The blight of Asia : $b An account of the systematic extermination of Christian populations by Mohammedans and of the culpability of certain great powers; with the true story of the burning of SmyrnaHorton, George
History
The blight of Asia : $b An account of the systematic extermination of Christian populations by Mohammedans and of the culpability of certain great powers; with the true story of the burning of Smyrna
Horton, George
Christians -- Turkey; Fires -- Turkey -- İzmir; Greeks -- Turkey; Turkey; İzmir (Turkey) -- History
stolen by the Turkish tribes who came among them every day.”
Of the fate of the men and boys over fourteen, who were carried away
and never heard of again, many corroborating accounts were received at
Smyrna. It is certain that they were killed, the Turks chopping many of
them to death with axes, to save ammunition.
As we are still dealing with the systematic extermination of Christians
previous to the burning of Smyrna by the Turks, a few pages will be
devoted to the destruction of the Armenian nation, the most horrible
crime in the history of the human race in its details of lust and
savagery and suffering, as well as in extent, and which definitely
outlaws its perpetrators from the society of human beings and from the
fellowship of civilized nations, until such time as full repentance is
convincingly shown and an honest effort made, in so far as possible, to
make reparation.
There have probably been destructive movements that have cost more lives
than that of the extermination of the Christians by the Turks. Tamerlane,
for instance, swept over vast stretches of country, killing and burning
for the mere love of destruction. He spared neither Mussulman nor
Christian. But there were features of fiendish cruelty and long-drawn-out
suffering in the Ottoman persecution of the Christians that did not
characterize the methods of Tamerlane.
Reference will be made to the most notable official collections of
evidence on the subject, and two important documents, reports of American
eye-witnesses, will be given. These latter have never before been
published. One of the fullest and most reliable sources of information
on the Armenian massacres is the official publication of the British
Parliament, 1915, entitled _The Treatment of the Armenians_, containing
documents presented to Viscount Grey of Falloden, Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, by Viscount Brice. A copy can be found in the Library
of Congress, at Washington. These documents really constitute a large
volume, giving evidence from all sources as to the Armenian butcheries
and extermination by slow torture. Much of the testimony here given is so
revolting, and so outrages all human feelings and sensibilities, that one
refrains from quoting from it.
Lord Grey, then British Secretary of State, on receiving these documents,
wrote to Viscount Bryce:
“My Dear Bryce: It is a terrible mass of evidence, but I feel
that it ought to be published and widely studied by all who
have the broad interests of humanity at heart. It will be
valuable, not only for the immediate information of public
opinion as to the conduct of the Turkish Government toward
this defenseless people, but also as a mine of information for
historians in the future.
(Signed) GREY OF FALLODEN.”
Various opinions of distinguished people are given as to the credibility
of this evidence. Among others, Gilbert Murray, the famous scholar and
poet, says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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