TURCO-GERMAN MASSACRES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3560, 21 September 1916, Page 5

TURCO-GERMAN MASSACRES.

ARMENIANS' DREADFUL

SUFFERINGS.

GERMAN PxtOFESSORS' TERRIBLE

STORY

(Received September 21/ 9.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, September 20.

The most barbarous and revolting story ever of Turkish atrocities against Armenians is printed in«the New York " Times," which is in possession of photographs "of' the original documents. . *gr. „,,: >-'j It appears that the Faculty of the German High School at. Aleppo, in Syria, lodged a protest with the German Foreign Office, wherein they stated:—" We feol it to be our duty to draw the s attention of the Foreign Office to the fact that it is impossible to carry on our school work unless Germany ends the brutalities inflicted here on the exiled wives and children of murdered Armenians. Owing to the horrible scenes enacted daily near the sohool, our work is.absolutely' valueless. Girls, boys, and women, practically naked, lie on tlio ground amid coffins waiting to receive them. Of 3000 healthy peasant, women driven here from Upper Armenia, only 50 are left, and they are reduced'to skeletons. The good-looking ones are decimated by the vice of their gaolers, and the ugly ones are victimised by beatings, hunger, and thirst. Those lining the water's edge are not allowed to drink, land Europeans axe prohibited from distributing bread. Over 100 corpses are taken daily from Aleppo. All this ha,s been witnessed by high Turkish officials. Fifty people reduced to skeletons are lying in a heap near the school. ' They are practically insane, and have forgotten how to eat. I

"The natives declare the Germans are responsible. Educated Turks and Arabs shake their heads- sorrowfully when they see brutal, soldiers drag through the town pregnant women, whom they beat with cudgels. The scenes we have witnessed are degrading to mankind, and unless they are stop-ped-they will Lo a terrible stain on Germany's honour for generations to»j

come."

Dr Graetner, in an accompanying [letter, says:—"This is not only a massacre, but an attempt to exterminate the Armenians in Turkey; Tala'at Bey's officials cynically admitted Ibis to the German Consul. • " Eighteen thousand Armenians were driven out of Charput and Sivas, but only 350 reached Aleppo, and many of those were driven to the Syrian steppes, where the survivors- are leading a miserable existence. I have seen many corpses floating on the Euphrates and lying on the; steppes. With few exceptions, Germans-witness these things .unperturbed, saying they are afraid to interfere lest 'they' offend the Turks,

"The Armenians at Urfayta., seeing the fate of their compatriots, refused to leave the town, whereupon Count Wolf yon Wolfskel ordered a bombardment of the town. After 1000 Armenians had surrendered, he hadn't power to prevent all of them ; being massacred."