THE ARENIAN ATROCITIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1664, 18 January 1895, Page 4

THE ARENIAN ATROCITIES.

The following letter from art Armenian inConstantinoplewasreeeived m London early m December. It gives a horrible account of the ' Turkish proceedings, cal- i ciliated to arouse sympathy and anger, but it is to be remarked that the writer | is not an eye witness,' Something, one cannot tell how little or how much, i 6 due to his ! imagination. And generally' none of the accounts of these atrocities appear to have come from eye witnesses * The letter was begun on November 6th, but was not finished till' ; later. "lam sorry I cannot mite' at greater'letigth"; 'l have not the heart, as we are allliving m constant terror by reason of the great calamities that surround us. Probably you have heard how atrocities, unheard of since the days of Timor, are being re- 1 peated^ and that m the neighbourhood | of Mooshythe inhabitants of 25 Armenian villages have been ruthleSsly'm^ssacre'ti, and their houses*&urnt down by the Hamidize; cavalry: The victims numbered 6000. The inhabitants of 23 villages were compelled to embrace Mahommedanisrn. Alas ! these are authenticated facts, and all the embassies, including the British Embassy, know them. Two days ago the official' Turkish' papers announced that his Majesty had presented new and magnificent colours to his Hamidize cavalry as a sign of his approval. These are the bare facts> 5 and they require no comment. If feelings of humanity and pity still exist on the earth there is no need of argument to be persuaded that the Armenians are'subjected to diabolical wrongs. I entreat you to cry aloud fronronfeend of the United Kingdom to the other the' news of these calamities and atrocities* .... The British Government and'nation are responsible for -our -blood- and honour. We boldly claim our rights. We are not mendicants. The Turkish cavalry and the regulars have devastated 25 Armenian villages m the plain 'of 'Moosh, and lulled the men, women, and children m sueh'a barbarous manner, that probably it will not be believed m England, and Turk'bphiles will cry " Exaggeration !'"' My brother, I tell you they have cut open living pregnant women,taken,away their unborn babes, and, sticking them on spears, have' niarohed triumphantly through the .streets. ... Does such a thing happen to Africa? To complete our misfdrtune, when representations ate made the Sultan expresses his horror, Yet we see that the commanders are decorated. Now a Commission is ordered to immediately investigate' 1 the matter, thus throwing dust In the eyes -of Europe. Which of our misfortunes shall we lament ? Our massacred, brethren or those left m misery -vVhowill be subjected to the most cruel treatment at the hands of the Commission ? Do you understand how/ desperate our condition is ? . My hands tremble and my heart sinks within me. News of these great calamities is widely known, yet none dares to speak ormakexemark; We Armenians look m each other's ' faces 'and read 1 ' the! sorrow and pain of our "hearts. To 'make an appeal or to take any steps is impossible. The appearence of the poor Armenians from Moosh is mo3t pitiable. God only is our help. No one sympathises. . ' . '■'-. I think that probably England's indifference must be attributed ■to the difficulty m understanding our deplorable position. If Englishmen could realise the extent and intensity of our sufferings, and how their honour as a nation is affected, they would be stirred, if they have' not lost their old chivalrous feeling and the strong sense of justice of the Anglo-Saxon race." . •