struggle in the moral issues -involved, to render services to the cause of the Allies, which is the -cause of Right and Justice, and therefore our cause also, quite out of -proportion, in their effect, to our numbers as a race or our -contribution of fighting men as compared with the vast armies engaged, -although that contribution has been by no means negligible. - -On the eve of Turkey's entry into the war the Young Turks employed -every conceivable means--persuasion, cajolery, intimidation, the promise -of a large autonomous Armenia, etc.--to induce the Armenian party -leaders to prevail upon the Russian Armenians to join themselves in a -mass rally to the Turkish flag against Russia. They sent a number of -emissaries to Russian Armenia with the same object. The Turk must have a -peculiar understanding of human nature, and not much sense of humour, to -have the _naivete_ to make such overtures to Armenians after having -persecuted and harried and massacred them for centuries. All the -Armenian leaders promised was a correct attitude as Ottoman subjects. -They would do neither more nor less than what they were bound to do by -the laws of the country. They could not interfere with the freedom of -action of their compatriots in the Caucasus who owed allegiance to -Russia. They kept their promise scrupulously in the first months of the -war. Armenian conscripts went to the depots without enthusiasm. How -could it be otherwise? What claim had the Turks upon the sympathy and -support of their Armenian subjects? Is sympathy won by tyranny, or -loyalty bred by massacre? They (the Armenians) were placed in a most -difficult position. They were naturally reluctant to fight against the -Russians, and the position was aggravated by the fact that the Russian -Caucasian army was largely composed of Russian Armenians. But in spite -of these sentimental difficulties, mobilization was completed without -any serious trouble. - -Soon, however, Armenians began to desert in large numbers; the Young -Turks had joined the war against their wish and advice; they had not -their heart in the business, and, last, but not least, they were -harried, ill-treated and insulted by their Turkish officers and comrades -at every turn: there were exceptions, of course, but that was the -position generally in the closing months of 1914. Let me add that there -were large numbers of Turkish deserters also, and that the Armenian -leaders did all they could to send the deserters of their own -nationality back to the ranks, doing so forcibly in some cases. Then -came the defeat of the Turks at Sarikamysh and the ejection of Djevdet -Bey and his force from Azerbaijan. On his return to Van, Djevdet Bey -told his friends: "It is the Armenians much more than the Russians who -are fighting us." - -The massacres and deportations began soon after the collapse of the -Turkish invasion of the Caucasus and Northern Persia, and it is only -after it was seen clearly that the Turks were determined to deport or -destroy them all that the Armenians in many places took up arms in -self-defence. There was no armed resistance before that, and the Turkish -and German allegations of an Armenian revolt are a barefaced invention -to justify a crime, a tithe of which not one but a hundred revolts -cannot justify or palliate. This is proved beyond all question by Mr. -Toynbee's concise and illuminating historical summary at the end of the -Blue-book on the Treatment of Armenians by the Turks during the war. -There was no revolt. But when the Armenians were driven to self-defence -under the menace of extermination, they fought with what arms they could -scrape together, with the courage of desperation. In Shahin-Karahissar -they held out for three months and were only reduced by artillery -brought from Erzerum. In Van and Jebel-Mousa they defended themselves -against heavy odds until relieved by the Russians and the Armenian -volunteers in the first case, and rescued by French and British cruisers -in the second. The Turkish force sent against the insurgents of -Jebel-Mousa was detached from the army intended for the attack on the -Suez Canal. - -Of course ill-armed, poorly equipped bands without artillery, wanting in -almost all necessaries of modern warfare, brave as they may be, cannot -possibly maintain a prolonged resistance against superior forces of -regulars well supplied with artillery, machine-guns and all that is -needed in war. Nevertheless, some of these bands seem to have succeeded -in holding out for many months, and it is believed in the Caucasus that -there are groups of armed Armenians still holding out in some parts of -the higher mountains behind the Turkish lines.[16] It will be -remembered that some weeks ago--I do not recall the date--a -Constantinople telegram reprinted in _The Times_ from German papers -stated that there were 30,000 armed Armenian rebels in the vilayet of -Sivas. This is an obvious exaggeration, and it may simply mean that a -considerable number of Armenians were still defending themselves against -the menace of massacre. When the Russian army entered Trebizond a band -of some 400 armed Armenians came down from the mountains and surrendered -themselves to the Russians. Quite recently a band of seventy men cut -through the Turkish lines and gained the Russian lines in the -neighbourhood of Erzinjian. - -The Turks have repeatedly declared that the "Armenian revolt" threatened -to place their army between two fires. The particle of truth that there -is in this assertion is, as may be judged by the facts so far known as -cited above, that the Armenian resistance to massacre and deportation -proved to be more serious than they had anticipated, and that they had -to detach large numbers of troops and in some cases artillery and -machine-guns to keep these "rebels" in check. It is consequently -undeniable that Armenian armed resistance to deportation and massacre -has been a considerable hindrance to the full development of Turkish -military power during the war and has, in that way, been of material, -though, indirect assistance to the Allied forces operating against the -Turks. To this may be added the demoralizing effect that the deplorable -state of affairs created by the Turks in their dominions must have -exercised on the morale of their people. - -Such in general outline have been the services of the Turkish Armenians -to the Allied cause. It is not my purpose here to endeavour to appraise -the possibly ill-concealed, but not by any means ostentatious or -provocative, sympathy of the Armenians for the Allies, upon the sinister -designs of the Young Turks. I will content myself with the description -of a significant cartoon that appeared early in the war in the Turkish -comic paper _Karagoez_ in Constantinople. The cartoon depicted two Turks -discussing the war. "Where do you get your war news from?" asked Turk -number one. "I do not need war news," replied Turk number two; "I can -follow the course of the war by the expression on the faces of the -Armenians I meet. When they are happy I know the Allies are winning, -when depressed I know the Germans have had a victory." - -The following extract from a dead Turkish officer's notebook, reproduced -in the _Russkaia Viedomosti_ (No. 205), throws some light on the Turkish -estimate of the value of Armenian support in the war. "If our Armenians -had been with us," wrote this Turkish officer, "we would have defeated -the Russians long ago."[17] - -The services of the Russian Armenians to the Allied cause, but -principally, of course to the Russian cause during the war, have been of -a more direct and positive character and of far-reaching importance. -They may be divided into two distinct parts, namely, military and -political; and in order the better to explain the full meaning of the -Armenian "strong support of the Russian cause" (in the words of _The -Times_), I will deal with each of the two parts separately. - -The Armenian population of Russian Armenia and the Caucasus numbers, -roughly, 1,750,000 souls, and there are probably another 100,000 to -200,000 Armenians scattered over the other parts of the empire. They are -liable to military service as Russian subjects, and it is estimated that -they have given to the Russian army some 160,000 men. Apart from this -not negligible number of men called to the colours in the ordinary -course of mobilization, the Armenians, as a result of an understanding -with the authorities, organized and equipped at their own expense a -separate auxiliary volunteer force under tried and experienced guerilla -leaders, such as Andranik, Keri and others, to co-operate with the -Caucasian army. This force contained a number of Turkish Armenians, -mostly refugees from previous massacres. Some twenty thousand men -responded to the call for volunteers, though I believe not more than -about ten thousand could be armed and sent to the front. The greatest -enthusiasm prevailed. Armenian students at the Universities of Moscow -and Petrograd and educational institutions in the Caucasus vied with -each other in their eagerness to take part in the fight for the -liberation of their kinsmen from bondage. Several young lady students -offered to enlist, but I believe all but two or three were dissuaded -from taking part in actual fighting. Boys of fourteen and fifteen years -ran away from home and tramped long distances to join the volunteer -battalions. It is recorded that an Armenian widow at Kars, on hearing -that her only son had been killed in battle, exclaimed, "Curse me that I -did not give birth to ten more sons to fight and die for the freedom of -our country." - -The volunteer force was not large, but it was a mobile force well -adapted to the semi-guerilla kind of warfare carried on in Armenia, and -the men knew the country. They seem to have done good work as scouts in -particular, though they took part in many severe engagements and were -mentioned once or twice in Russian _communiques_ as "our Armenian -detachments." Generous appreciation of the services and gallantry of -the volunteers as well as of Armenians in the army has been expressed by -Russian military commanders, the Press, and public men. High military -honours were conferred upon the volunteer leaders, and His Imperial -Majesty the Czar honoured the Armenian nation by his visit to the -Armenian Cathedral in Tiflis, demonstrating his satisfaction with the -part played by Armenians in the war.[18] - -There are, of course, many Armenian high officers in the Russian army, -including several generals, but so far they have not had the opportunity -of producing in this war outstanding military leaders of the calibre of -Loris Melikoff and Terkhougasoff. General Samsonoff, "the Russian -Kitchener," was killed early in the war in East Prussia in his gallant -and successful attempt to relieve the pressure on Paris. - -The political effect of the strong and enthusiastic support of the -Russian cause by Armenians has been to keep in check the discontented -and fanatical section of the Tartars and other Moslems of the Caucasus, -who would have been disposed to make common cause with the Turks -whenever a favourable opportunity should present itself to do so without -much risk to themselves. The Tartars and other Moslem elements of the -Caucasus are as a whole genuinely loyal to Russia, but the existence of -a minority who would welcome the success of the Turkish invasion cannot -be denied. Some of the Ajars did, in fact, join the Turks during their -invasion of Ardahan. - -All things considered, therefore, those who have any knowledge of the -racial and political conditions in the Caucasus will not, I think, -regard it as in any sense an exaggeration to assert that the -whole-hearted support of the Armenians--and I may also add, though in a -lesser degree, the Georgians--has contributed very materially to the -success of Russian arms in the Caucasian theatre of the war. The absence -of that support, or even mere formal or lukewarm support, would not -only most probably have had serious consequences for the Caucasus, it -would have left the whole of Persia at the mercy of the Turks; and who -can say what the consequences of such a catastrophe would have been on -Arabia, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and even the northern frontiers of -India itself? - -Nearly all the able-bodied Armenians in France, between 1000 and 1500 -strong, joined the French Foreign Legion quite early in the war. Some -Armenians came from the United States to fight for France. Only some 250 -have survived, I understand, most of whom are proud possessors of the -Military Cross. - -Propaganda in neutral countries has played an important part during the -war. The just cause of the Allies has had no stauncher supporters or -better propagandists than the hundred and twenty-five thousand or more -Armenians in the United States, while the Great Tragedy of Armenia has -incidentally added to the armoury of the Allies a melancholy but -formidable moral weapon. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[15] Pierre Loti, the well-known French writer, who was an ardent -Turkophile before the war, after adding his quota to the current, and, -one is constrained to say, cheap, comments on the lack of courage and -numberless other failings of the Armenians, adds the following P.S. in -his _Turquie Agonisante_ (pp. 94-95) after a longer sojourn in the -country and closer contact with realities. (I give the translation from -the French.)-- - -"Before concluding I desire to make honourable, sincere and spontaneous -amends to the Armenians, at least as regards their attitude in the ranks -of the Ottoman Army. This is certainly not due to the protestations -which they have inserted in the Constantinople Press by the power of -gold." [This is a curious admission by Pierre Loti; one of the stock -cries of the Turkophiles is that the Turk is above "bakshish."] "No, I -have many friends among Turkish officers; I have learned from them, and -there can be no doubt, that my earlier information was exaggerated, and -that, notwithstanding a good number of previous desertions, the -Armenians placed under their orders conducted themselves with courage. -Therefore, I am happy to be able to withdraw without _arriere pensee_ -what I have said on this subject, and I apologize." - -Of all British games and sports Armenians in different parts of the -British Empire, the Dutch Colonies and Persia have manifested a natural -predilection for Rugby Football, in which physical courage comes into -play more than in most other games. In recent years the Armenian College -of Calcutta won the Calcutta Schools' Cup three years in succession, -which gave it the right to retain the trophy. I am glad to see in the -March issue of _Ararat_ that the Boy Scouts of the same college, under -Scoutmaster Dr. G. D. Hope, have won the King's Flag, presented by His -Majesty to the troop having the largest number of King's Scouts in India -and Burmah. - -[16] I may here point out that--though it is stated in the admirable -historical summary in the Blue-book (p. 649) that "the number of those -who have emerged from hiding since the Russian occupation is -extraordinarily small"--this number has been growing very considerably -of late, as may be seen from Mr. Backhouse's telegram to the chairman of -the Armenian Refugees (Lord Mayor's) Fund, dated Tiflis, November 27, -1916, published in the newspapers. - -[17] Compare an Armenian officer's evidence, Blue-book, p. 231, " ... -they laid the blame for this defeat upon the Armenians, though he could -not tell why." - -[18] In an article on "The Armenian Massacres" in the April -_Contemporary Review_, Mr. Lewis Einstein, ex-member of the staff of the -United States Embassy in Constantinople, says: "Talaat attributed the -disasters that befell the Turks at Sarikamish, in Azerbaijan and at Van, -to the Armenian volunteers." - - - - -VII - - ARMENIA THE BATTLE-GROUND OF ASIA MINOR AND VICTIM OF CONTENDING - EMPIRES - - -No country and people have suffered so severely from the clash of rival -empires, both in war and diplomacy, as have Armenia and the Armenians, -so far as is known to the recorded history of the world. Her -geographical position has made Armenia the cockpit of ambitious empires -and conquerors, and the highway of their armies in Western Asia, much as -Belgium and Poland have been the battle-grounds of Europe. But whereas -in these European battle-grounds the invading armies have generally -moved east and west only, Armenia has endured the horrors of invasion, -time after time, from north, south, east and west. Then, again, Armenia -being a much older country, the record of her suffering from the -invading armies of her stronger neighbours, "hacking their way" through -her territory, extends over a proportionately longer period than that of -Belgium and Poland. Armenia has been invaded and ravaged in turn by -Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Parthians, Macedonians, -Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Tartars and Turks. Only during the -first century B.C. did she succeed in subduing all her neighbours, and -establishing a short-lived empire of her own, extending from the -Mediterranean to the Caspian. - -The analogy between Armenia and her European co-sufferers from the ills -of aggressive Imperialism ceases altogether, however, when we come to -the period of Turkish domination. The blood-stained history of that -regime is well enough known. Periodic explosions have reminded Europe of -the existence of the inferno of unbridled lust, corruption and predatory -barbarism which this unhappy people have been fated to endure for -centuries. What has not been brought into sufficient relief is the fact -that this "bloody tyranny" could have long since been brought to an end, -or, at all events, effectively curbed, if it had not been for the -jealousies and rivalries of the great modern Christian empires. The -history of the acts of European diplomacy in regard to Armenia and the -Near East during the last sixty or seventy years is not one of which the -diplomats and statesmen concerned can be particularly proud. Who can -claim for them to-day to have served, in the sum total of their results, -either the interests of the Christian subjects of the Porte, the -progress of civilization, the material interests of the Great Powers -themselves, or the supreme interests of peace? - -Mr. Balfour says in his famous Dispatch to the British Ambassador to the -United States that "Turkey has ceased to be a bulwark of peace," thereby -implying, obviously, that Turkey had played that part before. Mr. -Balfour is a great authority on political history, and when he avers -that Turkey has been a "bulwark of peace" she must have filled such a -role at some period of her history. But to his Christian subjects, at -any rate, the Turk has never brought peace. He has brought them fire and -sword and a riot of unbridled lust, rapacity, corruption and cruelty -unparalleled even in the Dark Ages. The only peace he has brought them -has been the peace of death and devastation. He has not even left trees -to break the awful silence of desolation which he has spread over this -fair and fertile land once throbbing with human life and activity. That -is the price paid for whatever part Turkey may have played in the past -as a bulwark of international peace. Professor Valran of the University -of Aix-en-Provence estimates the Armenian population of Turkey in the -beginning of the nineteenth century at 5,000,000.