Part 27

Unpleasant and somewhat ludicrous as these criticisms were they served a purpose in coming back to us, as by them we were able to understand more fully the cables which had preceded them. "Give us news in full of your doings, it is important that we know." Every cable was answered with all the news we could send by that costly method.

I had asked permission and escort for two caravans from Alexandretta, but had learned later from them that they would unite and go together to Aintab, in company with the Rev. Dr. Fuller, of that city, who requires no introduction to the missionary or religious world. At this junction Mr. Gargiulo, of the legation, came to me in great haste (he having been sent for by the Sublime Porte) to know where our expeditions were. They had provided for two and could only get trace of one; where was the other? Please get definite information and let them know at once. I had served on too many battlefields not to understand what this meant. I knew our men were in danger somewhere and some one was trying to protect them, and sent back the fullest information that there was but one expedition out, and waited. Two days later came the news of the massacre at Killis by the Circassians. Killis lay directly in their track, unknown to them, and the Turkish troops had unexpectedly come up and taken them on. I can perhaps, at this distant date, give no more correct note of this, and the condition of things as found, than by an extract from a letter written by me at the time to our world's friend and mine, Frances Willard. We were at this moment securing the medical expedition for Marash and Zeitoun:

Dear Frances Willard: ... May I also send a message by you to our people, to your people and my people; in the name of your God and my God, ask them not to be discouraged in the good work they have undertaken. My heart would grow faint and words fail, were I to attempt to tell them the woes and the needs of these Christian martyrs. But what need to tell? They already know what words can say--alone, bereft, forsaken, sick and heartbroken, without food, raiment or shelter, on the snow-piled mountain sides and along the smoking valleys they wander and linger and perish. What more should I say to our people, but to show them the picture of what they themselves have already done.

The scores of holy men and women sustained by them, with prayers in their hearts, tears in their voices, hovering like angels and toiling like slaves, along all these borders of misery and woe, counting peril as gain and death as naught, so it is in His Name. But here another picture rises; as if common woe were not enough, the angel of disease flaps his black wings like a pall, and in once bright Zeitoun and Marash contagion reigns. By scores, by hundreds, they die; no help, no medicine, no skill, little food, and the last yard of cotton gone to cover the sick and dying. To whom came the cry, "Help or we perish! Send us physicians!" The contributed gifts of America open the doors of classic Beyrout, and Ira Harris, with his band of doctors, speeds his way. In Eskandaroon sleep the waiting caravans. The order comes, "Arise and go! henceforth your way is clear." Camels heavy laden, not with ivory and jewels, gold in the ingot and silk in the bales, but food and raiment for the starving, the sick, and the dying. Onward they sweep toward dread Killis--the wild tribe's knives before, the Moslem troops behind--"go on! we protect;" till at length the spires of Aintab rise in view. Weary the camels and weary the men--Hubbell, Fuller, Wistar, Wood, Mason--names that should live in story for the brave deeds of that march but just begun. The quick, glad cry of welcome of a city that had known but terror, sorrow and neglect for months--a little rest, help given, and over the mountains deep in snow, weary and worn their caravans go, toiling on toward fever and death. Let us leave them to their task. This is the work of America's people abroad. My message, through you, to her people at home--not to her small and poor, but to her rich and powerful people, is, remember this picture and be not weary in well doing.

CLARA BARTON.

While the first and second expeditions were fitting out from Alexandretta, the terrible state of things at Zeitoun and Marash was confirmed by the leading missionaries there, and we were asked to assume the expense of physicians, druggists, medicines and medical relief in general. This we were only too glad to do. Negotiations had already been opened by them with Dr. George E. Post, of Beyrout, the glorious outcome of which was the going out of Dr. Ira Harris, of Tripoli, Syria, with his corps of local physicians, and the marvelous results achieved. For some cause the doctor took the route via Adana, rather than by Alexandretta, and found himself in the midst of an unsafe country with insufficient escort. After a delay of two or three days, he got a dispatch to us at Constantinople. This dispatch was immediately sent through our legation to the Porte, and directly returned to me with the written assurance that the proper steps had been instantly taken. On the same day Dr. Harris left Adana with a military escort that took his expedition through, leaving it only when safe in Marash.

Dr. Hubbell had arrived some days previous, but following instructions left immediately on the arrival of Dr. Harris, to pursue his investigations in the villages, and supply the general need of the people wherever found. This formed really the fourth expedition in the field at that early date, as the separate charges later so efficiently assumed by Messrs. Wistar and Wood, who were on the ground previous to the medical expedition, became known as the second and third expeditions.

