Part 28

Even while this saving process was going on, another condition no less imperative arose. These fields must be replanted for the coming year, or starvation had been simply delayed. Only the strength of their old time teams of oxen could break up the hard sod and prepare for the fall sowing. Not an animal--ox, cow, horse, goat or sheep--had been left. All had been driven to the Kourdish mountains. When Mr. Wood's telegram came, calling for a thousand oxen for the hundreds of villages, some of which were very large, I thought of our not rapidly swelling bank account, and all that was needed everywhere else, and replied accordingly. But when, in return, came the telegram from the Rev. Dr. Gates, president of Harpoot College, the live, active, practical man of affairs, whose judgment no one could question, saying that the need of oxen was imperative, that unless the ground could be ploughed before it dried and hardened, it could not be done at all, and the next harvest would be lost, and that "Mr. Wood's estimate was moderate," I loosened my grasp on the bank account and directed the financial secretary to send a draft for 5,000 liras ($22,000) to care of Rev. Dr. Gates, Harpoot, to be divided among the three expeditions for the purchase of cattle and the progress of the harvest of 1897.

This draft left something less than $3,000 with us to finish up the field in all other directions. As the sum sent would be immediately applied, the active services of the men would be no longer required, and directions went with the remittance to report in person at Constantinople. Unheard of toil, care, hard riding day and night, with risk of life, were all involved in the carrying out of that order. Among the uncivilized and robber bands of Kourds, the cattle that had been stolen and driven off must be picked up, purchased and brought back to the waiting farmer's field. There were routes so dangerous that a brigand chief was selected by those understanding the situation as the safest escort for our men. Perhaps the greatest danger encountered was in the region of Farkin, beyond Diarbekir, where the official escort had not been waited for, and the leveled musket of the faithless guide told the difference.

At length the task was accomplished. One by one the expeditions closed and withdrew, returning by Sivas and Samsoun and coming out by the Black Sea. By that time it is probable that no one questioned the propriety of their route or longer wondered or cared why they went to Smyrna or Alexandretta, Sivas or Samsoun. The perplexed frowns of our anxious committees and sympathetic people had long given way to smiles of confidence and approval, and glad hands would have reached far over the waters to meet ours as warmly extended to them.

With the return of the expeditions we closed the field, but contributors would be glad to know that subsequent to this, before leaving Constantinople, funds from both the New York and Boston committees came to us amounting to some $15,000. This was happily placed with Mr. Peet, treasurer of the Board of Foreign Missions at Stamboul, to be used subject to our order, and with our concurrence it is now being employed in the building of little houses in the interior as a winter shelter and protection where all had been destroyed.

The appearance of our men on their arrival at Constantinople confirmed the impression that they had not been recalled too soon. They had gone out through the snows and ice of winter and without change or rest had come back through the scorching suns of midsummer--five months of rough, uncivilized life, faring and sharing with their beasts of burden, well nigh out of communication with the civilized world, but never out of danger, it seemed but just to themselves and to others who might yet need them that change and rest be given them.

Since our entrance upon Turkish soil no general disturbance had taken place. One heard only the low rumbling of the thunder after the storm, the clouds were drifting southward and settling over Crete and Macedonia, and we felt that we might take at least some steps towards home. It was only when this movement commenced that we began to truly realize how deep the roots of friendship, comradeship, confidence, and love had struck back among our newly found friends and countrymen; how much a part of ourselves--educational, humanitarian and official--their work and interest had become, and surely from them we learned anew the lesson of reciprocity.

Some days of physical rest were needful for the men of the expeditions after reaching Constantinople before commencing another journey of thousands of miles, worn as they were by exposure, hardship and incessant labor, both physical and mental. This interval of time was, however, mainly employed by them in the preparation of the reports submitted with this, and in attention to the letters which followed them from their various fields, telling of further need, but more largely overflowing with gratitude and blessing for what had been done.

For our financial secretary and myself there could be neither rest nor respite while we remained at a disbursing post so well known as ours. Indeed there never had been. From the time of our arrival in February to our embarkation in August there were but two days not strictly devoted to business, the fourth of July and the fifth of August--the last a farewell to our friends. For both of these occasions we were indebted to the hospitality of treasurer and Mrs. W.W. Peet, and although held in the open air, on the crowning point of Proti, one of the Princes' Islands, with the Marmora, Bosporus and Golden Horn in full view, the spires and minarets of Constantinople and Scutari telling us of a land we knew little of, with peoples and customs strange and incomprehensible to us, still there was no lack of the emblem that makes every American at home, and its wavy folds of red, white and blue shaded the tables and flecked the tasteful viands around which sat the renowned leaders of the American missionary element of Asia Minor.