[19] The population of -the not too healthy island of Java was the same at the same period. -Under the excellent rule of the Dutch, the population of that island has -grown up to over 35,000,000 during the century. What has become of the -Armenians, one of the most virile and prolific races of the world living -in a healthy country? Let the friends and protectors of the Turk and his -system of government give the answer. In particular let those answer -who, with the Turks' black and bloodstained record of centuries before -them, have, nevertheless, the effrontery to maintain, at this hour of -day, that the Turk has not been given a fair chance. The blood of the -myriads of innocents who have fallen victims to the Turks' incurable -barbarism throughout these centuries, cries aloud against such a brazen -and deliberate travesty of the truth. - -One of the principal enactments of the Treaty of Paris was to admit -Turkey into the comity of the Great Powers of Europe. To-day, after a -probation of sixty years, at a fearful cost to her Christian subjects, -it is at last admitted that Turkey has proved herself "decidedly foreign -to Western civilization." Could there be a more crushing condemnation of -the judgment of the statesmen responsible for that treaty in regard to -the Turk? The more one studies the record of the Turk, the more one -marvels at the unbounded confidence placed in his promises of reform by -some of the greatest statesmen of modern times. In vain have I ransacked -the history books in search of an instance where the Turk carried out, -or honestly attempted to carry out, a single one of his numerous -promises of reform. Every one of them was a snare and a pretence -designed merely to oil the wheels of a cunning diplomacy or tide over a -momentary embarrassment. Whether it was the Sultan or Grand Vizier or -Ambassador, whenever the Turk made a promise to improve the lot of his -Christian subjects, he had made up his mind beforehand that that promise -would never be performed.[20] - -Since the beginning of last century Russia has been, by reason of her -geographical contiguity, practically the only Power which the Turk has -really feared. In contrast with the near Eastern policies of the Western -Powers, Russian policy has been almost invariably hostile to the Turk -since the days of Peter the Great. Of course, this was not always pure -altruism on the part of the rulers of Russia. But, whatever the motive, -Russian policy certainly coincided absolutely with the interests of -humanity and civilization. And while in the West the policy of -"buttressing the Turk" (in the words of the Bishop of Oxford) often met -with strong opposition among the democracies of England and France, -Russian policy in regard to the Turk has always enjoyed the unanimous -support of the Russian people, who being the Turk's neighbour and having -had several wars with him, knew his true nature from prolonged personal -contact. The one departure from Russia's traditional policy was Count -Lobanoff's regrettable--and I may say inexplicable--refusal to take -joint action with Britain and France to put a term upon the butcheries -of 1895-96, and adopt such effective measures as would perhaps have put -it beyond the power of the Turk to indulge again in his diabolical -orgies of cold-blooded barbarism. - -His fear of Russia, which acted as a wholesome restraint upon the -predatory tendencies of the Turk, was weakened by the Treaty of Paris -taking away from Russia her effective protectorate over the Christian -subjects of the Porte, and was removed altogether by the Treaty of -Berlin and the Cyprus Convention. The Turk was quick to understand that -the Western Powers would not permit Russia to intervene on behalf of his -persecuted Christian subjects. He saw that conditions were favourable -for putting into execution his "policy" of getting rid of his Christian -subjects, and he forthwith set to work to carry out his foul project. - -Events have proved the Treaty of Berlin to have been the masterpiece of -Bismarck's policy of "divide et impera." It created, as it was designed -to create, a deep and bitter feeling of mistrust and antagonism between -Great Britain and Russia, which gave Germany her chance of gaining a -strong foothold in the Ottoman Empire. - -The appearance of Germany upon the scene created new dangers, which -have proved all but fatal to the Armenian people. - -The Emperor William II, on his return from his pilgrimage to the Holy -Land, paid a visit to, and fraternized with, the murderer of 250,000 -Armenians who had died for the sake of the very Christ from the scene of -whose life the Christian emperor had just returned. This, by the way, -was in characteristic contrast with King Edward's refusal of the -Sultan's offer of his portrait about the same time. This act of the -great and humane English king has touched the hearts of Armenians, who -cherish a deep and reverent affection for his memory. - -The result of the Emperor William's visit to Abdul Hamid was the Baghdad -Railway and many other concessions, and no doubt a great scheme of a -future Germano-Turkish Empire in the East. - -I believe it was Dr. Paul Rohrbach, the well-known German writer on Near -Eastern affairs, who suggested some years ago that the deportation of -the Armenians from their homes and their settlement in agricultural -colonies along the Baghdad Railway would be the best way to make that -line pay quick and handsome dividends. - -Some time ago I read in _The Near East_ the account of a conversation -between an American missionary and a German officer travelling together -in Anatolia. The German officer confessed that what he had seen was -horrible, more horrible than anything he had ever seen before; "but," he -added, "what could we do? _The Armenians were in the way of our military -aims._" Supposing that resistance to massacre by Armenian men was -interpreted by the German agents in Turkey as being "in the way of their -military aims," what possible excuse could there be for the abominable -treatment, the torture, the slaughter, and the driving to misery and -death of hundreds of thousands of women and children? Were they also in -the way of their military aims? - -While the Turks were butchering Christians in their hundreds of -thousands, the German Emperor was presenting a sword of honour to the -Sultan of Turkey and showering honours upon Enver Pasha at his -headquarters. While thousands of Christian children and women were -being mercilessly slaughtered and driven to death by Germany's ally, and -their bodies thrown to the wolves and vultures in the Mesopotamian -deserts, the German Government was making provision for the housing and -tuition of thousands of Turkish youths in the technical schools of -Germany to fill the places of the "eliminated" Armenians. What have -Christian Germans to say to all this? Do the Johanniter Knights, of whom -the Kaiser is himself Grand Master, approve of these proceedings? Do -they think that He who said "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of -these little ones, ye have done it unto Me" knows of any distinction of -race? How can German Christians, from their rulers downwards, face God -and the Son of God in the intimacy of their prayers after sanctioning -these black deeds which are the very negation of God and the teaching of -Christ? Do the rulers of Germany and Turkey and the protagonists of the -Reventlow doctrine believe that empires, railways, or any other schemes -of expansion, built upon foundations of the blood and tears of hundreds -of thousands of human beings, will endure and prosper and bring forth -harvests of plenty and peace and happiness to their promoters, their -children, and their children's children? They are mistaken. My word may -count for naught to the rulers and leaders of mighty states; but it is -true. We are an ancient people. "We have seen empires come and empires -go." We have been ground for centuries in the mill of the ruthless clash -of contending empires; but in spite of our long and bitter sufferings -our belief to-day is as strong as ever in the existence of another mill, -the mill of Divine Justice, which grinds in its own good time, and may -grind slow, but "it grinds exceeding small." Who will doubt or deny that -violence to women and children and unoffending, defenceless men, "every -hair of whose head is numbered," will not be forgiven by their just and -Almighty Creator; that the sacrifice of them for ulterior selfish -objects will not be overlooked? Political and military acts of the -mightiest empires, entailing injustice, violence and suffering to weaker -peoples will bring Nemesis in their train in due course. The idol with -feet of clay, sunk in the blood of innocents, cannot endure. Sooner or -later it must fall. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[19] _Le Semaphore de Marseille_, November 20, 1915. - -[20] I am indebted to my friend Mr. H. N. Mosditchian for the following -account of an incident which throws some light on the ways of the Turk-- - -"The massacres of Sassoon in 1893-1894, first described at the time by -Dr. Dillon in _The Daily Telegraph_, and the first of the series that -drenched Armenia with the blood of over 200,000 of her sons and -daughters, raised such a cry of horror and indignation throughout the -civilised world that Great Britain, France and Russia, through their -Embassies at Constantinople, prepared a Scheme of Reforms, known as the -Scheme of the 11th of May 1895, and after much difficulty and long -negotiations obtained thereto the approval of Abd-ul-Hamid, 'the Red -Sultan.' - -"I was with the Patriarch when the Hon. M. H. Herbert, Secretary to the -British Embassy, brought to the Patriarchate the good tidings of the -Sultan's acceptance of the Scheme. Upon his special advice, the -Patriarch sent there and then telegraphic instructions to all the -Armenian Bishoprics in the provinces to chant Te Deums in the churches -and to offer up prayers for the benign and magnanimous Padishah! - -"I was again with the Patriarch a day or two after when telegrams began -to pour in from the provinces announcing a fresh outbreak of massacres -throughout the country. I hastened to the Embassies of the Six Great -Powers to give them the appalling news and to ask for their immediate -assistance. As is well known, they did or could do nothing, and the -massacres went on, unchecked and unbridled, assuming every day larger -dimensions and a better organised thoroughness...." - -I called on Judge Terrell, the American Ambassador, also. "I am not at -all surprised," said he, "at these fresh massacres. I knew they would be -coming, so much so that the moment I heard that the Sultan was about to -affix his signature to the Scheme of Reforms, I hastened to the Grand -Vezir and insisted upon his sending telegraphic orders to all the Valis -to take good care that no American subject was hurt. The Grand Vezir -protested of course that there was no necessity for such orders inasmuch -as peace and security reigned supreme in all the Vilayets, but I told -him that I knew what was going to happen shortly as well as he did, and -refused to leave until he had despatched the telegrams in my presence." -Judge Terrell then told me that it had long been known to him that the -Valis of all the Vilayets had received standing orders from the Sultan -to massacre the Armenians (_a_) whenever they should discover any -revolutionary movement among them, (_b_) whenever they should hear of a -British, French or Russian invasion of Turkish territory, and (_c_) -_whenever they should hear that the Sultan had agreed to and signed a -Scheme of Reforms_. - - - - -VIII - - THE BLUE-BOOK--THE EPIC OF ARMENIA'S MARTYRDOM, THE REVELATION OF - HER SPIRIT AND CHARACTER--"TRUTH" ON THE ARMENIANS: A DIGRESSION - - -To realize, even approximately, the unimaginable barbarities that have -been committed by the Turks during the Great Armenian Tragedy of 1915, -it is necessary to read the Blue-book itself. But the Blue-book is a -bulky volume, and the average man or woman has so many calls on his or -her attention in these stirring and momentous times, that I fear it will -not be read as widely as it deserves to be read in the interests of -humanity, Christianity, and civilization. I have, therefore, thought it -desirable to quote a number of extracts which will give the reader some -idea of the nature and magnitude of the horrors chronicled in that -fearful epic of a nation's martyrdom, in the hope that they may thereby -reach a wider circle of the public. - -Apart from giving the reader a general idea of the atrocities -themselves, I have selected and grouped the extracts with the object of -calling attention to the incidental or subsidiary morals and lessons -they convey, which have received little or no notice in the Press -reviews. The Blue-book reveals the spirit, the character and the ideals -which lay hidden under the unattractive outside appearance of the -Armenians, upon which has been based their mostly superficial judgment -of them by European travellers. Often under the influence of a sense of -indebtedness for an escort of Zaptiehs "graciously placed at their -disposal by a kindly vali" (in whose harem were probably languishing a -dozen or more enslaved women), they have seldom paused to understand the -tragedy of the dour, subdued, anxious mien of the Armenian peasant seen -trudging wearily along in the highways and byways of Asia Minor. They -little realized that the Armenian lived under the strain of constant -terrorism; that he never knew when the honour of his wife or sister -might be violently assaulted; when he might be stabbed in the back; when -his cattle might be driven away or his crops burned or stolen. He was -afraid even of a too attractive personal appearance, lest he should -excite the cupidity and jealousy of his Turkish neighbour. If he fell -upon his persecutor and slew him in defence of the honour of his -womenfolk, it meant the wiping out not only of his family but of his -whole village. His own government was his deadly enemy, bent upon his -destruction. This has been the tragedy of the Armenian's life for -generations. It has been little known in the West because Armenia is a -long way off, and few European travellers have stopped to look below the -surface. He has lived with the _yatagan_ hanging over his head, like the -sword of Damocles, from birth to death. Virile, industrious, patient, -long-suffering, but never despondent, he has clung to his faith, his -soil, his ancient culture, his nationality and ideals of civilization -with a tenacity that centuries of "bloody tyranny" have tended only to -steel more and more. That he has succeeded in preserving the ideals -which have cost his nation such heartbreaking sacrifices is abundantly -proved by the Blue-book. Here is one evidence: "Mr. Yarrow, seeing all -this, said, 'I am amazed at the self-control of the Armenians, for -though the Turks did not spare a single wounded Armenian, the Armenians -are helping us to save the Turks'" (p. 70). - -But of all the tales of calm, dignified heroism in face of death -recorded in the Blue-book, W. Effendi's letter (p. 133, and 504 of the -Blue-book) written on the eve of his, his young wife's and infant -child's deportation to what he knew to be certain death, will ever stand -out as an impressive example of the noblest heroism, the highest -conception of the teaching of Christ and a complete triumph of the -spirit, unsurpassed in the annals of Christian martyrdom. "May God -forgive this nation all their sin which they do without knowing," wrote -this true follower of Christ, while he was making ready for his and his -loved ones' journey to sorrow and death. It recalls the story of St. -Stephen's martyrdom. W. Effendi's letter and Nurse Cavell's immortal -words, "patriotism is not enough," strike me as the two most remarkable -utterances delivered spontaneously by heroic spirits in proof of the -bankruptcy of the "frightfulness" to which they were on the point of -falling victims. - -There was a short notice in _Truth_ of January 31, 1917, in connection -with Armenia Day which contained the following remark: "Some people -despise these 'eleventh Allies' as a mercenary race, but others, like -Mr. Noel Buxton, depict them in a much more attractive light." - -With the reader's indulgence I will digress for a moment to deal briefly -with this totally unjustified stigma cast wantonly upon the character of -a sorely tried nation. - -In the unoffensive sense of the word the whole human family may be -called "mercenary." I have not met or heard of a race of men in any of -the explored parts of the earth, whatever their colour, creed, or degree -of civilization, who had any conscientious objection to the acquiring of -as much money as they could acquire by legitimate and honourable means. -I do not suppose _Truth_ itself is dispensing its very helpful "Rubber -tips" week by week solely for the good of humanity. But if it is -asserted that the Armenian race puts the love of gold before everything -else in life, such an assertion at this juncture is a particularly -ill-timed, offensive and unworthy aspersion. A mercenary race, forsooth! -If the Armenian race had valued gold above its loyalty to its faith and -nationality; if it had