It will be inferred that the assignment, furnishing and direction of these several expeditions, nearly a thousand miles distant, four weeks by personal travel, six weeks to write a letter and get reply, from two days to almost any time by telegraph, according to the condition of the wires, and in any language from Turkish and Greek to Arabic, with all other duties immediately surrounding, could not leave large leisure for home correspondence. While conscious of a restlessness on this score, we began to be mystified by the nature and text of dispatches from committees at home: "Contributors object to Turkish distribution." What could it mean? We could only reply: "Do not understand your dispatch. Please explain." These were followed by others of a similar character from other sources; finally letters expressing great regret at the means to which I had been compelled to resort in order to accomplish my distribution, and the disastrous effect it could not fail to have upon the raising of funds. "Well, it was probably the only way to do, they had expected it, in fact, foretold it all the time."--What had I done? The mystery deepened. Finally, through the waste of waters and the lapse of time it got to me.--A little four-line cablegram from Constantinople as follows:

The council of ministers has decided that Miss Clara Barton can work only in conjunction with the Turkish Commission in the distribution of relief, and can only use their lists of destitute Armenians. An Irade to that effect is expected.

No one had thought to inquire if this statement were _true_, no one had referred it to me, and as well as I ought to be known by our people, the question if I would be _likely_ to take such a step, seems not to have been raised. It had been taken for granted through all America, England, and even the Missionary Boards of Turkey, that I had pledged myself and signed papers, to distribute the funds entrusted to me, under Turkish inspection and from lists furnished by Turkish officials. Myself and my officers appeared to be the only persons who had never heard of it. Astonished and pained beyond measure it was plainly and emphatically denied.

Our press books of that date are marvels of denial. Sir Philip Currie and the Turkish Government itself, came to the rescue, declaring that no such course was ever intended. Secretary Olney was cabled to try "to make the people of America understand that the Turkish Government did not interfere with their distribution." In spite of all this, it went on until people and committees were discouraged; the latter cabling that in the present state of feeling little or nothing more could be expected, and gently suggesting the propriety of sending the balance in hand to other parties for distribution. My own National Red Cross officers in America, hurt and disgusted at the unjust form affairs were taking, in sympathy, advised the leaving of the field and returning home.

Here was a singular condition of affairs. A great international work of relief, every department of which was succeeding beyond all expectation, wherein no mistakes had been made, letters of gratitude and blessing pouring in from every field of labor, finances carefully handled and no pressure for funds. On the other hand a whole nation in a panic, strong committees going to pieces, and brave faithful officers driven through pity to despair and contempt, and the cause about to be abandoned and given up to the lasting harm of all humanity. So desperate a case called for quick and heroic measures. Realizing the position of the committees from their own sad reports, I at once cabled relieving them from further contributions: "_We will finish the field without further aid._" To my Red Cross officers I dictated the following letter, which I believe was used somewhat by the harassed committees in struggling on to their feet again:

AYAZ-PACHA, TAXIM, CONSTANTINOPLE, _April 18, 1896_.

P.V. DEGRAW, ESQ., _Corresponding Secretary_, _American National Red Cross, Washington, D.C., U.S.A._:

DEAR. MR. DEGRAW: I received both your and Stephen E. Barton's heavy-hearted and friendly letters, and they fell on soil about as heavy. I could not understand how it could be, for I knew we had done our best, and I _believed_ the best that could have been done under the circumstances and conditions. I knew we held a great, well organized relief that would be needed as nothing else could be. That, besides us, there was no one to handle the terrible scourge that was settling down--no one here, no one to come, who could touch it. I knew I was _not_ interfered with; that no "restrictions" nor propositions had been imposed or even offered; that the government was considerate and accorded all I asked.

But what had stirred America up and set it, apparently, against us? The relief societies going to pieces, and turning sad glances here? We could not understand it. I did not wonder that you thought we "had best come home," still I knew we would not; indeed, we could not. I have a body of relief on these fields, hundreds of miles away in the mountains, a thousand miles from me, that I could not draw off in six weeks, and if we were to, it would be to abandon thousands of poor, sick, suffering wretches to a fate that ought to shock the entire world. Sick, foodless, naked, and not one doctor and no medicine among them; whole cities scourged and left to their fate, to die without a hand raised to help excepting the three or four resolute missionaries, tired, worn, God-serving, at their posts until they drop. The civilized world running over with skilful physicians, and not one there; no one to arrange to get them there; to pay expenses, take special charge and thus make it possible for them to go. And we, seeing that state of things, holding in our grasp the relief we had been weeks preparing and organizing in anticipation of this, to turn back, draw off our helpers, send back the doctors already started, give all up because somebody had said something, the press had circulated it, the world had believed it, our disappointed committees had lost heart and grown sore struggling with an occupation rather new to them, and the people had taken alarm and failed to sustain them.

