ARMENIAN MASSACRE

Evening Star, Issue 14116, 20 July 1909, Page 6

ARMENIAN MASSACRE

PUNISHMENT OF THE GUILTY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, July 19. The court-martial which has been sitting at Adana (Asia Minor) censures the local authorities for their laxity in connection with the massacres of April 'last. Fif-' teen have already been hanged, 800 are reported to deserve death, 1,500 have been sentenced to hard labor few life, and 80,000 have received minor sentences. The courtmartial adds; “If it is decided to proceed with the, punishment we will draw 'a cordon round the town and - deal expeditiously.” But in view of a general reconciliation it recommends an amnesty. An American missionary at Adana reported :—“The immediate pretext for the massacre was the action of an Armenian, who shot three Turks, one of whom died, on April 10. On the evening of the following day a large Moslem crowd beat the Armenian to death. As the unrest was greatly increased by this event, the Armenian notables urgently demanded that the Governor should take adequate measures to preserve order. On the morning of the 14th the situation became critical. The Armenians closed their shops, and later on the Turks followed their example. The Armenian notables thereupon repeated their demands for adequate precautionary measures, and the Governor assured them that perfect order would be maintained. The Moslem and, Armenian notables walked through the streets and urged their co-religionists to reopen their shops. However, a Moslem crowd, armed with clubs, filled the market-place and the other streets, and near noon began massacring, looting, and burning the shops and houses of the Armenians. The conflict- raged fiercely until Friday morning. Two American missionaries were killed, and the British Vice-Consul, while riding through the streets in an attempt to restore order, was wounded. ' The Armenians defended themselves stoutly, aiid killed some of the Moslems. On Friday morning the Armenians, through a friendly mollah, begged, for Government protection, and troops paraded the streets, and guards were posted at various points. Order was slowly restored. At night time extensive conflagrations threatened the whole city. Thousands of Armenians have been killed, and thousands more are homeless, penniless, and hungry. The devastation in the outskirts of the city is inconceivable. Extensive relief measures have been undertaken by the four hospitals, but enormous efforts will be necessary to give adequate relief.”