attached greater value to material prosperity -than to spiritual ideals and principles, it would have accepted Islam -centuries ago--Heaven knows the temptation was great--and won a -predominant position for itself in Asia Minor. It would be counted -to-day not by two or three, but by twenty or thirty millions. But under -the longest and bloodiest pressure endured by any people in history, -culminating almost in its extermination, it refused to sell its soul. - -Thousands of Armenians could have saved their lives by feigning to -accept Islam, but, with few exceptions, they refused to commit even -that measure of spiritual dishonesty, which would perhaps not have been -considered unpardonable under the circumstances. There is scarcely any -instance of an Armenian woman trafficking her honour for money; which -is, perhaps, the most eloquent refutation of the calumny. - -What good object has _Truth_ served by giving currency in its columns to -this libel against an oppressed people, almost wiped out because of its -Christian faith and its sympathy for and support of the Allied cause? -Even if there were the remotest justification for it one would have -thought that _Truth_ would have shrunk, at this dark and bitter hour, -from adding insult to the agony of a people plunged into sorrow and -mourning for the loss of half its number. But the assertion that the -Armenians are a mercenary race is not true. It is part of the propaganda -carried on by a very few people who are either blinded by unreasoning -prejudice, or have some special purpose to serve, or believe that they -are discharging some kind of duty by whitewashing the Turk and -blackening the Armenian. I believe that these admirers of the votaries -of "bloody tyranny" on the Bosphorus are very few indeed in this -country. Whoever they are and whatever their motives, conscious of my -obligations to the generous hospitality of this country--for which I -cannot be too grateful--but taking my stand on the broader ground of -Humanity, I wish to say to them, "Though you are in Great Britain, you -are not of it; though this great, humane and Christian country may be -your physical home by accident of birth, you will find your congenial -'spiritual home' in the offices of Count Reventlow and the _Tanine_. -Charity, after all, is a matter between a man and his conscience and his -God. If you cannot give your money to a starving woman or child without -massacring them morally, while the Turk is taking their life, pray spare -your money and let the Armenian die; it will please the Turk and his -allies. Perhaps it would be more in harmony with your sentiments and -political faith to lend your money to your friend the Turk. When the war -is over he may need a fresh supply of arms, for even the tender limbs of -the countless women and children on whom he has practised his -'chivalry' may well have blunted and worn his old stock." - -There are mercenary Armenian individuals as there are mercenary persons -in every nation. It may be that, debarred from government posts except -when he was indispensable, the town Armenian in Turkey, like the Greek -and Syrian, has been compelled to direct his energies into commercial -channels in a larger proportion than free and independent nations. -Naturally, also, through generations of ruthless persecution, the -Armenian nation has thrown up a flotsam and jetsam of indigents -wandering far and wide in search of security and the means of earning a -living. But to brand the whole Armenian race as "mercenary" is -malevolent nonsense, or credulity due to a total ignorance of the facts. -Seventy or eighty per cent. of the Armenians in Turkish as well as -Russian Armenia are peasants, farmers and artisans. That is -approximately true also of the Persian Armenians. Even in the United -States the majority of the immigrants have taken to fruit-growing in -California. Armenians who have the means to give their sons a good -education almost invariably make them follow a profession in preference -to commerce, as witness the number of Armenian university professors, -doctors, lawyers and some artists and painters of considerable merit in -the United States.[21] Probably no people have made the sacrifices made -by Armenians, in proportion to their means, for the relief of distress -during the war. There have been a few exceptions among the very rich -whose moral sense has been blunted by luxury and self-indulgence. They -can be counted on the fingers of one hand. They belong to that class of -cosmopolitan financiers and traders who are no more thrilled by the -music of their country's or any country's name; who are unmoved by the -cry of starving women and children of their own or any race; whose home -is the world and whose god is gold; who are no more the masters but the -slaves of money. But this, again, is not peculiar to Armenians; very far -from it. It is a fraternity that embraces members of every, or almost -every, race; and Armenians are barely represented upon it. It is -palpably misleading as it is inaccurate to assert that these represent -the Armenian nation. In fact, as far as my knowledge goes, the masses of -the Armenian people are ashamed of them, because their worship of gold -and vanity are alien to the national spirit, and bring discredit upon -the nation. For generations Armenian educational and religious -institutions have been maintained by voluntary grants; and I do not know -that any European citizen bears a heavier burden for the needs of his -nation than does the individual Armenian. - -It must not be supposed from what I have said that all, or the majority, -of rich Armenians have been deaf or indifferent to their country's need. -That would be a mistake and an injustice. On the whole their response to -the call of their afflicted country has been satisfactory, considering -that they had obligations to the belligerent countries to which they -owed allegiance. I know of one contribution of L30,000,[22] while ten -Moscow merchants raised a million roubles between them for their -nation's needs. A prominent Armenian physician has relinquished a large -and remunerative practice at Petrograd to superintend personally the -administration of an orphanage at Erzerum, which he has opened on his -own private account. The Catholicos's palace at Etchmiadzin was -converted into a hospital for refugees in the early months of 1915. -Almost every Armenian peasant family in the Caucasus have housed and -cared for one or more refugees in their humble cottages ever since the -influx of their distressed kinsmen from the other side of the frontier -in the spring and summer of 1915. I have not marshalled these facts in a -spirit of flaunting the virtues of my race--we certainly hold no -monopoly of all the virtues, or indeed of all the vices, to which human -nature is heir--but I know of no better way to disprove the baseless -aspersions assiduously disseminated by some interested people for -purposes of pro-Turkish propaganda and accepted by the credulous as -true. - -Lord Bryce has known the Armenian people longer and more intimately than -any eminent European statesman, historian and diplomatist has ever done -before, and his dictum will no doubt be generally accepted as that of a -great and final authority. I therefore make no apology for quoting his -lordship's most recent utterance on the subject reported in the _Journal -of the Royal Society of Arts_, February 2, 1917-- - - - "Having known a very large number of Armenians, he had been greatly - struck, not only with their high level of intelligence and - industry, but also by their intense patriotism. He did not know of - any people who had shown greater constancy, patience and patriotism - under difficulties and sufferings than the Armenians. He personally - had always found them perfectly loyal. He had frequently had - occasion to give them confidential advice and to trust them with - secrets, and never on any occasion had he found that confidence - misplaced.... As a proof of their loyalty and devotion to their - country he might mention that the Armenians living in America had - contributed sums enormous in proportion to their number and - resources, for they were nearly all persons of small means, for the - relief of the refugees who had been driven out by the Turkish - massacres. No people during the war had done more in proportion to - their capacities than the Armenians had done for the relief of - their suffering fellow-countrymen. A large number of them were also - fighting as volunteers in the armies of France, where they had - displayed the utmost courage and valour in the combats before - Verdun." - - -To return to the extracts from the Blue-book. Group "A" affords a -melancholy abundance of indisputable evidence that it was not Kurds and -brigands alone who did Satan's work in Armenia, but that the chief -culprits were Turkish officials, high and low, officers, soldiers, -gendarmes and rabble; even a member of parliament took a turn! They not -only played the principal part in the vast and revolting carnival of -blood, lust and savagery, but they took a delight and pride in the part -they played, and laughed at the sufferings and tortures of their -victims.[23] - -Group "B" bears evidence of a heroism and fidelity in torture and death, -to faith, honour and the ideal of nationality, unsurpassed in the -history of mankind, which must redound to the eternal glory of -Christianity and to the honour of the Armenian name. I respectfully -suggest for consideration by the Heads of the Christian Churches that a -day should be fixed to commemorate annually the martyrdom of this vast -number of Armenian Christians. - -Group "C" contains proofs of the conduct of insurgent Armenians in the -unequal struggles for self-defence, and it should be remembered that -these are but a few instances, mainly of what was seen or heard of by -foreigners. The ruined towns and villages, the silent fields and -highways of this land of blood and tears, what secrets of desperate -heroism in defence of wife and child, mother and sister, these guard -will probably never be known. Group "C" also contains evidence of the -fact that the Turks had to employ considerable bodies of troops to -overcome the desperate resistance of Armenians in many places, such as -Moush, Sassoon, Van, etc. A third feature in this group is, that the -Turks attributed their defeats in the Caucasus to the Armenians.[24] - -Taken together, these extracts, and the Blue-book from which they are -taken, form a better mirror of the characteristics of the two races than -all that has been written on the subject for a century. They show the -radical dissimilarity of their natures, and the vast difference between -the respective stages of civilization in which the two races find -themselves. - -Was it Buddha or Confucius who said that the principal difference -between man and the rest of the animal world is, that man possesses the -feeling of pity for the pain and suffering of his fellow-men or animals? -What would they think of this strange race of human beings who delight -in torture and murder, sparing neither sex nor age, nor even unborn -babes and their mothers; who inflict pain and jeer at their victims? - -I remember reading in one of Mr. Lloyd George's speeches not long ago: -"It is not the trials one has to go through in life, but the way one -faces them that matters," or words to that effect. This is as true of -nations as it is of individuals. "In the reproof of chance lies the true -proof of men," and of nations. How has the Armenian nation conducted -itself in this great upheaval and borne the terrible ordeal revealed by -the Blue-book: an ordeal the horror and magnitude of which it is -absolutely beyond the power of the human mind to imagine? The Blue-book -itself furnishes the answer. From the first day of the war, Armenians in -all countries understood the nature of the issues involved. They had no -doubt on which side lay their sympathies, which were never influenced by -the varying fortunes of the war. They were exposed to grave risks and -paid a terrible price. Could there be a better proof of intellectual -rectitude and the sincerity of sentiment? This, I trust, will silence -for ever the dastardly reflections often cast upon the honesty of the -Armenian people. There are some dishonest Armenians as there are some -dishonest men in all nations. But, whether through prejudice, malice, or -ignorance of the facts, to brand as dishonest a whole people who have -been on the Cross for half a millennium for their religion and -patriotism, is unworthy of civilized and right-minded men. - -There are two other important facts which the Blue-book establishes -beyond dispute. There was no revolt. Indeed, it would have been sheer -madness on the part of the Armenians to attempt a rising when their -able-bodied manhood was with the colours. The second fact the Blue-book -reveals is, that the Armenian party leaders did their utmost to dissuade -the Young Turks from joining the war. When the veil of war has lifted, -and Europe comes to know more of what took place behind the scenes in -Constantinople prior to Turkey's entry into the war, it will be seen how -near the personal influence and eloquence of the Armenian deputy Zohrab -came to turning the scale against the fateful and suicidal decision. -This brilliant young jurist, an intimate personal friend of Enver and -Talaat who sought his advice almost daily, was murdered by their orders -on the way to Diyarbekir. Armenians have been charged with a lack of -political aptitude as well as with treachery to the Ottoman Empire. I -would specially call the attention of those who hold these -views--Europeans, Moslems, and thinking Turks themselves--to the fact -that, at a time of crisis, it was the Armenians who saw clearly the path -of safety for the empire, and showed their loyalty to it, in spite of -all they had suffered in the past, by their councils of prudence to -which the Young Turks lent a deaf ear. - -While on the subject of the Blue-book, I cannot refrain from saying -that I noted with profound regret the distinction that was evidently -made, in many cases, between Catholic and Protestant Armenians on the -one hand, and Gregorians on the other, in the efforts that were made to -save them from massacre or deportation. It is no secret that His -Holiness the Pope and President Wilson intervened through their -representatives in Constantinople, and possibly in Berlin and Vienna, to -stop the massacres. I record this fact with the deepest gratitude. Of -course no such distinction can possibly have been made by the Pope or -President Wilson, or their ambassadors; it was probably due to the -well-meant activities of subordinates or of local European or American -residents. - -No doubt it was better to save Catholics and Protestants than none at -all, but the very idea of any distinction being thought of, under such -fateful circumstances, is obviously contrary to the spirit of -Christianity, and the passages referring to it make sad reading to a -Christian. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[21] Visitors to the San Francisco Exhibition will have seen and admired -the work of the Armenian sculptor Haik Partigian, whose exhibits, I am -told by one who saw them, were among the best, if not the best, of all -the exhibits in the Sculpture Section. Russia's great marine painter -Aivazovsky was an Armenian. The recently instituted Society of Armenian -Artists is holding its first exhibition in Tiflis at the time of -writing. - -[22] It was reported in the Tiflis papers, after the above was written, -that Mr. Mantashian, the Baku oil king, has made a further donation of -L60,000 for agricultural improvements, and offered thirty thoroughbreds -to improve the breed of horses in Armenia. - -[23] Some of the most distressing and disgraceful cases of Turkish -bestiality appeared in Doctor (Major) Aspland's report on the hospital -at Van, which was under his charge as representative of the Lord Mayor's -Armenian Relief Fund. Describing some of the individual cases brought to -him for treatment, Dr. Aspland says-- - -"Here is a young woman leaving hospital to-day, who was raped by eight -Kurds. She has suffered for months, and even now, in spite of -operations, will be crippled for the rest of her life. Here is _a small -girl aged five, similarly treated by Turks_, and is now lying in plaster -of Paris in order to recover from injury to the hip joint."