Henry O. Dwight, D.D., the accomplished gentleman and diplomatic head, who was the first to suggest an appeal to the Red Cross, and I am glad to feel he has never repented him of his decision. One fact in regard to Dr. Dwight may be of interest to some hundreds of thousands of our people: On first meeting him I was not quite sure of the title by which to address him, if reverend or doctor, and took the courage to ask him. He turned a glance full of amused meaning upon me as he replied: "That is of little consequence; the title I prize most is _Captain_ Dwight." "Of what?" I asked. "Company D, Twentieth Ohio Volunteers, in our late war." The recognition which followed can well be imagined by the comrades for whose interest I have named the incident.

Rev. Joseph K. Greene, D.D., and his amiable wife, to whom so much is due towards the well being of the missionary work of Constantinople. I regret that I am not able to reproduce the eloquent and patriotic remarks of Dr. Greene on both these occasions, so true to our country, our government and our laws. Rev. George P. Knapp, formerly of Bitlis, whose courage no one questions. Mrs. Lee of Marash, and Mrs. Dr. George Washburn of Robert College, the worthy and efficient daughters of Rev. Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, the veteran missionary and founder of Robert College, living in Lexington, Mass. A half-score of teachers, whose grand lives will one day grace the pages of religious history. And last, though by no means least, our host, the man of few words and much work, who bears the burden of monetary relief for the woes and wants of Asia Minor, W.W. Peet, Esq.

It was a great satisfaction that most of our field agents were able to be present at the last of these beautiful occasions and personally render an account of their stewardship to those who had watched their course with such interest. The pleasure of these two days of recreation will ever remain a golden light in our memories.

As the first official act of the relief work after our arrival in Constantinople was my formal presentation to the Sublime Porte by the American Minister, Honorable A.W. Terrell, diplomatic courtesy demanded that I take proper occasion to notify the Turkish Government of our departure and return thanks for its assistance, which was done formally at "Selamlic," a religious ceremony held on the Turkish Sabbath, which corresponds to our Friday. The Court Chamberlain delivered my message to the palace. It was received and responded to through the same medium and I took my departure, having finished my diplomatic work with that government which had from first to last treated me with respect, assisted my work and protected my workers.

To correct certain impressions and expressions which have been circulating more or less extensively in this country, and for the correct information of the people who through their loyal interest deserve to know the facts, I make known my entire social relations while residing in Turkey. Personally I did not go beyond Constantinople. The proper conduct of our work demanded the continuous presence of both our financial secretary and myself at headquarters. I never saw, to personally communicate with, any member of the Turkish Government excepting its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tewfik Pasha, as named previously. I never spoke with the Sultan and have never seen him excepting in his carriage on the way to his mosque.

On being informed through our Legation that the Turkish minister at Washington, Mavroyeni Bey, had been recalled and that his successor was about to leave for his new position, I felt that national courtesy required that I call upon him and, attended by a member of our legation, my secretary and myself crossed the Bosporus to a magnificent estate on the Asiatic shore, the palatial home of Moustapha Tahsin Bey, a gentleman of culture, who had resided in New York in some legal capacity and who, I feel certain, will be socially and officially acceptable to our Government.

I have received a decoration, officially described as follows:

Brevet of Chevalier of the Royal Order of Melusine, founded in 1186, by Sibylle, Queen and spouse of King Guy of Jerusalem, and reinstituted several years since by Marie, Princess of Lusignan. The Order is conferred for humanitarian, scientific and other services of distinction, but especially when such services are rendered to the House of Lusignan, and particularly to the Armenian nation. The Order is worn by a number of reigning sovereigns, and is highly prized by the recipients because of its rare bestowal and its beauty. This decoration is bestowed by His Royal Highness, Guy of Lusignan, Prince of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Armenia.

Some months after returning home I received through our State Department at Washington the Sultan's decoration of Shefaket and its accompanying diploma in Turkish, a reproduction and translation of which is here given:

The first notice of this honor came to me through our own Smithsonian Institute, as indicating its scientific character.

