RESCUED ARMENIANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1916, Page 12

RESCUED ARMENIANS.

j AMERICAN WOMAN'S ACTION. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, has reported that, "thanks to the pluck, perseverance |md persuasive powers of two American women, backed by a goodly sum of money put where it would do the most Igood, 41 of the 63 young Armenian women who were taken away from the American Board's mission premises in Marsovan, Turkey, last August, are safely back in that city." To Miss Charlotte R. Willard, a Smith College graduate, who is at the head of the Girls' Boarding School at Marsovan, and to Miss Frances Gage, of the International Y.W.C.A., is due the credit, tbe board says, for the rescue. The Turks broke into the mission compound to get the Armenian girls, the American men having refused to open the gates for them. As the officers led out each gir] she was stopped at the gates, the report says, and asked if she would accept Islam instead of Christianity, but not a gir] faltered. So the A3, consisting of pupils in the school, the Armenian teachers, and the young Armenian nurses from the mission hospital, with a few servants, were driven away under guard of Turkish soldiers. Over and over again on the road they were stopped and urged to become Moslems, a long time one girl yielded. She was immediately separated from the others, and shortly afterwards was married to a Turkish officer. The other* held fast to their faith.

START AFTER THE GIRLS. Miss Willard had insisted upon being allowed to go with the girls, but without avail. After they were gone, however, the combined efforts of the missionaries and some friends in the city succeeded in getting permission for Miss Willard and Miss Gage to follow the deported ones, after an interval of three days, Taking all the money that could be raised on short notice, and accompanied by an interpreter and by one of the faithful Circassion guards employed by the mission, the women started. They were in two light waggons drawn by strong, swift horses. iProbably the soldiers had not expected that the pursuers would be able to trace the route taken by the girls and their guards, but they reckoned without Miss Willard. Within -18 hours she and Miss Gage had overtaken the little company, which was headed towards Sivas, Before their arrival, however, 21 of the number had 'been separated from the rest at the village of Shar Kishla, and sent with a large company, already at the village, on the road toward the south, over which so many despairing thousands have been sent.

The Americans were graciously permitted to buy food for the girls; they were allowed to pay the drivers of the carts in which the girls were riding—and they made it worth while for the drivers to keep on and not to turn over any of their passengers to admiring citizens on the way. They made use of the various "scraps of paper" in the shape of safe conducts, letters from Government officials ) etc., with which they were provided. At length they reached Sivas, and, oddly enough, were quartered in one of the buildings of the American Board in that city.

Then began the persuasion, the argument and the judicious application of large sums of money to induce the authorities to let the party return to Marsovan. After some days of unceasing endeavor the permission came and the little caravan started back. The 41 who were sent to Sivas included the best educated and most attractive of the 63 in the original party. Those who were taken away, at Sharicishla were mostly the servants and some of the poorer pupils.