--(_Ararat_, -October 1916, p. 172.) - -[24] Compare this with the diary of a Turkish officer, reported in the -_Russkaia Viedomosti_ (p. 75). - - - - -IX - - EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE-BOOK - - -_Group A_ - -"The Archbishop of Erzeroum, His Grace Sempad, who, with the Vali's -authorization, was returning to Constantinople, was murdered at -Erzindjan by the brigands in the service of the Union and Progress -Committee. The bishops of Trebizond, Kaisaria, Moush, Bitlis, Sairt, and -Erzindjan have all been murdered by order of the Young Turk Government" -(p. 23). - -"The shortest method for disposing of the women and children -concentrated in the various camps was to burn them. Fire was set to -large wooden sheds in Alidjan, Megrakom, Khaskegh, and other Armenian -villages, and these absolutely helpless women and children were roasted -to death.... And the executioners, who seem to have been unmoved by this -unparalleled savagery, grasped infants by one leg and hurled them into -the fire, calling out to the burning mothers: 'Here are your lions'" (p. -86). - -"The Turks boasted of having now got rid of all the Armenians. I heard -it from the officers myself, how they revelled in thought that the -Armenians had been got rid of" (p. 88). - -"It was heartrending to hear the cries of the people and children who -were being burnt to death in their houses. The soldiers took great -delight in hearing them, and when people who were out in the streets -during the bombardment fell dead the soldiers merely laughed at them" -(p. 90). - -"Every officer boasted of the number he had personally massacred as his -share in ridding Turkey of the Armenian race" (p. 90). - -"Mehmed Effendi, the Ottoman deputy for Gendje (Ginj), collected about -forty women and children and killed them" (p. 94). - -"Of the other children, a girl was taken away and only escaped many -months later when the Russians came. Very reluctantly she poured out -her story to the Stapletons, from which it appeared that she had been -handed round to ten officers after the murder of her husband and his -mother, to be their sport" (p. 225). - -"'See what care the Government is taking of the Armenians,' the Vali -said, and she returned home surprised and pleased; but when she visited -the Orphanage again several days later, there were only thirteen of the -700 children left--the rest had disappeared. They had been taken, she -learnt, to a lake six hours' journey by road from the town and drowned" -(p. 260). - -"Sister D. A. was told, at Constantinople, that Turks of all parties -were united in their approval of what was being done to the Armenians, -and that Enver Pasha openly boasted of it as his personal achievement. -Talaat Bey, too, was reported to have remarked, on receiving news of -Vartkes's[25] assassination: 'There is no room in the Empire for both -Armenians and Turks. Either they had to go or we" (p. 261). - -"A crowd of Turkish women and children follow the police about like a -lot of vultures, and seize anything they can lay their hands on, and -when the more valuable things are carried out of a house by the police, -they rush in and take the balance. I see this performance every day with -my own eyes" (p. 289). - -"It was a real extermination and slaughter of the innocents, an -unheard-of thing, a black page stained with the flagrant violation of -the most sacred rights of humanity, of Christianity, of nationality" (p. -291). - -"When the Governor was petitioned to allow the infants to be entrusted -to charitable Moslem families, to save them from dying on the journey, -he replied: 'I will not leave here so much as the odour of the -Armenians; go away into the deserts of Arabia and dump your Armenia -there'" (p. 328). - -"P. P., the college blacksmith, was so terribly beaten that a month -later he was still unable to walk. Another was shod with horse-shoes. -At Y., Mr. A. D. (brother-in-law of the pastor, A. E., who suffered -martyrdom at Sivas twenty-one years ago) had his finger-nails torn out -for refusing to accept Islam. 'How,' he had answered, 'can I abandon the -Christ whom I have preached for twenty-years?'" (p. 378.) - -"In Angora I learned that the tanners and the butchers of the city had -been called to Asi Yozgad, and the Armenians committed to them for -murder. The tanner's knife is a circular affair, while the butcher's -knife is a small axe, and they killed people by using the instruments -which they knew best how to use" (p. 385). - -"The Ottoman Bank President showed bank-notes soaked with blood and -struck through with daggers with the blot round the hole, and some torn -that had evidently been ripped from the clothing of people who had been -killed--and these were placed on ordinary deposit in the bank by Turkish -Officers" (p. 386). - -"One girl had hanged herself on the way; others had poison with them. -Mothers were holding out their beautiful babies and begging the -missionaries to take them" (p. 403). - -"What was the meaning of all this? It was the deathblow aimed at -Christianity in Turkey, or, in other words, the extermination of the -Armenian people--their extermination or amalgamation" (p. 404). - -"During the weary days of travel I had as my companion a Turkish -captain, who, as the hours dragged by, came to look on me with less of -suspicion, growing quite friendly at times. Arrived at ---- the captain -went out among the Armenian crowd and soon returned with an Armenian -girl of about fifteen years. She was forced into a compartment of an -adjoining railway coach, in company with a Turkish woman. When she saw -that her mother was not allowed to accompany her, she began to realize -something of the import of it all. She grew frantic in her efforts to -escape, scratching at the window, begging, screaming, tearing her hair -and wringing her hands, while the equally grief-crazed mother stood on -the railway platform, helpless in her effort to save her daughter. The -captain, seeing the unconcealed disapproval in my face, came up and -said: 'I suppose, Effendi, you don't approve of such things, but let me -tell you how it is. Why, this girl is fortunate. I'll take her home with -me, raise her as a Moslem servant in my house. She will be well cared -for and saved from a worse fate--besides that, I even gave the mother a -lira gold piece for the girl.' And, as though that were not convincing -enough, he added: 'Why, these scoundrels have killed two of our Moslems -right here in this city, within the last few days,' as though that were -excuse enough, if excuse were needed, for annihilating the whole -Armenian race. I could not refrain from giving him my version of the -rotten, diabolical scheme, which, however, fell from his back like -water" (p. 410). - -"I learned here, too, of a nurse who had been in one of the mission -hospitals, who two days before my arrival there had become almost crazed -by the fear of falling into the hands of the human fiends, and had -ended her life with poison. Were these isolated or unusual instances, it -would excite no comment in this year of unusual things, but when we know -of these things going on all over the empire, repeated in thousands of -instances, we begin to realize the enormity of the crimes committed. I -spoke again to the captain: 'Why are you taking such brutal measures to -accomplish your aim? Why not accept the offer of a friendly nation, -which offers to pay transportation if you will send these people out of -the country to a place of safety?' He replied: 'Why, don't you -understand, we don't want to have to repeat this thing again after a few -years? It's hot down in the deserts of Arabia, and there is no water, -and these people can't stand a hot climate, don't you see?' Yes, I saw. -Any one could see what would happen to most of them, long before Arabia -was reached" (p. 411). - -"Crowds of Turkish women were going about insolently prying into house -after house to find valuable rugs or other articles" (p. 411). - -"The nation is being systematically done to death by a cruel and crafty -method, and their extermination is only a question of time" (p. 432). - -"Women with little children in their arms, or in the last days of -pregnancy, were driven along under the whip like cattle. Three different -cases came under my knowledge where the woman was delivered on the road, -and because her brutal driver hurried her along, she died of haemorrhage" -(p. 472). - -"I saw one young woman drop down exhausted. The Turk gave her two or -three blows with his stick and she raised herself painfully" (p. 484). - -"I saw two women, one of them old, the other very young and very pretty, -carrying the corpse of another young woman; I had scarcely passed them -when cries of terror arose. The girl was struggling in the clutches of a -brute who was trying to drag her away. The corpse had fallen to the -ground, the girl, now half-unconscious, was writhing by the side of it, -the old woman was sobbing and wringing her hands" (p. 564). - -"Sixteen hundred Armenians have had their throats cut in the prisons of -Diyarbekir. The Arashnort (bishop) was mutilated, drenched with alcohol, -and burnt alive in the prison yard, in the middle of a carousing crowd -of gendarmes, who even accompanied the scene with music. The massacres -at Benia, Adiaman, the Selefka have been carried out deliberately; -_there is not a single male left above the age of 13 years_; the girls -have been outraged mercilessly; we have seen their mutilated corpses -tied together in batches of four, eight, or ten, and cast into the -Euphrates. The majority had been mutilated in an indescribable manner" -(p. 21). - -"Five hundred young men were shot outside the town without any -formality. During the following two days the same process was carried -out with heartless and cold-blooded thoroughness in the eighty Armenian -villages of Ardjish, Adiljevas, and the rest of the district north of -Lake Van. In this manner some 24,000 Armenians were killed in three -days, their young women carried away and their homes looted" (p. 73). - -"According to Turkish Government statistics 120,000 Armenians were -killed in this district" (p. 95). - -"The immense procession, sinking under its agony and fatigue, forces -itself along and moves forward without respite.... No pen can describe -what this tragic procession has endured, or what experiences it has -lived through, on its interminable road. The least detail of them makes -the human heart quail, and draws an unquenchable stream of bitter tears -from one's eyes.... Each fraction of the long procession has its -individual history, its especial pangs.... Here is a mother with her six -children, one on her back, the second clasped to her breast; the third -falls down on the road, and cries and wails because it cannot drag -itself further. The three others begin to wail in sympathy, and the poor -mother stands stock still, tearless, like a statue, utterly powerless to -help" (p. 197). - -"Babies were shot in their mothers' arms, small children were horribly -mutilated, women were stripped and beaten. The villages were not -prepared for attack; many made no resistance; others resisted until -their ammunition gave out" (p. 36). - -"A little bride and a slim young girl sidled up to our wagon to talk. In -reply to our talk they told us that they were 'busy taking care of the -babies.' We asked what babies, and they said: 'Oh, those the effendis -stop here; the mothers nurse them and then go.' We asked if there were -many, and were told that every house was full. We were watched too -closely to make calls possible. Afterwards we found an officer ready to -talk, who said: 'We take them off after a while and kill them. What can -we do? The mothers cannot take them, and the Government cannot take care -of them for ever'" (p. 359). - -"This frightful suffering inspires no pity in the ruthless officials, -who throw themselves upon their wretched victims, armed with whips and -cudgels, without distinction of sex or age" (p. 414). - - -_Group B_ - -"Many Armenian women preferred to throw themselves into the Euphrates -with their infants, or committed suicide in their homes. The Euphrates -and Tigris have become the sepulchre of thousands of Armenians" (p. 14). - -"While the Armenian refugees had been mutually helpful and -self-sacrificing, these Moslems showed themselves absolutely selfish, -callous and indifferent to each other's suffering" (p. 42). - -"Many went mad and threw their children away; some knelt down and prayed -amid the flames in which their bodies were burning; others shrieked and -cried for help which came from nowhere" (p. 86). - -"Several young women, who were in danger of falling into the Turks' -hands, threw themselves from the rocks, some of them with their infants -in their arms" (p. 87). - -"Among the massacred were two monks, one of them being the Father -Superior of Sourp Garabed, Yeghishe Vartabed, who had a chance of -escaping, but did not wish to be separated from his flock, and was -killed with them" (p. 96). - -"In some cases safety was bought by professing Mohammedanism, but many -died as martyrs to the faith" (p. 102). - -"The mother resisted, and was thrown over a bridge by one of the Turks. -The poor woman broke her arm, but her mule-driver dragged her up again. -Again the same Turks threw her down, with one of her daughters, from the -top of the mountain. The moment the married daughter saw her mother and -sister thrown down, she thrust the baby in her arms upon another woman, -ran after them, crying, 'Mother, mother!' and threw herself down the -same precipice" (p. 274). - -"Sirpouhi and Santukht, two young women of Ketcheurd, a village east of -Sivas, who were being led off to the harem, by Turks, threw themselves -into the river Halys, and were drowned with their infants in their arms. -Mlle. Sirpouhi, the nineteen-year-old daughter of Garabed Tufenjjian of -Herag, a graduate of the American College of Marsovan, was offered the -choice of saving herself by embracing Islam and marrying a Turk. -Sirpouhi retorted that it was an outrage to murder her father and then -make her a proposal of marriage. She would have nothing to do with a -godless and a murderous people; whereupon she, and seventeen other -Armenian girls who had refused conversion, were shamefully ill-treated -and afterwards killed near Tchamli-Bel gorge" (p. 325). - -"Many began to doubt even the existence of God. Under the severe strain -many individuals became demented, some of them permanently. There were -also some examples of the greatest heroism and faith, and some started -out on the journey courageously and calmly, saying in farewell: 'Pray -for us. We shall not see you again in this world, but some time we shall -meet again'" (p. 335). - -"'No, I cannot see what you see, and I cannot accept what I cannot -understand.' So the ox-carts came to the door and took the family away. -The wife was a delicate lady and the two beautiful daughters well -educated. They were offered homes in harems, but said: 'No, we cannot -deny our Lord. We will go with our father'" (p. 354). - -"In a mountain village there was a girl who made herself famous. Here, -as everywhere else, the men were taken out at night and pitifully -killed. Then the women and children were sent in a crowd, but a large -number of young girls and brides were kept behind. This girl, who had -been a pupil in the school at X., was sent before the Governor, the -Judge, and the Council together, and they said to her: 'Your father is -dead, your brothers are dead, and all your other relatives are gone, but -we have kept you because we do not wish to make you suffer. Now just be -a good Turkish girl and you shall be married to a Turkish officer and be -comfortable and happy.' It is said that she looked quietly into their -faces and replied: 'My father is not dead, my brothers are not dead; it -is true you have killed them, but they live in Heaven. I shall live -with them. I can never do this if I am unfaithful to my conscience. As -for marrying, I have been taught that a woman must never marry a man -unless she loves him. This is a part of our religion. How can I love a -man who comes from a nation that has so recently killed my friends? I -should neither be a good Christian girl nor a good Turkish girl if I did -so. Do with me what you wish.' They sent her away, with the few other -brave ones, into the hopeless land. Stories of this kind can also be -duplicated" (p. 355). - -"The men were finally convinced of the uselessness of their efforts when -one of the younger and prettiest girls spoke up for herself and said: -'No one can mix in my decisions; I will not "turn" [change her -religion], and it is I myself that say it'" (p. 357). - -"Mr. A. F., a colporteur, had been willing to embrace Islam, but his -wife refused to recognize his apostasy, and declared that she would go -into exile with the rest of the people, so he went with his wife and -was killed" (p. 378). - -"Again and again they said to me: 'Oh, if they would only kill me now, I -would not care; but I fear they will try to force me to become a -Mohammedan'" (p. 403). - -"When we consider the number forced into exile and the number beaten to -death and tortured in a thousand ways, the comparatively small number -that turned Moslem is a tribute to the staunchness of their hold on -Christianity" (p. 413). - -"If the events of the past year demonstrate anything, they show the -practical failure of Mohammedanism in its struggle for existence against -Christianity--in its attempt to eliminate a race which, because of -Christian education, has been proving increasingly a menace to -stagnating Moslem civilization. We may call it political necessity or -what not, but in essence it is a nominally ruling class, jealous of a -more progressive Christian race, striving by methods of primitive -savagery to maintain the leading place" (p. 413). - -"The courage of that brave little doctor's wife, who knew she must take -her two babies and face starvation and death with them! Many began to -come to her home--to her, for comfort and cheer, and she gave it. I have -never seen such courage before. You have to go to the darkest places of -the earth to see the brightest lights, to the most obscure spot to find -the greatest heroes. - -"Her bright smile, with no trace of fear in it, was like a beacon light -in that mud village, where hundreds were doomed. - -"It was not because she did not understand how they felt; she was one of -them. It was not because she had no dear ones in peril; her husband was -far away, ministering to those who were sending her and her babies to -destruction" (p. 418). - -"One woman gave birth to twins in one of those crowded trucks, and -crossing a river she threw both her babies and then herself into the -water" (p. 420). - -"And how are the people going? As they came into B. M., weary and with -swollen and bleeding feet, clasping their babes to their breasts, they -utter not one murmur or word of complaint; but you see their eyes move -and hear the words: 'For Jesus' sake, for Jesus' sake!'" (p. 478). - -"Let me quote from W. Effendi, from a letter he wrote a day before his -deportation with his young wife and infant child and with the whole -congregation-- - -"'We now understand that it is a great miracle that our nation has lived -so many years amongst such a nation as this. From this we realize that -God can and has shut the mouths of lions for many years. May God -restrain them! I am afraid they mean to kill some of us, cast some of us -into most cruel starvation and send the rest out of this country; so I -have very little hope of seeing you again in this world. But be sure -that, by God's special help, I will do my best to encourage others to -die manly. I will also look for God's help for myself to die as a -Christian. May this country see that, if we cannot live here as men, we -can die as men. May many die as men of God. May God forgive this nation -all their sin which they do without knowing. May the Armenians teach -Jesus' life by their death, which they could not teach by their life or -have failed in showing forth. It is my great desire to see a Reverend -Ali, or Osman, or Mohammed. May Jesus soon see many Turkish Christians -as the fruit of His blood. - -"'May the war end soon, in order to save the Moslems from their cruelty -(for they increase in that from day to day) and from their ingrained -habit of torturing others. Therefore we are waiting on God, for the sake -of the Moslems as well as of the Armenians. May He appear soon'" (p. -504). - -"Before the girls were taken, the Kaimakam asked each one, in the -presence of the Principal of the College, whether they wanted to become -Mohammedans and stay, or go. They all replied that they would go. Only -Miss H. became a Mohammedan, and went to live with G. Professors E. and -F. F. had been arrested with other Armenians, but in the name of all the -teachers some L250 to L300 were presented to the officials, and so they -were let free" (p. 370). - -"The priests were among the first to be sent off. A Turk described how -K. K. was killed. They stripped him of all his clothes, excepting his -underclothing. With his hands bound behind his back, he knelt, with his -son beside him, and they finished him off with axes, while he was -praying. The same description was given of the execution of L. L.