Was this all there was of us? No purpose of our own? "On Change," like the price of wheat on the market? In the name of God and humanity this field must be carried, these people must be rescued; skill, care, medicines and food for the sick must reach them. And it is a glad sight to my soul to think of Turkish troops taking these bands of doctors on to Marash. They have done it, and are at this very hour marching on with them to their field of labor. What does one care for criticism, disapproval or approval, under circumstances like these. Don't be troubled--we can carry it. We are fair financiers, not dismayed, and God helping, can save our hospitals.

It remains to be said that the remedy was effective. The panic settled away and it is to be hoped that there are few people in any country to-day who do not understand that America's fund was distributed by its own agents, without molestation or advices from the Turkish or any other government.

I have named this incident, not so much as a direct feature of the work of distribution, nor to elicit sympathy, as to point a characteristic of our people and the customs of the times in which we are living, in the hope that reflection may draw from it some lessons for the future. One cannot fail to see how nearly a misguided enthusiasm, desire for sensational news, vital action without thought or reflection, came to the overthrowing of their entire object, the destruction of all that had been or has since been accomplished for humanity, and the burial of their grand work and hopes in a defeated and disgraceful grave, which, in their confusion, they would never have realized that they had dug for themselves. They are to-day justly proud of their work and the world is proud of them.

Our very limited number of assistants made it necessary that each take a separate charge as soon as possible; and the division at Aintab and the hastening of the first division, under Dr. Hubbell, northeastward to Marash, left the northwestern route through Oorfa and Diarbekir, to Messrs. Wistar and Wood; the objective point for all being Harpoot, where they planned to meet at a certain date. Nothing gave me greater joy than to know they would meet our brave and world-honored countrywoman, Miss Shattuck, isolated, surrounded by want and misery, holding her fort alone, and that something from our hands could go to strengthen hers, emptied by the needs of thousands every day. If they might have still gone to Van, and reached our other heroic, capable and accomplished countrywoman, Dr. Grace Kimball, it would have been an added joy. But the way was long, almost to Ararat; the mountains high and the snows deep; and more than all it seemed that the superb management of her own grand work made help there less needed than at many other less fortunate points. It seemed remarkable that the two expeditions separating at Aintab, on the sixth day of April, with no trace of each other between, should have met at Harpoot on April 29, within three hours of each other; and that when the city turned out _en masse_, with its missionaries in the lead, to meet and welcome Dr. Hubbell and the Red Cross, that far away in the rear, through masses of people from housetop to street, modestly waited the expedition from Oorfa.

This expedition containing as it did two leading men, again divided, taking between them, as their separate reports show, charges of the relief of two hundred villages of the Harpoot vilayet, and later on Diarbekir, and that by their active provision and distribution of farming implements and cattle and the raising of the hopes and courage of the people, they succeeded in securing the harvest and saving the grain crops of those magnificent valleys.

While this was in progress, a dispatch came to me at Constantinople, from Dr. Shepard, of Aintab, whose tireless hands had done the work of a score of men, saying that fevers, both typhoid and typhus, of a most virulent nature, had broken out in Arabkir, two or three days north of Harpoot; could I send doctors and help? Passing the word on to Dr. Hubbell, at Harpoot, the prompt and courageous action was taken by him which his report will name, but never fully show. It is something to say that from a rising pestilence with a score of deaths daily, in five weeks, himself and his assistants left the city in a normally healthful condition, in which it remained at last accounts, the mortality ceasing at once under their care and treatment.

During this time the medical relief for the cities of Zeitoun and Marash was in charge of Dr. Harris, who reached there March 18. The report of the consuls had placed the daily number of deaths from the four contagious diseases at one hundred. This would be quite probable when it is considered that ten thousand were smitten with the prevailing diseases, and that added to this were the crowded conditions of the patients, by the thousands of homeless refugees who had flocked from their forsaken villages; the lack of all comforts, of air, cleanliness, and a state of prolonged starvation. Dr. Harris' first report to me was that he was obliged to set the soup kettles boiling, and feed his patients before medicine could be retained. My reply was a draft for two hundred liras, with the added dispatch: "Keep the pot boiling; let us know your wants." The further reports show from this time an astonishingly small number of deaths. The utmost care was taken by all our expeditions to prevent the spread of the contagion and there is no record of its ever having been carried out of the cities, where it was found, either at Zeitoun, Marash, or Arabkir. Lacking this precaution, it might well have spread throughout all Asia Minor, as was greatly feared by the anxious people. On the twenty-fourth of May Dr. Harris reported the disease as overcome. His stay being no longer needed, he returned to his great charge in Tripoli with the record of a medical work and success behind him never surpassed if ever equaled. The lives he had saved were enough to gain heaven's choicest diadem. Never has America cause to be so justly proud and grateful as when its sons and daughters in foreign lands perform deeds of worth like that.

