#24: The Armenian deportations (1915)
In the spring of 1915, we realized with sinking hearts that
there was a great movement against the Armenian people. We
had nothing to do directly with plans or prospects throughout
the wide Empire as a whole, but we witnessed clearly what
took place within our horizon. Our fine American ambassador,
Dr. Morgenthau, stated that Talaat Bey, Enver Pasha and
Djemal Pasha were the men chiefly responsible for the
movement as a whole. The plan was to eliminate the Armenian
question by eliminating the Armenians, but this was not
intended by the Turkish people at first. The Armenians in
general may have had their faults in Turkish eyes. For one
thing, these survivors of the centuries were one of the
Christian peoples of the world and not Moslem; again,
though the Armenians clearly joined in the political effort
under the new Constitution, in 1908, the toleration that
would make them an acceptable element among the citizens
of the Empire was too much for Turkish human nature to
achieve at once and in a hurry; further, the Armenians
were able business men, made money faster than others,
and their accumulation of property was a temptation; also,
among the women folks of the Near East, Armenian women
and girls were accounted fair and attractive for the home
or the harem. The agony of that reign of terror surpasses
description or comprehension, especially for us, as our
American and College attitude had been one of full
friendship for our Turkish neighbors, and loyalty to
the Turkish government under the clear advice of our
American officials and in accordance with our own
convictions. The College did not shelter revolution or
revolutionists.
...........................................................
If ever a group of individuals struggled to protect life,
the Americans in Marsovan struggled to defend their
Armenian associates, students, and friends, in the summer
of 1915. But we had no adequate or real resources, and
our efforts were largely fruitless. Turkey had denounced
the Capitulations by unilateral action, and resented
foreign diplomacy. August 9th a strong telegram from
Ambassador Morgenthau reached me following other messages
of a similar nature, promising that our premises would
not be interfered with. On the morning of August 10th,
as I was holding morning prayers with such students as
remained for a summer session because they could not get
to their homes, the white face of Dr. Marden appeared
at the door and he whispered, "They've come". I happened
to be just reading from Ezekiel 34. Please read verses
5 to 16. Officials forced an entrance at our gates and
on different patrols, drew up sixty-one ox-carts in a
ring in the open campus, and demanded the surrender of
all Armenians. For two hours we parleyed, but the armed
guards were increased to about thirty men, and a search
was made by the breaking down of doors, and the forcing
of entrance everywhere. Finally, our Armenian friends,
feeling that further opposition was worse than useless,
voluntarily appeared and gave themselves up. An ox-cart
was assigned to each family. A meager stock of food,
bedding, and personal effects was piled upon it. The
wife and mother sat with her children on the load.
The husband and father walked beside the cart. As
the procession was forming in the street, a pilgrim
group gathered around me and I offered prayer. Soon
after noon the procession, with seventy-two persons
from the College and Hospital moved away.
NEXT: The Armenians "depart"
(1915)
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