--how -they took off his head by hacking down into his shoulders with axes and -carving the head out like a bust" (p. 371). - - -_Group C_ - -"But the [Armenian] revolutionists conducted themselves with remarkable -restraint and prudence; controlled their hot-headed youth; patrolled the -streets to prevent skirmishes; and bade the villagers endure in silence: -better a village or two burned unavenged than that any attempt at -reprisals should furnish an excuse for massacre" (p. 33). - -"Some of the rules for their men [the Armenian defenders of Van] were: -'Keep clean; do not drink; tell the truth; do not curse the religion of -the enemy'" (p. 35). - -"But, enraged as Djevdet was by this unexpected and prolonged -resistance, was it to be hoped that he could be persuaded to spare the -lives of one of these men, women and children?" (p. 39). - -"Not all the Turks had fled from the city [Van]. Some old men and women -and children had stayed behind, many of them in hiding. The Armenian -soldiers, unlike Turks, were not making war on such" (p. 41). - -"Our Turkish refugees cost us a fearful price.... Then, for four days -more, two Armenian nurses cared for the [Turkish] sick ones at night and -an untrained man nurse helped me during the daytime" (p. 42). - -"Mr. Yarrow, seeing all this, said: 'I am amazed at the self-control of -the Armenians, for though the Turks did not spare a single wounded -Armenian, the Armenians are helping us to save the Turks--a thing that I -do not believe even Europeans would do'" (p. 70). - -"The Turks offered to the Georgians the provinces of Koutais and of -Tiflis, the Batoum district and a part of the province of Trebizond; to -the Tartars, Shousha, the mountain country as far as Vladikavkaz, Bakou, -and a part of the province of Elisavetpol; to the Armenians they offered -Kars, the province of Erivan, a part of Elisavetpol; a fragment of the -province of Erzeroum, Van and Bitlis. According to the Young Turk -scheme, all these groups were to become autonomous under a Turkish -protectorate. The Erzeroum Congress refused these proposals, and advised -the Young Turks not to hurl themselves into the European -conflagration--a dangerous adventure which would lead Turkey to ruin" -(p. 80). - -"The Turkish regulars and Kurds, amounting now to something like 30,000 -altogether, pushed higher and higher up the heights and surrounded the -main Armenian position at close quarters. Then followed one of those -desperate and heroic struggles for life which have always been the -pride of mountaineers. Men, women and children fought with knives, -scythes, stones, and anything else they could handle. They rolled blocks -of stone down the steep slopes, killing many of the enemy. In a -frightful hand-to-hand combat, women were seen thrusting their knives -into the throats of Turks and thus accounting for many of them. On -August 5, the last day of the fighting, the blood-stained rocks of Antok -were captured by the Turks. The Armenian warriors of Sassoun, except -those who had worked round to the rear of the Turks to attack them on -their flanks, had died in battle" (p. 87). - -"In the first week of July 20,000 soldiers arrived from Constantinople -by way of Harpout with munitions and eleven guns, and laid siege to -Moush" (p. 89). - -"The energetic Armenian committees have taken care of their own people, -and have been unexpectedly generous to the Syrians who are quartered in -their midst" (p. 107). - -"He met an Armenian officer who had escaped from the Turks, who told him -of the deportation and massacre of the Armenians. He said that the -attitude of the Turks towards the Armenians was more or less good at the -beginning of the war, but it was suddenly changed after the Turkish -defeat at Sari-Kamysh, as they laid the blame for this defeat upon the -Armenians, though he could not tell why" (p. 231). - -"The fact cannot be too strongly emphasized that there was no -'rebellion'" (p. 34). - -FOOTNOTE: - -[25] Mr. Vartkes was an Armenian deputy in the Ottoman Parliament, who -was murdered, together with another deputy, Mr. Zohrab, when he was -being escorted by gendarmes from Aleppo to be court-martialled at -Diyarbekir (see Documents 7 and 9).--EDITOR. - - - - -X - - GREAT BRITAIN AND ARMENIA--THE LATE DUKE OF ARGYLL'S VIEWS--AN - APPEAL TO BRITAIN - - -There is no brighter page in the glorious history of the British Empire -than the records of the liberties that conduce to the contentment and -happiness of peoples--freedom of thought and worship, freedom of speech -and association, freedom of movement and habitation, freedom of -language, etc.; as well as measures of self-government varying in -accordance with local needs and circumstances--granted unstintingly to -the great family of nations and races constituting that marvellous -commonwealth. This policy of broad, liberal justice has proved, under -the stern test of this great war, the highest statesmanship and the -strongest bond of empire. Freedom, justice, humanity have proved an -infinitely stronger impetus to loyalty than "frightfulness," a stronger -cement, a superior and better "paying" stock-in-trade of empire by far -than the jack-boot and the _yatagan_. The conclusive and practical -demonstration of this great fact by the British Empire will probably -exercise a far-reaching influence for good on the future policies of -empires and the liberties of mankind. The British Flag has not only -carried security, order and justice wherever it has gone, it has -scrupulously respected religious and national sentiment everywhere. It -has not denied to the peoples under its sway, or attempted to suppress, -the sentiments and allegiances which it has itself held sacred. It has -maintained the freedom of the seas as I believe no international device -could have achieved it. I do not say this to please British readers. I -have lived and travelled among small peoples and subject peoples large -and small, and that is the impression I have gathered. Thus the Union -Jack has become a symbol of freedom and fairplay the world over, and -persecuted peoples have long had the conviction, deep down in their -hearts, that British influence is continually at work towards their -ultimate liberation. If we were to reverse Mr. Gladstone's famous -challenge concerning Austria, and ask, _mutatis mutandis_: "Can any one -put his finger on the map of the world and say, 'Here the British Empire -has wrought evil'?" it may be that Count Reventlow himself and the -author of the "Hymn of Hate" might find themselves baffled. However -opinions may differ as to the justice of some of her wars, the just and -liberal treatment of the peoples that have come under British dominion -is an indisputable historical fact to which the masses of mankind owe at -least as much gratitude as they do to the French Revolution. Ireland may -be singled out, and not without reason, if I may say so, as the one -shaded spot on this bright page of the story of the spread of British -liberty. To the neutral observer it certainly seems strange that -Ireland, so near the home of liberty and the stronghold of democratic -institutions, should be so long denied the full and free enjoyment of -those blessings liberally bestowed upon the more distant parts of the -empire. Possibly neutral observers do not and cannot understand the -difficulties and obstacles that have hitherto proved insuperable. It is -outside the scope of my subject and beyond my competence to enter into a -discussion of the Irish question here, but this much I may say, that -Ireland should convince rulers in all countries that material prosperity -alone "is no remedy." Security, order, prosperity, an efficient and -equitable administration may palliate but can never heal a political -injustice. They can never satisfy the legitimate aspirations for -self-rule of a high-spirited and cultured people conscious of a strong, -indestructible will as well as the undoubted capacity to govern itself. -On the other hand, to compare the wrongs and sufferings of Ireland (and -Poland) with the agony of Armenia, as is sometimes done, is to compare a -headache, an acute headache if you will, with the Black Death. - -It is in keeping with the ill-fortune that has dogged the footsteps of -the Armenian people for five centuries that Armenia should have been the -one exception to the rule; the one country which has been denied the -blessings and benefits that have accrued to every small people which has -come within the sphere of, or whose fortunes have been directly or -indirectly affected by, the policy or interests of the British Empire. - -One of the most striking features of what has been said and written in -this country on the treatment meted out by the Turks to their Armenian -subjects during the war has been the paucity of reference to the effect, -incidental and indirect no doubt, but the real and disastrous effect, -nevertheless, of British policy in Turkey since the Crimean War upon the -fate of the Armenian subjects of the Turk. This is in contrast with what -was said and written during previous massacres, and is no doubt -attributable to the fact of the country being at war. I am not touching -this aspect of the question in the way of a grievance. I well know, and -most gratefully recognize what the British Government and people have -done and are still doing for us during the long and ghastly nightmare -through which we are passing. The noble and unremitting efforts of Lord -and Lady Bryce, Lady Frederick Cavendish, Mr. Aneurin Williams, Mr. T. -P. O'Connor, Miss Robinson, Mrs. and Miss Hickson, Mrs. Cole, Mr. Noel -Buxton and his brother the Rev. Harold Buxton, Mr. Arthur G. Symonds, -Mr. Llew Williams, the Rev. Greenland, Mr. Arnold J. Toynbee, and so -many other friends of Armenia in this country, have placed us under a -lasting debt of gratitude to them and to Britain. Lord Bryce's name will -live in Armenian history as long as Armenia lasts. - -But I do think it is fair, in justice to the people of this great and -righteous empire, to one-half of the Armenian nation who have fallen as -heroes and heroines both in war and martyrdom, and to "the little blood" -that is left to the Armenian people, that the facts in this connection -should be placed frankly and fully before the British public at this -juncture, so that it may be able to form an equitable estimate of the -reparation due to the Armenians, not only for the crimes and ravages -committed by the enemy during the war, but also in the light of the -obligations and responsibilities incurred by Europe in general and -Great Britain in particular for the Armenian subjects of the Ottoman -Empire by Art. 61 of the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention. - -I have said "Great Britain," but it would be more accurate to say "the -British Government of the day," for I firmly believe--in fact, who will -doubt?--that if the British people had had the slightest suspicion that -the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention had in them the germs of -the disaster that has since overtaken the Christian subjects of the -Porte, they would never have ratified those treaties. Nor do I suggest, -I need hardly say, that the statesmen who are responsible for these -diplomatic instruments consciously and deliberately jeopardized the -existence of an ancient Christian people. Lord Salisbury's sympathetic -utterances in 1895-96 show unmistakably how deeply distressed he was at -the grievous turn events had taken, and still more at the powerlessness -of the Concert of Europe to save the Armenians from the position of -extreme peril in which the Concert had placed them in 1878. - -Successive British Governments have made frequent attempts to improve -the lot of the Armenians; but the more they tried the more the Turks -massacred. There is no fairer-minded public than the British, whose -hospitality and the blessings of whose rule I have gratefully enjoyed -for many years, as have some thousands of my compatriots in almost every -part of the empire. There is also no one more ready and anxious to pay -his debt than the Briton when he knows what he owes. I have therefore no -fear whatever of arousing any resentment by calling the attention of the -British public to the existence of this old liability. On the contrary, -I am convinced that the fact will be taken note of in good part, and by -most even thankfully. I read a Press article not long ago--it was, if I -remember rightly, a review of Mr. Llew Williams's book, _Armenia Past -and Present_ in _The Court Journal_--which ended with the following -question: "If these terrible things are true and we have any -responsibility, why are we not told so?" - -As regards the nature of the responsibilities and obligations, I refer -my readers to the Appendix, where will be found the texts of Art. 61 of -the Treaty of Berlin, Art. 18 of the Treaty of San Stefano--which was -torn up and superseded by the Treaty of Berlin--the full text of the -Cyprus Convention, and Lord Salisbury's Dispatch to Sir Henry Layard -containing instructions for the negotiation of that Convention. - -I may here point out that though at first sight there appears to be -little difference between the wording of Art. 16 of the Treaty of San -Stefano and Art. 61 of the Treaty of Berlin, there is this fundamental -difference between the application of the two clauses that, while the -former left the Russian Army in occupation of the Armenian provinces -until the reforms should be an accomplished fact, the latter was a mere -Turkish promise to be performed after their evacuation by the Russian -forces. How the Turk performed his promise is well enough known, and -forms the darkest page of modern history--probably of all history. - -Those who have the interest and the time for fuller information on the -subject I recommend to refer to Mr. Gladstone's famous speeches on the -Eastern Question and the Treaty of Berlin, the debates in both Houses of -Parliament on the massacres of 1895-96, Canon Maccoll's "The Sultan and -the Powers," Mr. W. Llew Williams's "Armenia Past and Present," and last -but not least, "Our Responsibilities for Turkey," by the late Duke of -Argyll. This frank and admirable commentary on the bearing of British -policy upon the Armenian question is now unfortunately out of print. I -therefore quote, with apologies, the following lengthy extract for the -convenience of those who may have difficulty in procuring a copy. It is -an authority that will command general and respectful attention.[26] -(The italics are mine.) - -"Nothing can be more childish than to suppose that the significance and -effect of such a change as this[27] can be measured or appreciated by -looking at the mere grammatical meaning of the words. The words seemed -harmless enough. They may even seem to be most benevolent and most wise -in the interests of the Christian subjects of the Porte in Armenia. But -when we look at the facts which lay behind the words, and at the motives -which were at work among the contracting parties, we must see that -nothing could have been devised more fatal to their interests. The -change which the new words affected in the Treaty of San Stefano wounded -the pride and the most justifiable ambition of Russia to be the -protector of her co-religionists in provinces with which no other -Christian Power had any natural connection. On the other hand, it -delighted the low cunning of the Turk, in constituting another 'rift -within the lute' which by and by would be quite sure to make the 'music -mute' of any effective concert between the Powers of Europe. The Turk -could see at a glance that, whilst it relieved him of the dangerous -pressure of Russia, it substituted no other pressure which his own -infinite dexterity in delays could not easily make abortive. _As for the -unfortunate Armenians, the change was simply one which must tend to -expose them to the increased enmity of their tyrants, whilst it damaged -and discouraged the only protection which was possible under the -inexorable conditions of the physical geography of the country._[28] - -"But this is not the whole of the responsibility which falls on us out -of the international transactions connected with the Treaty of Berlin. -After that treaty had been concluded, we entered by ourselves into a -separate, and for a while a secret, convention with Turkey, by which we -undertook to defend her Asiatic provinces by force of arms from any -further conquests on the part of Russia, and in return we asked for -nothing more than a lease of Cyprus, and a new crop of Turkish promises -that she would introduce reforms in her administration of Armenia. No -security whatever was asked or offered for the execution of those -promises. We simply repeated the old mistake of 1856, of trusting -entirely to the good faith of Turkey, or to her gratitude. But this time -the mistake was repeated after twenty-two years' continued experience of -the futility of such a trust. As to gratitude, it must have been quite -clear to the Turks that we were acting in our own supposed interests in -resisting the advance of Russia at any cost. - -"No doubt we had occasion to remember, with some natural bitterness, the -sacrifice to Russia of all that the gallant General Williams had done -for Turkey in his splendid defence of Kars. But we ought to have -remembered, also, how dreadful had been the account given by that able -and gallant man of the detestable Government which he was