The appalling conditions at Zeitoun and Marash on the arrival of Dr. Harris, naturally led him to call for more physicians, and the most strenuous efforts were made to procure them, but the conditions of the field were not tempting to medical men. Dr. Post had already sent the last recruit from Beyrout, still he manfully continued his efforts. Smyrna was canvassed through the efforts of our prompt and efficient Consul, Colonel Madden, on whom I felt free to make heavy drafts, remembering tenderly as we both did, when we stood together in the Red Cross relief of the Ohio floods of 1884. Failing there, I turned my efforts upon Constantinople. Naturally, we must seek nationalities outside of Armenians. We succeeded in finding four Greek physicians, who were contracted with, and sailed May 11, through perplexing delays of shipping, taking with them large and useful medical supplies and delicacies for the sick, as well as several large disinfecting machines which were loaned to us by the Turkish Government, Dr. Zavitziano, a Greek physician, who kindly assisted us in many ways, conducting the negotiations. Through unavoidable delays they were able to reach Alexandretta only on May 25. By this time the fevers had been so far overcome that it was not deemed absolutely necessary for them to proceed to Marash; and after conferring with Dr. Harris, they returned to Constantinople, still remaining under kindly contract without remuneration to go at once if called upon by us even to the facing of cholera, if it gained a foothold in Asia Minor. We should not hesitate to call for the services of these gentlemen even at this distance if they became necessary. This was known as the fifth expedition, which, although performing less service, was by far the most difficult to obtain, and the most firmly and legally organized of any.

The closing of the medical fields threw our entire force into the general relief of the vilayet of Harpoot, which the relieving missionaries had well named their "bottomless pit," and where we had already placed almost the entire funds of the Boston and Worcester committees.

One will need to read largely between the lines of the modest skeleton reports of our agents in order to comprehend only approximately the work performed by them and set in motion for others to perform. The apathy to which the state of utter nothingness, together with their grief and fear, had reduced the inhabitants was by no means the smallest difficulty to be overcome; and here was realized the great danger felt by all--that of continued almsgiving, lest they settle down into a condition of pauperism, and thus, finally starve from the inability of the world at large to feed them. The presence of a strange body of friendly working people coming thousands of miles to help them, awakened a hope and stimulated the desire to help themselves.

It was a new experience that these strangers _dared_ to come to them. Although the aforetime home lay a heap of stone and sand, and nothing belonging to it remained, still the land was there and when seed to plant the ground and the farming utensils and cattle were brought to work it with, the faint spirit revived, the weak, hopeless hands unclasped, and the farmer stood on his feet again; and when the cities could no longer provide the spades, hoes, plows, picks, and shovels, and the crude iron and steel to make them was taken to them, the blacksmith found again his fire and forge and traveled weary miles with his bellows on his back. The carpenter again swung his hammer and drew his saw. The broken and scattered spinning wheels and looms from under the storms and debris of winter, again took form and motion, and the fresh bundles of wool, cotton, flax, and hemp, in the waiting widow's hand brought hopeful visions of the revival of industries which should not only clothe but feed.

At length, in early June, the great grain fields of Diarbekir, Farkin and Harpoot valleys, planted the year before, grew golden and bowed their heavy spear-crowned heads in waiting for the sickle. But no sickles were there, no scythes, not even knives, and it was a new and sorry sight for our full-handed American farming men, to see those poor, hard, Asiatic hands, trying by main strength to break the tough straw or pull it by the roots. This state of things could not continue, and their sorrow and pity gave place to joy when they were able to drain the cities of Harpoot and Diarbekir of harvest tools, and turned the work of all the village blacksmiths on to the manufacture of sickles and scythes, and of the flint workers upon the rude threshing machines.

They have told me since their return that the pleasantest memories left to them were of those great valleys of golden grain, bending and falling before the harvesters, men and women, each with the new sharp sickle or scythe--the crude threshing planks, the cattle trampling out the grain, and the gleaners in the rear as in the days of Abraham and Moab. God grant that somewhere among them was a kind-hearted king of the harvest who gave orders to let some sheaves fall.