THE UNHAPPY ARMENIANS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 November 1901, Page 3

THE UNHAPPY ARMENIANS.

Plans For Extermination

An ex-ofllcial under the Turkish Government, Ali Nouri Bey, formerly Consul at Kotterdam, sends to the “ Daily Mail” the following article on the fresh Armenian massacres, of which faint echoes have begun to reach this country :

It is the season for massacres now, as the roads in the mountains are clear of snow, and the Kurds generally wait until their harvest is brought in before they begin the annual slaughter of their Armenian neighbours.

Those who think that tho worst is over, and that only isolated cases of massacres may still occur here and there, arising out of local quarrels between Kurds and Armenians, arc completely mistaken. There will not bo a second edition of the dreadful killing en masse of Armenians all over Asia Minor, like that which was carried out five years ago, unless the Armenian committees provoke an agitation again on the same scale. But I do not think they would or could. Tho lesson taught to them was too terrible, although most of the leaders managed to escape, leaving their followers behind to face their fate.

In point of fact, there is no need for the Armenian agitators thus to hurry on tho work of tho extermination of their countrymen, in the Turkish provinces of Asia. The Sultan must bo most satisfied to have their co-operation, but he cannot do without it. It only takes a little more time. '

The massacres going on now are being committed in the same district as last year, that of Moosh, and are the systematic continuation of them. It is impossible to say to what extent they will be carried on this year : it depends upon the reports which will reach the outside world. If there is a great outcry in the civilised world and strong diplomatic pressure upon Abdul Hamid they will very likely be stopped at once, but otherwise they will go on slowly but surely ti l the “ season ” is over —to begin again next year under the same conditions, and so on until this hclplcso people is exterminated. Two renowned chiefs, Murad Bey and Mousaa Bey of Kezan, presented a petition to Abdul Hamid through Zeki Pasha,

the commander of" the Fourth Army Corps, asking for permission tb form a new Hairtldie cavalry regiment; m order to protect themselves and their tribe against the expected attacks of the Armenians in the neighborhood. This petition, duly accompanied by a gift of TSOO, was sent to Zeki Pasha, and afterwards forwarded to Abdul Hamid, with a favorable report from Zeki Pasha. Thereupon an irade was issued in April last year granting the request of Murad Boy and Moussa Boy. The result was the beginning in Juno last year, of the massacres in the villages in the Moosh Valley. By slow work they will bo finished in about five years, perhaps even before if nothing is done to stop them.

Tee proceedings are simple in all their terrifying horrors. The Kurds fall upon a village like a thunderstorm, cutting down everybody —women, children, and invalids included. Sometimes a few of the people are able to hide themselves, sometimes a few are spared, and arc frightened into making a written statement that a “dispute having occurred between themselves they had fallen upon and killed each other, and that but for the interference of the authorities nobody would have remained alive ” This document is then presented to the Sultan about the matter, and the usual answer is that “ho forgives the Armenians if they promise not to begin again,’’ and at the same time he orders the Governor to take energetic measures to protect the Kurds against the Armenian brigands !