defending. We -ought to have remembered how easy were the reforms which he had -recommended, if the Turkish Government had been honest; and how they had -all been systematically evaded. We ought, above all, to have considered -the inevitable effect of this new treaty of guarantee upon the sharp -cunning of the Turks. They saw how eagerly it was sought by us, and they -must have concluded that, whilst we were clearly not only earnest, but -excited, in our opposition to Russia, we were comparatively careless and -lukewarm about any changes in their own system of government. _They must -have seen that the new convention_[29] _practically superseded even the -slightest restraints put upon them by the Treaty of Berlin, and that the -Christian population of Armenia were practically left entirely at their -mercy._ - -"Let us look back upon all these transactions as a whole, and try to -form some estimate of the position of responsibility in which they have -placed us towards the Christian populations subject to the Ottoman -dominion. In 1854-56 we had saved that dominion from destruction by -defeating, and locally disarming, its great natural enemy. We had set -up that dominion with new immunities from attack, and we had choked off -from any protectorate over the Christians the only Power which would or -could exert any such influence with effect. We had done this without -providing any substitute of our own, except a recorded promise from the -Turks. We had provided no machinery whereby bad faith on the part of -Turkey could be proved and punished. Then, twenty years later, in 1876, -we had obstinately refused to join the other Powers of Europe in -remedying this great defect, by putting a combined pressure on Turkey to -compel her to establish effective guarantee for the future. In 1878 we -had denounced the treaty in which Russia, by her own expenditure of -blood and treasure, had imposed on Turkey the obligations which we had -admitted to be needful, but which we had ourselves declined to do -anything to enforce. Then, in the same year, at Berlin, we had again -done all we could to choke off the only Power which had the means and -the disposition to secure the fulfilment of any promises at all. -_Particularly in Armenia we had substituted for a promise to Russia -which her power, her geographical position, and her pride might have -really led her to enforce, another promise to all the Powers which, on -the face of it, was absurd--namely, a promise to let all the Powers -'superintend the execution' of domestic reforms in a remote and very -inaccessible country._ Lastly, in the same year, as we had already -choked off Russia, we now proceeded by a separate Convention to choke -off also all the other Powers collectively, by inducing Turkey to give a -special promise to ourselves, apart from them altogether. For the -performance of this special promise we provided no security whatever, -but trusted entirely, as we had done in 1856, to the good faith of a -Power which we knew had none. _With Russia deeply offended and -estranged, and the rest of Europe set aside or superseded--such were the -conditions under which we abandoned the Christian subjects of the Porte -in Asia to a Government incurably barbarous and corrupt._ - -"And now, we are astonished and disgusted by finding that the terrible -consequences of all this selfish folly have fallen on those whom we had -professed, and whom we were bound by every consideration of honour, to -protect. Surely these years might have brought us a reconsideration of -our position. The fever of our popular Russophobia had sensibly abated. -We had secured our "scientific frontier" in India, and Russian expansion -had taken a new direction in the Far East. New combinations--and some -new disseverments--had taken place in Europe. The whole position of -affairs was favourable to a policy of escape from bad traditions--from -obsolete doctrines--and from duties which it was impossible we could -discharge. Surely we might have asked ourselves, What had we been doing -all these years to fulfil those duties? Nothing. And yet all along we -were not ignorant that the vicious Government which we had so long -helped to sustain against all the natural agencies that would have -brought it to an end long ago was getting no better, but rather worse. -We knew this perfectly well, and we have recorded our knowledge of it in -a document of unimpeachable authority. In the second year after the -Treaty of Berlin, when the obligations we had undertaken under it were -still fresh in our recollection, we had made one more endeavour to -recall the Ottoman Power to some sense of shame, if not to some sense of -duty. In 1880 we had a special Envoy at the Porte, one of our most -distinguished public men--Mr. Goschen; and we had called together at -Constantinople a meeting of all the Ambassadors of the six Powers of -Europe who were signatories of the Treaty of Berlin. They drew up an -Identic Note, which they all signed and presented to the Porte. In that -Note they declared that no reforms had been, or were even on the way to -being, adopted, and that so desperate was the misgovernment of the -country, that 'it would lead in all probability to the destruction of -the Christian population of vast districts.' Could a more dreadful -confession have been made in respect to the conduct and policy of any -Christian Government? - -"This Identic Note commented severely on the calculated falsehoods of -all kinds, and on the cunning procrastinations, which characterized the -conduct and language of the Porte. It concluded by reminding that -Government, as an essential fact, 'that by treaty engagements Turkey was -bound to introduce the reforms which had been often indicated,' and that -these reforms were to be 'carried out under the supervision of the -Powers.' - -"We might as well have addressed our representations to a convict just -released from a long sentence, and determined at once to renew his -career of crime. And so we had gone on for fifteen more years since -1880, failing to take, or even attempt taking, any effectual measures to -protect the helpless populations subject to a Government which we knew -to be so cruel and oppressive--_populations towards whom we lay under so -many responsibilities, from our persistent protection of their -oppressors_. At last comes, in 1894, one of those appalling outbreaks of -brutality on the part of the Turks which always horrify, but need never -astonish, the world. They are all according to what Bishop Butler would -have called the 'natural constitution and course of things,' that is to -say, they are the natural results of the nature and government of the -Ottoman Turks." - - -Such is the nature of Great Britain's debt to us. It was rashly incurred -by her statesmen. Successive British Governments have made strenuous -efforts and run great risks to discharge it. But it has proved -undischargeable for forty years, with consequences to us which are well -known. This terrible war and the ensuing peace will give Great Britain -both the power and the opportunity to discharge that obligation, and our -weapons for enforcing our claim are the honour, the conscience and the -never-failing sense of justice of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and -the British Empire. I appeal to these in the name of my sorely-stricken -nation, pale, prostrate and bleeding almost to death, to stand by us and -fight our battle at the Peace Conference. And if my appeal reaches a -wide enough circle of British and Irish men and women, I am confident -that my nation will not die, but will live and prosper, and carve out a -future that will amply compensate her for the past. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[26] _Our Responsibilities for Turkey_, by the Duke of Argyll, K.G., -K.T., John Murray, 1896, p. 72. - -[27] The supersession of Article 16 of the Treaty of San Stefano by -Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin. - -[28] _Town Topics_ of February 10, 1917, had the following: "The idiotic -and ignorant criticism of the Navy one hears occasionally, recalls an -immortal answer by a harassed First Lord, during an earlier Armenian -atrocity (1895-96)-- - -"'Will the right honourable gentleman tell the House definitely whether -it is proposed to send a British battleship to Armenia?' asked the bore -who worried about every country but his own. - -"'It is not proposed to send any ships there,' replied the Minister -gravely. 'Navigation, I am informed by expert advisers at the Admiralty, -has not been good in the vicinity of Ararat since the cruise of the -Ark.'" - -Would to God that this intelligence had reached the Foreign Offices of -Europe twenty years earlier, before the signing of the Treaty of Berlin. - -[29] The Cyprus Convention. - - - - -XI - - AN APPEAL TO THE COMING PEACE CONFERENCE - - -Gentlemen, this historic conference has come together to draw up a map -of a new Europe and a new Near East which will in no part violate the -principle of nationality--the great weakness and inherent injustice of -former treaties, which has been largely responsible for the disastrous -war now happily come to an end. - -You have also assembled as a great international tribunal to uphold the -sanctity of law and humanity, and to give judgment as to the just -reparation that must be made, and as to the penalties to be exacted for -all outrages committed during the war against humanity and the laws and -usages of civilized warfare. - -Among the multitude of problems, great and small, that await a just and -wise settlement at your hands, there is also the Armenian question. - -This question may appear, to some of you at least, a small and -insignificant one in the presence of the great and weighty questions of -world-wide importance that await settlement. I claim for it without any -fear of contradiction that in point of outraged humanity and -civilization, measured by the sacrifice of innocence, the magnitude and -unspeakable horrors of the martyrdom, destruction and ruin that has been -brought upon this people with a calculated, deliberate object, and -without the slightest provocation; I maintain that, on these -incontestable grounds, this is the greatest Wrong that ever demanded -justice and reparation at the bar of a great International Tribunal. - -And it is not Turkey and Germany alone who owe us reparation, although -upon their shoulders lies the guilt for the innocent blood that has been -ruthlessly shed, the wanton destruction that has been wrought and the -untold suffering and sorrow brought upon this people during the war. All -the Great Powers of Europe have their share of responsibility for -leaving them at the mercy of the Turk to be murdered, burned, outraged, -enslaved, to provide this or that European Statesman the satisfaction of -having scored a point against his opponent in the sordid jealousies and -rivalries of conflicting interests. - -In 1877 Russian armies, partly under Armenian generals, occupied our -country, and we hoped and believed that the hour of our liberation from -the hideous nightmare of Turkish domination had struck. - -It was a short-lived joy. The Congress of Berlin assembled soon after, -tore up the Treaty of San Stefano which had given us the blessing of -effective Russian protection, compelled the liberating Russian armies to -evacuate our country, and left us once again the sport and prey of our -Turkish and Kurdish tormentors. - -After the butcheries of 1895-96 Great Britain was prepared to exact -effective guarantees from the Sultan Abdul Hamid, if necessary by force -of arms, against a repetition of these unspeakable barbarities; but the -Russian Government of the day, sore at the rebuff administered to it by -the Treaty of Berlin and the Cyprus Convention, opposed Great Britain's -proposal of taking coercive measures to stay the hand of the Great -Assassin. - -In 1913 a Scheme of Reforms proposed by Russia formed the subject of -discussion by the Powers, and was finally agreed to by Turkey after it -had undergone such modifications and revisions at the instance of the -Turks, backed by Germany, as to render it of little practical value. The -war intervened before the scheme could be put into operation, and it -remained a dead letter, as had all its predecessors. Meanwhile massacre, -outrage, rapine, plunder, and all conceivable forms of oppression and -persecution went on without respite, though in varying degrees of -intensity, culminating in the frightful hecatombs of the last two years. - -Although, of course, such was not their object and intention, the net -result of these transactions was to give the Turk the opportunity, as -events have unfortunately proved, of murdering, burning, drowning, -torturing, violating, enslaving and forcibly converting to Islam at -least 2,000,000 unoffending and defenceless Christians within the -comparatively short space of forty years. I do not for a moment suggest -that the authors of these Treaties themselves foresaw such a result of -their efforts. But that makes no difference to the result. Europe backed -"the wrong horse," as Lord Salisbury had the courage to say, and the -stakes were the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent -Christians--men, women and children--and a sum of human suffering and -misery such as the world has probably never seen before. - -I gratefully acknowledge the efforts made by the successive British, -French, Russian and Italian Governments, from time to time, to bring -moral or diplomatic pressure upon the Turks to treat us with less -harshness and inhumanity. But the Turk, Young and Old, knew that -coercion would never be used against him. He treated all European -representations with amusement and contempt and went his way -relentlessly, intent upon wiping out the whole race. He felt more secure -from the danger of coercion after the Christian Emperor William II, on -his return from his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, paid a visit to and -fraternized with the Sultan Abdul Hamid while his hands were still red -with the blood of the fearful massacres of 1895-96. - -That, gentlemen, has been the net result of the solemn promises given by -the Turks in the Treaty of Berlin, for which every Signatory Power has -its share of responsibility. Since that Treaty became the law of Europe -we have made numerous appeals and representations for the application of -Art. 61. The reply we received from the Ministers of the Signatory -Powers was almost the same every time and everywhere. "Insistence on the -application of Art. 61 will lead to complications; you must wait for a -favourable opportunity." - -Gentlemen, that long-looked-for opportunity has at last come. -Armenia--"the little blood that is left to her"--stands at the bar of -this Conference, full of hope and expectation that the Entente Powers -will compel Turkey in the first place to make full reparation for the -untold horrors, outrages and injustices that she has inflicted upon her; -that they will compel Germany to compensate her for her acquiescence in -the atrocities committed by the Turks while Turkey was under her -influence and control; and that they will add their own quota as a debt -of honour and conscience in return for a part at least of what she has -had to endure as a result of the diplomatic transactions cited above, -for which they have their share of responsibility. You cannot give us -back our dead, but this Conference gives you the opportunity of exacting -and making a reparation as generous as our trials and sacrifices have -been heavy. - -"What do you expect this Conference to give the Armenian people as their -adequate reparation and just rights?" I would probably be asked. - -This is what I should expect the Conference to give to my nation, in all -justice and equity: - -The formation of an autonomous Armenia, comprising the vilayets of Van, -Bitlis, Erzeroum, Kharput, Diyarbekir and Eastern Sivas, also Cilicia -with an outlet on the Gulf of Alexandretta, say from the port of -Alexandretta to a few miles south-west of Mersina. - -This State to be an internationally guaranteed neutral State with its -ports and markets open to all nations. It would have an Organic Statute -drawn up for it by the Protecting Powers, England, France, and Russia, -giving equality before the law to all the different elements of the -population with extra-territorial rights and consular courts for -Europeans for a term of years. Russia to act as mandatory of the -Protecting Powers, and during the first few years the executive to -consist of a Governor-General or High Commissioner and a mixed -Legislative Council appointed by the Protecting Powers. A Legislative -Assembly to be called together as soon as the country regains its normal -state. - -The country being at present in a more or less chaotic state, an army of -occupation will be necessary for as many years as will be required to -organize and train an efficient gendarmerie from the local population. -European advisers and heads of departments would be necessary, but there -are large numbers of experienced Armenian administrators, magistrates, -post and telegraph inspectors, engineers, etc., etc., in the Ottoman -Empire as well as in the Caucasus, Egypt and the Balkans, who would -gladly put their services at the disposal of their own country. Some -would probably come from America, India and elsewhere. Adequate -financial compensation by Turkey[30] and Germany would place at the -disposal of the executive ample funds to begin the work of rebuilding -the ruined towns and villages and reconstruction generally, and to carry -on the Government of the country until the first year's harvest is sown -and gathered and revenue begins coming into the Treasury. - -This is the scheme I would propose in broad outline, it being impossible -to go into details here. - -"But there is not a large enough number of Armenians left to form a -State," I may be told, as I have been told so often recently. (I may say -here, in parenthesis, that the Turkish and German delegates cannot -advance this objection, as their Governments have denied the existence -of any massacres.) - -That is an entirely mistaken assumption, created by the frequent but -inaccurate use of the phrase "Armenian extermination." The Turks did -make a final ruthless attempt to exterminate us, and have dealt us a -staggering blow as a race; but, gentlemen, they have