On the ninth of August we took passage on board the steamship "Meteor," a Roumanian steamer plying between Constantinople and the ports of the Black Sea, our objective point being Costanza, at the mouth of the Danube River. This was our first step toward home, and the leaving of a people on whom, in common with the civilized world, our whole heart interest had been centred for more than half a year; having no thought, however, until the hour of parting revealed it, of the degree of interest that had been centred on us.

On the spacious deck of the steamer were assembled our entire American representation at Constantinople, prepared to accompany us through the Bosporus, their boats having been sent forward to take them off near the entrance of the Black Sea.

The magnificent new quay in either direction was crowded with people without distinction of nationality, the strange costumes and colors commingling in such variety as only an Oriental city can produce, patiently waiting the long hour of preparation. When at length the hoarse whistle sounded and the boat swayed from its moorings, the dense crowd swayed with it and the subdued tones pealed out in tongues many and strange; but all had one meaning--thanks, blessings and God speed. We received these manifestations reverently, for while they meant kindliness to us and our work, they meant far more of homage and honor for the nation and people we represented. And not only in Constantinople but the shores of the Bosporous as we proceeded presented similar tokens of recognition--the wavy Stars and Stripes from Robert College, Rebek, and Hissar, told more strongly than words how loyal to their own free land were the hearts and hands toiling so faithfully in others.

Touching at Budapest for a glimpse at its Millenial Exposition; at Vienna to pay respects to our worthy Minister, Hon. Bartlett Tripp; we hastened to meet the royal greeting of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Baden, at their beautiful island of Minau in Lake Constance--the wedding gift of the Grand Duke to his young princess bride forty-three years ago. It was a great pleasure to be able to bring our hard-worked men into personal contact with these active royal personages, who know so well in their own philanthropic lives how to appreciate such labor in others.

Lest some may not recall directly the lines of royal succession, our readers will pardon me if I say that the Grand Duchess of Baden is the only daughter of the old Emperor William and Empress Augusta, the sister of Germany's "Fritz," the aunt of the present Emperor, the mother of the Crown Princess of Sweden, and the granddaughter of the beloved Queen Louise, whom she is said to very much resemble.

One day was given to Strasburg--another labor field of the Franco-German war, of longer duration than Armenia--reaching London on the twenty-fourth day of August.

Our passage was engaged on the "Servia," to sail September 1, when the news of the terrible troubles in Constantinople reached us. We were shocked and distressed beyond words. The streets where we had passed, the people who had served us, the Ottoman Bank where we had transacted business almost daily for nearly a half a year, all in jeopardy if not destroyed. Our men of the interior feared a general uprising there, in which case we might be able to help. Our sense of duty did not permit us to proceed until the facts were better known. We cancelled or rather transferred our passage by the "Servia," telegraphed to Constantinople and cabled to America, expressing our willingness to return to the field if our services were in any way needed. Kindly advices from both directions, together with a more quiet condition of things, decided us to continue our journey, and engaging passage by the "Umbria" for the fifth, we arrived in New York on the twelfth of September, eight months lacking ten days from the time of our departure on the twenty-second of January.

DISTANCES AND DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS.

For the convenience of the closely occupied who have not time to study as they read, I have thought it well to condense the information above referred to in a paragraph, which can be taken in at a glance, in connection with the map.

The one great port of Asia Minor is Constantinople. To reach the centre, known as Anatolia or Armenia, there are two routes from Constantinople. One by way of the Mediterranean Sea to Alexandretta, the southern port or gateway; the other by the Black Sea, to reach the northern ports of Samsoun and Trebizond, lying along the southern coast of the Black Sea. There is no land route, but a "pony post," like the overland days of California, takes important dispatches for the government, or money. The way is infested by brigands.

There are no regular passenger boats, but Russia, Austria, France and Greece have dispatch--in reality, coasting boats--one of which aims to leave Constantinople each week, although at first we found it at least two weeks between the times of sailing and irregular at that.

The time from Constantinople to Alexandretta is eight to ten days. From Constantinople to Samsoun, two days. From either of these ports the interior must be reached by land.

From Alexandretta to Harpoot is fifteen (15) days, " " " Marash is five (5) days. " " " Zeitoun is seven (7) days. " " " Oorfa is six (6) days. " " " Diarbekir is twelve (12) days. On the north from Samsoun to Harpoot is fifteen (15) days.

These journeys were made by horse, mule or donkey, over mountain paths, rocks and precipices. Only in comparatively a few places are there roads allowing the passing of a wheeled vehicle of any kind, even the passing of a horse along the steep declivities is sometimes dangerous.

