AN AMERICAN HEROINE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 8036, 7 January 1905, Page 6

AN AMERICAN HEROINE.

Her Noble Work in Relieving

Distressed Armenians.

Early in the year 1896, when the Turkish atrocities in Armania were at their worst, measures were taken for the relief of sufferers, in which an American lady, Miss Clara Barton, took a prominent part. For some time the distribution of supplies to the sufferers, from England and America, had been forbidden by the Turkish Government, for reasons stated by the Turkish Minister at Washington, as follows : " The collections are made on the strength ofspeeches delivered in public meetings by irreconcilable enemies of the Turkish race and on the basis of false accusations that Turkey repudiates. Besides, the sublime Porte is mindful of the true interests of its subjects, and, distinguishing between the real state of things and the oalumnies and wild exaggerations of interested or fanatical parties, will, under its own legitimate control, alleviate the wants of all Turkish subjects, irrespective of creed or race." The Red Cross Society—of which the American branch had prepared to send its President, Miss Clara Barton, with a small corps of assistants, to scene of the suffering—was especially excluded, by the order of the Porte. Miss Barton and her staff sailed, however, from New York in January, and Mr Terrell, the American Minister at Constantinople, succeeded in obtaining permission for them to do their humane work as private individuals, not in the name of the obnoxious society, and without displaying its insignia. The singlemindedness, tbe prudence, the patientenergy with which Miss Barton pursued the one object of giving relief to the suffering, overcame all opposition, so that in April, three months later, she was able to report that the way was all clear for sending • supplies. Suitable agents all along the. route were known and had been arranged with for service. Supplies could now be sent at any and all times as they were needed. " I feel my breath come lighter," wrote Miss Barton, "as I think of these poor scourged and fever-stricken towns (without even one doctor) when our sixteen strong, skilled men, with twentyfive camels' burden of supplies, shall carry some light of hope and help into their night of hopeless woe. lam happy to be able to say for the comfort of contributors, that 1 hold the written word of the Porte, officially given through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, from the grand Vizier, that there will not be the slightest interference with any distribution within the province." An official document to this effect was delivered to Sir Philip Currie, the British Ambassador, who passed it on to Miss Barton. The decision was general and final, without question or reservation, and settled all doubt.

In the following September, Miss" Barton returned home, for a well-earned rest, and to bear testimony to America of the immensity of the need still existing in the Armenian provinces, and calling for help. Her departure from Constantinople was reported by the newspapers to have been the occasion of a remarkable demonstration, by cheers, flags, and salutes, from ship and shore, of the estimate put on the work she had done.