not quite succeeded -in their nefarious design, and it would be a sad day, indeed, for -civilization if such a design had succeeded. - -There are to-day 500,000 Turkish Armenians in the parts of vilayets in -occupation of the Russian armies, in the Caucasus and Northern Persia. -Far from their spirits being broken, these people are animated with the -unshakable determination that their beloved country shall rise again -from its ashes and their nation revive and enter upon a new era of -security and free development. Armenians all over the world are animated -with the same spirit and determination. Of the above half-million 50,000 -or 60,000, mostly able-bodied men, are in different parts of the -occupied provinces. There are a little over 250,000 refugees in the -Caucasus and Persia, and some 200,000 emigrants and refugees from -pre-war massacres; most of them are ready to return to their homes, one -potent reason for the readiness of the pre-war emigrants to return -being the growing scarcity and dearness of land in the fertile parts of -the Caucasus. Then there are the hundreds of thousands of Armenians in -concentration camps in Northern Mesopotamia and Syria. How many are -alive to return to their devastated homes, I cannot say. Perhaps the -Turkish delegate will be able to inform the Conference on that point. -Then there are still large numbers of Armenians--though mostly old men, -women and children, so far as our information goes--in Anatolia and -Thrace, and over 200,000 mostly young, intelligent, ambitious men, who -have emigrated since the beginning of Abdul Hamid's reign of terror, to -the United States, Egypt, the Balkans, and different other countries. A -not unimportant number of these will return to their native land ready -to "do their bit" in the--to them--sacred work of its reconstruction and -regeneration with invincible industry. - -This will give us within a very short time an Armenian population of not -much under one million souls in the proposed Autonomous Armenia. It may -not form a majority taken as a whole, but it will form the largest -coherent ethnological element. In many important centres, such as Van, -Alashgerd, etc., where there are almost no Turks left and a much smaller -number of Kurds than there was before the war, it will form an absolute -majority. This is an important fact which the Conference should bear in -mind. Although the Armenian element is sadly reduced in numbers, the -great majority of the Turkish and kindred elements in these occupied -provinces have, as is their wont, followed the retreating Turkish armies -and will probably never return. On the other hand, Armenians have for -some time past and do still percolate through the Turkish lines in -groups of various sizes and gain the Russian lines. This movement of -population will almost certainly continue for some years, tending to -increase the Armenian and reduce the Turkish element in the proposed -Armenian State, if such a State is set up. Similar movements of -populations have always taken place whenever any piece of Turkish -territory has passed under Christian rule. - -I may also remind the Congress that when Greece achieved her -independence, the population of Greece proper did not exceed 400,000. - -Another important point bearing on this question of population is the -fact, to which most students of Near Eastern affairs have borne witness, -that the Armenian race is endowed with extraordinary powers of -recuperation, is almost entirely free from the diseases that impede the -rapid growth of population, and is one of the most prolific races in the -world. Their neighbours, on the evidence of travellers and students, are -less free from disease and, in spite of polygamy, or perhaps partly -because of it, are much less prolific. - -But apart from mere counting of heads, it is, I believe, generally known -and admitted that there is a vast difference between the moral, -intellectual, economic, and industrial value of the Armenian population -as compared with most of its neighbours, the Armenians being markedly -superior in every field of human activity. They have proved this even -under the most trying handicaps, and when they have had a fair field -they have easily proved themselves the equals of Europeans. In fact, -the Armenian mind is much more European than Asiatic.[31] - -Lord Cromer has said that "the Armenians with the Syrians, are the -intellectual cream of Near Eastern peoples." - -But apart from all these practical and certainly essential and vital -considerations there remains, messieurs, the moral argument which, I -feel quite certain, this august Conference, representing the will and -the conscience of Europe, is not minded to ignore. - -After the massacres and deportations of 1915 Talaat Bey is reported to -have said: "I have killed the idea of Armenian autonomy for at least -fifty years." Whether he said it or not, that was clearly the object--to -kill the Armenian question by wiping out the Armenian race, and -incidentally to destroy the roots of Christianity in Asia Minor. - -Is this Conference going to condone and justify the barbarous and -revolting practice, as a State policy, of the deliberate attempt to -murder a whole nation in cold blood, by permitting that infamous policy -to succeed in its object? - -Is it conceivable that this historic Conference can bring itself to -decree that the myriads of our brothers and sisters who have fallen -victims to the super-tyrants' fury, for their religion and their nation, -as well as those who have fallen in the common struggle for Right, have -suffered and died in vain? - -In the name not only of the living, but also of the dead, I appeal to -you; I appeal to the heart and conscience of Europe to desist from -enacting such a flagrant and cruel injustice. - -M. Paul Doumer, late President of the French Senate, declared in Paris -not long ago, with a fine sense of French chivalry and outraged -humanity, that when the question of Armenian population came to be -considered at the end of the war, the dead must be counted with the -living. Who but my martyred nation has the moral right to invoke the -memorable and exalted words of the French officer who, at a moment of -dire straits for men, looked at his fallen heroes around him and -exclaimed "Debout les morts!"? - -I appeal to you, in particular, great and noble-hearted Russia, our -mighty neighbour and protector. Our destiny is indissolubly bound up -with yours. Without the protection of your mighty sword and your most -generous grants to our refugees, the Turk would have succeeded in his -sinister design. We will remain ever grateful to you, and loyal to the -death. We have always proved our unswerving loyalty to you in your hour -of peril. We in our turn have rendered services which have been of value -to you. Your generals gave our men great praise. Your foremost -newspapers hailed our soldiers and volunteers, and with truth, as the -saviours of the Caucasus. Your great Statesmen and Ministers declared in -the Duma that our terrible sufferings were chiefly due to our loyalty to -Russia. Have trust in us. Help us to stand on our feet again and rebuild -our devastated homes. _Leave us freedom to develop and progress -according to our own national genius._ Some of your newspapers are -speaking of a scheme to plant Russian colonies in Armenia, "to create a -dividing zone between the Russian and Turkish Armenians."[32] If this is -true, it is an injustice. I am speaking candidly as a friend of Russia, -and a supporter of my nationality as my birthright. Russians will always -be welcome amongst us. To show our feelings towards you I may mention -the fact that in conversation between themselves Armenians do not speak -of you as "Russians" but as "keri," which means "uncle." But it is -manifestly unfair to establish colonies and apportion lands before the -repatriation of our numerous refugees, some of whom may be the owners of -the land given away. Besides, what is the object or the necessity of a -"dividing zone" between the Turkish and Russian Armenians? We are all -ready to rally to your support again if the need should arise, as we -have always done in your righteous struggle against barbarism. Such -measures, before the blood of our numerous victims is dry on our land, -grieve and perplex us. I say again, we welcome your protection, but -enable us to say always, as Sir Wilfrid Laurier said of the French -Canadians, "We are loyal because we are free." With such just and -liberal treatment from you, we will not only create in a short time -important markets for your trade down to the shores of the -Mediterranean, but you will have in us a reliable bulwark and -counterpoise, on your southern frontier, against the turbulent elements -who are a standing menace to that frontier. The stronger you help us to -grow, the more secure that frontier of your empire will be. - -To England, France and Italy I appeal jointly with Russia, to prevent -the Congress from finally condemning to death our long-cherished and -legitimate aspirations of national regeneration, for which we have paid -such a fearful price. In particular I appeal to you to give us an outlet -to the sea, not only as an indispensable necessity of our economic life -and development, but also as the avenue of Western Culture which a hard -and cruel fate has so long withheld from us. - -Let the radiant sun of liberty and security shine again on our land of -sorrow and drive away for ever the stifling miasma of the Turkish -blight, and there will spring to life, within a generation, a people -with a passionate craving for the light and progress of the West--a -people morally and mentally equipped and adapted for the assimilation of -the New Dispensation not only for its own benefit, but also for its -dissemination amongst its less advanced neighbours--a well-qualified and -willing instrument and leaven of Christian civilization. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[30] A friend of mine, a Turkish Armenian well acquainted with local -conditions, told me that L50,000,000 would be a conservative estimate of -the material loss of the 1,200,000 massacred, deported, enslaved, but in -all cases despoiled, Armenians. - -[31] M. J. de Morgan says in an article in _La Revue de Paris_ (May 1, -1916): "Les Armeniens sont des Orientaux par leur habitat seulement, -mais des Europeens par leurs origins, leur parler, leur religion, leurs -moeurs et leurs aptitudes." - -[32] The _Retch_, the organ of the Constitutional Democrats in Russia, -has published the following in its issue of July 28, 1916 (O.S.)-- - -"The scheme of settling Russian emigrants in the occupied parts of -Turkish Armenia, recently discussed in the Duma, is being energetically -carried out. This matter has been the subject of a lively discussion -between the Emigration and Military authorities. Investigations are in -progress, not only in the districts near the frontier, but also further -afield, the fertile Mush valley being the object of special attention. -Agricultural battalions have been in course of organization since last -autumn and already number 5000 men. More will be found presently. -_Armenians and Georgians are excluded._ The task of these young arms is -to cultivate the fields on which investigations have been carried out, -under the supervision of agricultural experts, in order to facilitate -the provisioning of the army. The question of emigrating the families of -these men is also under consideration. - -"Side by side with this scheme there exists another scheme of settling -Cossacks in Turkish Armenia, on similar lines to what has already been -done in Northern Caucasus with good results. _Those who have conceived -these schemes have in view the creation of a sufficiently broad zone -inhabited by Russians, separating the Russian Armenians from the Turkish -Armenians._ - -"Armenian refugees are gradually returning to their country and resuming -the work of cultivating their lands. They usually settle in the villages -that have suffered least, their own villages having been totally ruined. - -"To avoid confusion, the Grand Duke Nicholas issued a Ukase in March -last, warning these returned refugees to keep themselves in readiness to -vacate these districts on the establishment of Russian Civil -Administration. In the same Ukase the Commander-in-Chief of the -Caucasian Army has decreed that the vacant lands in the plains of -Alashkert, Diadin and Bayazid may be given in hire up to the time of the -return of their rightful owners. _General Yudenitch has issued orders, -however, prohibiting the settlement in these places of any other -immigrants except Russians and Cossacks._ Only those natives are -permitted to return who are able to prove ownership of land or property -by legal documents. This arrangement makes it impossible for the natives -(Armenians) to return to their homes because it is ridiculous to speak -of title-deeds, when dealing with land in Turkey; and as for other -documents which prove ownership, these always get lost during flight. - -"In the above three plains, also in parts of the plain of Bassain, the -surviving native inhabitants are debarred from returning to their homes -and resuming their peaceful occupations." - - - - -POSTSCRIPT - - -Since the foregoing pages were written and before they had left the -printer's hands, two momentous events have occurred which must -profoundly influence not only the remaining course of the war, but also, -and more especially, the settlement of the peace on its termination: two -events that together mark the greatest triumph of democracy and -civilization the world has seen. The Russian revolution and the entry of -the great American Republic into the ranks of the champions of Right and -Humanity have not only brought peace nearer, they have banished any -doubt that may have existed in the minds of sceptics both in belligerent -and neutral countries that this war of wars is a struggle between the -forces of Light and Liberty and the powers of Darkness and Reaction. - -After watching the course of the struggle for more than thirty months, -taking note of the difference between the methods of warfare employed by -the opposing groups of belligerents; after ascertaining their respective -aims; after long, patient and careful deliberation, the greatest of all -the neutral judges came to the conclusion that "civilization itself -seems to be in the balance." (It will not be forgotten in the Entente -countries, I feel sure, that though unlimited submarine "frightfulness" -was the immediate _casus belli_, the martyrdom of Armenia played an -important part in leading President Wilson and the people of the United -States to that conclusion.) The world's greatest Democracy, imbued with -a deep-rooted love of peace and abhorrence of war as to which no doubt -or suspicion anywhere exists, has broken away from a century-old -tradition, which was the very foundation of its external policy, and -drawn the sword impelled not by ambition or the furtherance of material -interests of any kind, but by honour and the instinctive call of true -chivalry to stand by those who have carried on a long and fierce -struggle to save the "desperately assaulted" free institutions, -principles and ideals which are its own and humanity's most precious and -sacred possessions. For the first time in history--I think one can -safely say that--a great nation, led by a great and sagacious leader, -has gone to war prompted almost entirely with the disinterested motive -of upholding its own ideals and the ideals and rights of humanity--truly -an event of which the best elements of the human race will always be -proud; which will ever stand out as a bright and noble landmark in the -history of the world. - -While these epoch-making events have stamped the cause of the Allies -with the seal of supreme moral sanction, they have also made assurance -doubly sure that the end of the war will confer upon the world a lasting -peace based upon _real_ justice and equity. The presence of the -delegates of the United States at the Peace Conference side by side with -the representatives of the British Empire, France, Italy, and free -Russia will constitute a sure and sterling guarantee to the world that -the determining factors in the moulding of its destinies will not be -the selfish interests, avowed or veiled, of this or that empire, not the -whims and ambitions of despots and ruling castes or the greed of -cosmopolitan financiers, but "the pure milk," of the broad interests of -justice and peace, the rights of nations great and small and the freedom -and welfare of mankind itself. - -To the Armenian people it is a final pledge that the reparation to be -demanded and obtained for them, in the terms of peace will be -commensurate, in full measure, with the magnitude of the wrongs and -sufferings inflicted upon them because, in a vast waste of ancient -barbarism and fraud, they formed an oasis embodying the ideals and -principles which the democracies of Europe and America are struggling to -vindicate. - -If the great and free nations of Europe have greeted these auspicious -events with the satisfaction and enthusiasm we have witnessed in these -last days, it can be readily imagined how intense is the rejoicing they -have evoked in the hearts of the most ruthlessly oppressed of all -peoples, so long denied the blessings whose advent has been placed -beyond all doubt by President Wilson's clarion call to Democracy and by -the declarations of the Provisional Government of free Russia. - -That the declarations of the Provisional Government of free and -regenerated Russia have been received with profound satisfaction by -Armenians, goes without saying. These declarations added to those -already made by the Allied Governments in regard to their war-aims, and -President Wilson's "Declaration of Liberty"--as his inspiring and -memorable address to Congress has been rightly called--finally ensure -the realization of Armenia's legitimate aspiration to freedom and -self-government. And if the Russian people should decide that the new -Russia shall be a Republic, that would open out the vista of a -thoroughly democratic, integral and united Armenian State free to work -out her regeneration according to her own national genius, under the -guidance of the Protecting Powers and with their and America's generous -moral and material support. - -America's interest in Armenia and the excellent work of her Missions in -numerous Armenian centres both in Armenia itself and throughout Asia -Minor leave no doubt that when the time for reconstruction comes, -American aid--moral, material and cultural--will be forthcoming on a -scale and in a manner worthy of that great country and the lofty aims -for which she entered the war. For, what part of the vast war-stricken -area in Europe and the Near East more acutely and tragically exemplifies -the evils which the Allies and the United States are determined to put -an end to once and for all, and what nobler and more fitting culmination -to their gigantic efforts and sacrifices for humanity, than the -redemption and re-birth of this thrice-martyred ancient Christian -people? - -Before concluding, I take this opportunity to call attention to a -passage in Mr. Asquith's speech in the House of Commons on the entry of -the United States into the war, which brings into strong relief the -guilt of the Governments of the Central Powers in the stupendous crime -of attempting the murder of a nation, although the occasion of the -speech was of course the very antithesis of the attitude of the Central -Powers towards the Armenian atrocities. - -"In such a situation," said Mr. Asquith, "aloofness is seen to be not -only a blunder but a crime. To stand aside with stopped ears, with -folded arms, with an averted gaze, when you have the power to intervene -is to become not a mere spectator, but an accomplice."