COMMUNICATIONS.

As will be seen, the sending of a letter from Constantinople to the interior, requires at the best six weeks, or forty-six days with no delays.

Only the large and more important towns have telegraphic communication. This requires two, three, four days of a week, according to circumstances. These dispatches are all sent and must be answered in Turkish.

[Translation of above Telegram.]

ARABKER, May 17, 1896. MISS BARTON:

Since three days we are attending with our doctors and their attendants to one hundred sick per day. The contagious fever (typhus) is diminishing. Miss Bush and all the party are distributing clothing and bedding. Lemme is giving implements and seed to the farmers. The needs here are extreme. Wistar's party are at Pyre. Wood with his party are working in the district of Palou.

HUBBELL.

The larger towns have mails usually leaving once a week, carried on horses with a military guard. No newspaper is published in Asia Minor.

The missionary stations, with but two or three exceptions, are not near the seacoast, but from three to fifteen days' travel from either the Mediterranean or the Black Sea, or three to twenty-five days to the nearest Mediterranean port. As will be seen by reference to the map the following stations are on the seaboard: Trebizond on the Black Sea; Smyrna and a small station near Merisine on the Mediterranean, and Constantinople on the Bosporus.

The following are inland and during several months in the winter and spring must be nearly, if not quite, inaccessible to outside approach: Adabazar, Bardezag, Brousa, Cesarea, Marsovan, Hadjin, Tarsus, Adana, Mardin, Aintab, Marash, Sivas, Harpoot, Oorfa, Erzingan, Erzroom, Van, Bitlis.

FUNDS.

It should be distinctly understood by contributors that neither their letters, nor any individual contributions came to us; these were received by the committees or parties raising the funds in America. The letters were doubtless faithfully acknowledged, and the various sums of money placed in the general fund forwarded to us by them. All contributions received by us directly at Constantinople are acknowledged in our report.

Although an account of the disposition of all funds is rendered in the report of the financial secretary, which, after verification, I signed jointly with him, I will, however, at the risk of repetition, take the liberty of adding the following remarks on the subject:

It is to be borne always in mind that the _amount_ of money to be distributed was never made a concern of ours, provided they were actually "_funds to distribute_." To the question so frequently and kindly asked of us, "Did you have money enough, or were you embarrassed in your operations by want of funds?" I beg to have this reply intelligently understood: that we had always money enough in hand for the work in hand. We were never embarrassed in our operations by lack of funds, holding, as I always have, that charitable relief in order to be safe and efficient, should be conducted on the same reasonable basis as business, and that a good business man, unless by accident on the part of other persons, or of circumstances, will never find himself embarrassed, as he will never undertake more than he has the means to successfully accomplish. We were never embarrassed in our operations by lack of funds, and our committees will testify that no intimation of that kind ever came to them from us. This would have been both unwise and unjust. According to the universal system of charitable relief, all was being done that could be done; but if asked if we had enough for the _needs of the people_, enough to relieve the distress through desolated Asia Minor, enough to make those people comfortable again, then a very tender chord has been touched. No hearts in America are more sore than ours; its richest mine might drain in that attempt. Our men in the interior have seen and lived among what others vainly strive to picture; they are men of work, not words, and under heaven have labored to do what they could with what they had. It is their stewardship they are trying to render to a great-hearted, sympathetic and perplexed people, racked by various emotions, seeking light through every channel, and conclusively solving and settling in a score of ways, every day, problems and questions which have unsettled a considerable portion of the world for centuries.

THE COMMITTEES.

On behalf of the wretchedness and suffering met through Asia Minor, we return heartfelt thanks to the committees who labored with such untiring zeal toward their relief. We were never unmindful of the difficulties which they were constantly called to encounter and to overcome. Not having in hand the funds desired or even guaranteed, they must raise them, and this largely from persons whose sympathies outran their generosity, if not their means. This naturally opened the door for excuses for withholding, until it could be seen that "something was actually being accomplished;" then the doubt if anything "could be accomplished;" next the certainty that it "could not be," and so on through whole chapters of dark prophecies and discouragements sufficient to dishearten the most hopeful natures, and weaken at times the best efforts that could be put forth. Against volumes, nay, oceans of these discouragements, our committees must have struggled, with more or less of success, and again for their efforts on behalf of such suffering as even they never witnessed, we return with reverence our sincerest gratitude. Their efforts have been herculean, their obstructions scarcely less.