Ka Puuhonua o na Hawaii, Volume IV, Number 4, 26 January 1917 — FOR OUR ENGLISH-SPEAKING READERS DO WE HEAR THE CRY? [ARTICLE]

FOR OUR ENGLISH-SPEAKING READERS

DO WE HEAR THE CRY?

These are the moments for tryirig thē sduls| of the civilized, educated and chrstianzed men and momen of our day. A pall of horror hangs over the world. The emotions and symp&thies of men in every wālk of life are so6ght for by a suffering people. To yield to th e benevōleht impuīses and pour out relief for Ihe needy, is to herken to the eall of the hour, ard this eall is| most imperative. ' ' " ' ''■ ■' ■'

j In April, 1915, and continuing on tbrough the month cf November, the most tragic hcur irj. all their tragic history eame, and, at that heur, the indescribably terrible blow fel!. With a systematic and relentlessly cruel prccess, masscrej and deport,ation took plaee. Men were ltd away ] n groups outside their villages ana kiliedwith clubs and axes. .! ' : , • The Consul cf one oi" the European naiioni ia Turkey reported that on one occasion, 10,C0C Armenians were taken oūt in boats, The batteries of artil!ery were turned on these boats a- t,r» gets, destroying the entire compsny. Schcols and churches, whieh were the fruiticn. of many years of toi! and tears, were destroyecf v,?M!e ihe students were muti!ated. Women and gir!s were reserved tcr sn indescribab!e fate in harems; in the lpng weary ! marches to exi!e; in the homes of the govern- | ment offcials, or, in ttie tents of ttie wHd tribesl' Frorrt hundreds of wrecked vijlages unj towns, caravans of 600 people was 3ed awiy only to be destroyed by the Arabs. ' Thousa.-ads died of hunger, torture, disease and exhausti^n. From one of the ham!ets, 450 Armenicns were taken out, and on!y one womea lived to see her husband and three children tied together with a rope and shot with one. bullet, to save ammunition. She saw her daughters outraged and then slashed. She escaped deathby running| away at night, and by falling in with some refugees. !

sa-f-fer r.g- w.-»s.he2viest. aad,mostiateaSe •••- r "•'"•' ab!e to beir it, the aged, rhe • ■, tis rrn thers, and those who were ahoul i?iytiiers. l housauds. ia a-

A few years ago there were abouī 2,000,000 Armenians in Turkey. Half of this number, or 1,000,000 Armenians have been slain, dcported or perished because of disease or bunger. The me n in the army were the first to be brutally put to death. Civilian, after being subjected to horrible tortures, wgre shot. Seven priests beeame v.'ctims of brutal murder.

At a moments notice, wohaen, children and the aged were forced to exile.. Mothers, torn irom their babies, were made to walk to lands tbey knew not where. Mothers giving birth on ?-he i oad, were ■ forbidden Lto delay under thc whiplash, and these were made to continue their march until they dropped dead from exhaustion. According to the Uoited States Consul, he saw belpless people brained with clubs, while ehi!dren were dc-stroyed by smashing their heads against the rocks. Other children were thrown in the water,. Those who cou!d swim were shot whiie struggling for their lives.

Grimes, too cruel and horrible to describe, have been, and are being practised on women and young girls. The mati{ated bodies o{ hundreds, whieh lay strewn ālong ihe roadsides, *estimony to this inhuman reign of terror. Men have been brutalJy tortured until death relieved them. The hungered, unable to raise their heads above ground because of physical exhaustion due to hunger, lay hopelessly in the scorchjng heat, cr, in the penetrating co!ds, and scattered unmerciful!y ori bear ground. The iatest cab!egrams say that the ex'ded, homeless Armenian 'sūrvivors are eating grass, and dying by the hucdreds of starvation, exposure, torture and disease.

In the Caucasin region, not only the Armen■ians, but the Nestorians are in great distress. Those who have been saved from the genera! nias?cre cf the Turks have !ived on!y to be starved to death. A great number has reached Russ;an Territory, but were ob!!ged to !ive i.i stab!es because the vil!agers themselves were yery poor. In the awful cold of the winter, these have hved and shared their shelter with hors£s, cattie and sheep. Those who were permitted to return are finding theirway back to theirhomes. But, being depr!ved of all their earnings and property, these are ffow dēstitute, and wou!d' have' ta.beg.in all over sgain, providing, however, that assistance be giv|;n them.J And, in addition to this awīiil condition, fear is entertsned that, : prQbab!y, the permiss:on granted was simply to bnng the refugees w'thin reach of their butchers. . . In western Persia, the refugees are returning to their district iaying southeast of Lake Van. Food and clothing, agricultur.al implements and oxen bave been given them by the commissioii. But these supplies are woefully inadequatē to meet the press»ng needs of the sufferers ; Ambassedor Henry Morgenthan and others have estimated that at least $5,000,000.00 is neccessary at this time to save, and to rehabilitate the Armsnian people. This estimate gives some idea of the enormity of the suffering of these people. Awful as these conditions have, been and are, it īs still more appalling to contemp!ate on whatthey might have b2en bit for the relief work of the Americans who, through persistent efforts, saved the lives of fully 150,000 Armenians. This committee reported that up to March 30, it has caf!ected something like $500,000 for these sufferers. At the present there is pressing need forfood, bedding, medical s U pplies and farm

implements. Positive assurance has eome to Washipgton that no more Armeaiaos were to be deported, and tbat no oHieial interference with the Americ3n d : stribution o£ lood be tolerated in the iuture. Tfais means that supplies sent over wi» reach those for whom they v?ere intented, Every oent of every dollar coutributed for the relie! cf the Armenians will b<i devoted in fuU to this purppse, The fact that,the actual Jief work is attended to by the Americaa Consul j and Missionaries, puts a guarantee that the pro- : per suppīies will be given over to where they are i t»ost needed, . - ■.». .... , v !i Bv a specia! eommuniealion, the Amci'c.iu :CommitJee for Armeuiaa' and %riaa MieUiw made its appeal to Uawaii for ass'stance. Oue dollar will keep oneperson a»ive one mooth *Qnger. dollars will enab!e an Amieman fa|iily to bs estabiished in comparative comfort, 4 . .. ■ - | ; t$ war eods, tho usands must be fcd.!

Aftcv i'- a w:.r nouilki:dfcs must be ass;sted In cstab!'sLiny; rbeo' homes, stocking tbeir farit>s, and hu-aishing Lhem wita farm implements ānd seeds.... . Manv have contribuwd geaesrausly to the, Armenian funds. Some have given out of their abundance. Others are giving with sacrifice out of the!r meager eariilngs. The following is an extract from a typical letter received by the Gommittee from a Ministēr and his wife* "Though financially limited ourse!ves, receiving a salsry of but $80.00 a month, as Pastor of churches, we have decided to give one half of this amount monthly for six months to relieve Armenian sufiering and desiiring the consolation only of Him who, centuries ago in those lands said: I was hungry and ye; gave me to eat; ī was thr'sty and ye "gave me' drink; I W3S a'stranger and ye toak me in; I was sick and ye visited me; ī was in prison and ye eame unto me." People of Hawaii: We ho!d in our hands that whieh we ean contribute to satisfy hunger, provide_shelter, and help the forsaken and war tramp!ed fields to blossom again in harvest of grain. Can we, dare we, refrain the help that we ean offer to this stricken and dsstitute race?