[33] - -I am quoting this striking utterance by one of England's greatest living -statesmen also in the hope that it may furnish food for reflection to -those pro-Turks who have maintained during pre-war massacres, and still -maintain, with Count Reventlow and his followers, that the massacre of -his Christian subjects by the Turk is his own concern, and that nobody -has the right or the obligation to intervene and create new conditions -that will eliminate the possibility of its recurrence. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[33] _The Times_, April 19, 1917. - - - - -APPENDIX - - -ARTICLE XVI OF THE TREATY OF SAN STEFANO - -As the evacuation by the Russian troops of the territory which they -occupy in Armenia, and which is to be restored to Turkey, might give -rise to conflicts and complications detrimental to the maintenance of -good relations between the two countries, the Sublime Porte engages to -carry into effect, without further delay, the improvements and reforms -demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by Armenians, -and to guarantee their security from Kurds and Circassians. - - -ARTICLE LXI OF THE TREATY OF BERLIN - -The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out, without further delay, the -improvements and reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces -inhabited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the -Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the steps taken -to this effect to the Powers, who will superintend their application. - - -THE CYPRUS CONVENTION - -TURKEY NO. 36 (1878) - -Correspondence respecting the Convention between Great Britain and -Turkey, of June 4, 1878. - -Presented to the Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty 1878. - -LIST OF PAPERS - - - No. 1. The Marquis of Salisbury to Mr. Layard, May 30, 1878. - - No. 2. Sir A. H. Layard to the Marquis of Salisbury, one Inclosure - June 5, 1878. - - No. 3. Sir A. H. Layard to the Marquis of Salisbury, one Inclosure - July 1, 1878. - - -No. 1 is the letter which conveys to Mr. Layard Lord Salisbury's -instructions for entering into the Convention (as follows)-- - -THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY TO MR. LAYARD. - - - Foreign Office, May 30, 1878. - - SIR, - - The progress of the confidential negotiations which have for some - time past been in progress between Her Majesty's Government and the - Government of Russia make it probable that those Articles of the - Treaty of San Stefano which concern European Turkey will be - sufficiently modified to bring them into harmony with the interests - of the other European Powers, and of England in particular. - - There is, however, no such prospect with respect to that portion of - the Treaty which concerns Turkey in Asia. It is sufficiently - manifest that, in respect to Batoum and the fortresses north of the - Araxes, the Government of Russia is not prepared to recede from the - stipulations to which the Porte has been led by the events of the - war to consent. Her Majesty's Government have consequently been - forced to consider the effect which these agreements, if they are - neither annulled nor counteracted, will have upon the future of the - Asiatic provinces of the Ottoman Empire and upon the interests of - England, which are closely affected by the condition of those - provinces. - - It is impossible that Her Majesty's Government can look upon these - changes with indifference. Asiatic Turkey contains populations of - many different races and creeds, possessing no capacity for - self-government[34] and no aspirations for independence, but owing - their tranquillity and whatever prospect of political well-being - they possess entirely to the rule of the Sultan. But the Government - of the Ottoman Dynasty is that of an ancient but still alien - conqueror, resting more upon actual power than upon the sympathies - of common nationality. The defeat which the Turkish arms have - sustained and the known embarrassments of the Government will - produce a general belief in its decadence and an expectation of - speedy political change, which in the East are more dangerous than - actual discontent to the stability of a Government. If the - population of Syria, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia see that the Porte - has no guarantee for its continued existence but its own strength, - they will, after the evidence which recent events have furnished of - the frailty of that reliance, begin to calculate upon the speedy - fall of the Ottoman domination, and to turn their eyes towards its - successor. - - Even if it be certain that Batoum and Ardahan and Kars will not - become the base from which emissaries of intrigue will issue forth, - to be in due time followed by invading armies, the mere retention - of them by Russia will exercise a powerful influence in - disintegrating the Asiatic dominion of the Porte. As a monument of - feeble defence on the one side, and successful aggression on the - other, they will be regarded by the Asiatic population as - foreboding the course of political history in the immediate future, - and will stimulate, by the combined action of hope and fear, - devotion to the Power which is in the ascendant, and desertion of - the Power which is thought to be falling into decay. - - It is impossible for Her Majesty's Government to accept, without - making an effort to avert it, the effect which such a state of - feeling would produce upon regions whose political condition deeply - concerns the Oriental interests of Great Britain. They do not - propose to attempt the accomplishment of this object by taking - military measures for the purpose of replacing the conquered - districts in the possession of the Porte. Such an undertaking would - be arduous and costly, and would involve great calamities, and it - would not be effective for the object which Her Majesty's - Government have in view, unless subsequently strengthened by - precautions which can be taken almost as effectually without - incurring the miseries of a preliminary war. The only provision - which can furnish a substantial security for the stability of - Ottoman rule in Asiatic Turkey, and which would be as essential - after the re-conquest of the Russian annexations as it is now, is - an engagement on the part of a Power strong enough to fulfil it, - that any further encroachments by Russia upon Turkish territory in - Asia will be prevented by force of arms. Such an undertaking, if - given fully and unreservedly, will prevent the occurrence of the - contingency which would bring it into operation, and will, at the - same time, give to the populations of the Asiatic provinces the - requisite confidence that Turkish rule in Asia is not destined to a - speedy fall. - - There are, however, two conditions which it would be necessary for - the Porte to subscribe before England could give such assurance. - - Her Majesty's Government intimated to the Porte, on the occasion of - the Conference at Constantinople, that they were not prepared to - sanction misgovernment and oppression, and it will be requisite, - before they can enter into any agreement for the defence of the - Asiatic territories of the Porte in certain eventualities, that - they should be formally assured of the intention of the Porte to - introduce the necessary reforms into the government of the - Christian and other subjects of the Porte in these regions. It is - not desirable to require more than an engagement in general terms; - for the specific measures to be taken could only be defined after a - more careful inquiry and deliberation than could be secured at the - present juncture. - - It is not impossible that a careful selection and a faithful - support of the individual officers to whom power is to be entrusted - in those countries would be a more important element in the - improvement of the condition of the people than even legislative - changes; but the assurances required to give England a right to - insist on satisfactory arrangements for these purposes will be an - indispensable part of any agreement to which Her Majesty's - Government could consent. It will further be necessary, in order to - enable Her Majesty's Government efficiently to execute the - engagements now proposed, that they should occupy a position near - the coast of Asia Minor and Syria. The proximity of British - officers, and, if necessary, British troops, will be the best - security that all the objects of this agreement shall be attained. - The Island of Cyprus appears to them to be in all respects the most - available for this object. Her Majesty's Government do not wish to - ask the Sultan to alienate territory from his sovereignty or to - diminish the receipts which now pass into his Treasury. They will, - therefore, propose that, while the administration and occupation of - the island shall be assigned to Her Majesty, the territory shall - still continue to be part of the Ottoman Empire, and that the - excess of the revenue over the expenditure, whatever it at present - may be, shall be paid over annually by the British Government to - the Treasury of the Sultan. - - Inasmuch as the whole of this proposal is due to the annexations - which Russia has made in Asiatic Turkey, and the consequences which - it is apprehended will flow therefrom, it must be fully understood - that, if the cause of the danger should cease, the precautionary - agreement will cease at the same time. If the Government of Russia - should at any time surrender to the Porte the territory it has - acquired in Asia by the recent war, the stipulations in the - proposed agreements will cease to operate, and the island will be - immediately evacuated. - - I request, therefore, your Excellency to propose to the Porte to - agree to a Convention to the following effect, and I have to convey - to you full authority to conclude the same on behalf of the Queen - and of Her Majesty's Government-- - - - "If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be retained by - Russia, and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by - Russia to take possession of any further portion of the Asiatic - territories of the Sultan, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of - Peace, England engages to join the Sultan in defending them by - force of arms. In return, the Sultan promises to England to - introduce necessary reforms (to be agreed upon later between the - two Powers) into the government of the Christian and other subjects - of the Porte in these territories; and, in order to enable England - to make necessary provision for executing her engagement the Sultan - further consents to assign the Island of Cyprus to be occupied and - administered by England." - - I am, etc., - (Signed) SALISBURY. - - -No. 2 is the Convention itself, as follows-- - -ARTICLE I - -If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be retained by Russia, -and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by Russia to take -possession of any further territories of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan -in Asia, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of Peace, England engages to -join His Imperial Majesty the Sultan in defending them by force of arms. - -In return, His Imperial Majesty the Sultan promises to England to -introduce necessary reforms, to be agreed upon later by the two Powers, -into the government and for the protection of the Christian and other -subjects of the Porte in these territories; and in order to enable -England to make necessary provision for executing her engagement His -Imperial Majesty the Sultan further consents to assign the Island of -Cyprus to be occupied and administered by England. - -ARTICLE II - -The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications thereof -shall be exchanged, within the space of one month, or sooner if -possible. - -In Witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the -same, and have affixed thereto the seal of their arms. - -Done at Constantinople, the fourth day of June, in the year One thousand -eight hundred and seventy-eight. - -(L.S.) A. H. LAYARD. -(L.S.) SAFVET. - -No. 3 is the Annex to the above Convention, consisting of Six Articles, -signed at Constantinople on July 1, 1878, by A. H. Layard and Safvet -respectively. The first five Articles deal with the manner in which the -Island of Cyprus would be governed, whilst under British occupation. The -final Article, viz. Article VI, is as follows-- - - - "That if Russia restores to Turkey Kars and the other Conquests - made by her in Armenia during the last war, the Island of Cyprus - will be evacuated by England; and the Convention of June 4, 1878, - will be at an end." - - -NOTE - -(p. 29.) - -"The Turanian movement is not the spasmodic effort of a few enthusiasts. -It represents a carefully matured plan most elaborately studied in its -philosophical and practical aspects, and carried out on a vast and -ambitious scale. The spirit of its teaching has been made to permeate -all classes of the purely Turkish population, including women; while, in -the army, it has been taught in the shape of a patriotic creed, and the -force of military discipline has been laid at the service of its -promoters. The movement, therefore, no longer expresses the creed of a -limited number of nationalist fanatics, represented by the Central -Committee of Union and Progress, or the extremist section of it, but of -practically the whole of the Turkish people, backed by the formidable -power of the army. Thus, the view that would represent the Turkish -people as unwitting or unwilling tools in the hands of the Unionist -Government can no longer be accepted. The Turkish race as a whole, with -but few exceptions, stands convicted of indulging in a wanton political -dream, for the realization of which it seized the opportunity of the -world-war to commit most atrocious crimes. It is true that the initial -responsibility lies with the C.U.P., but the whole of the Turkish nation -has since shared the responsibility by its ready response. This is borne -out by the easy success attained by the Unionist Government in -modifying--with hardly a dissentient voice--the system of State -education, embracing even the elementary schools, and in -misappropriating the _Wakfs_ funds. - -"Military officers of the higher grades were instructed to pay -periodical visits to the barracks and there deliver lectures of a mixed -religious and racial character, prepared by the Government. Were not the -Turkish heart a ready soil, such sowings would not have yielded such an -early and abundant harvest. In spite of successive admixtures of blood, -the Turks have retained the original instincts of the wild men of the -Steppes, and a creed aiming at conquest and domination through -destruction and bloodshed found eager response in their souls. Islam, -sympathetic as it is, despite its militant character, was sacrificed for -the realization of this widest of human dreams. There was not enough of -'iron and blood' in its teaching. The Turanian creed, framed on the -Prussian pattern of militarism, appealed a thousand times more to the -Turks' savage nature; and the proof is that, without any compulsion -being employed, it quickly supplanted the religious heritage of -centuries. The troops took up readily the heroic Turanian songs in place -of the usual prayers which had, until lately, been compulsory, but are -so no more. The simplest of Anatolians willingly accepted the idea that -the prophet of later days is Enver! The fundamental rules of Islam -became, for them, the Testimony (for the unity of God), Reason, -Character, and the Collection of contributions for the Government and -the War under the Turkish banner." - -(From an article entitled "Turanian and Moslem" in _The Near East_, -April 20, 1917.) - -FOOTNOTE: - -[34] By a curious irony of events, at the time these lines were written -by the great English statesman, Egypt was governed by an Armenian Prime -Minister, Nubar Pasha, while the victorious Russian Army in the Caucasus -was under the command of the Armenian General Loris Melikoff, the victor -of Kars, who later became Minister of the Interior and one of the most -trusted advisers of the Czar Liberator. It is interesting to note that -Egypt had an Armenian Prime Minister during the reign of the Khalif -Al-Mustansir (1036-94) by the name of Badr-el-Gamali (probably a -variation of Bedros Gamalian), "who governed wisely and well for twenty -years (1073-94)."--_See_ ADRIAN FORTESCUE: _The Lesser Eastern -Churches_, p. 237. - - -PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, BRUNSWICK ST., -STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARMENIA AND THE WAR*** - - -******* This file should be named 53887.txt or 53887.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/3/8/8/53887 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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