Allies To Punish Turks Who Murder-

nyt19150524
From Armeniapedia.org
The New York Times
ALLIES TO PUNISH TURKS WHO MURDER

May 24, 1915

Notify Porte That Government Heads Must Answer to Armenian Massacres.
London -- A joint official statement by Great Britain, France, and Russia issued tonight
says:
"For the past month Kurds and the Turkish population of Armenia have been engaged in
massacring Armenians with connivance and help of the Ottoman authorities. Such
massacres took place about the middle of April at Erzerum, Dertshan, Moush, Zeitun, and
in all Cilicia."
"The inhabitants of about a hundred villages near Van were all assassinated. In the town
itself the Armenian quarter is besieged by Kurds. At the same time the Ottoman
Government at Constantinople is raging against the inoffensive Armenian population."
"In the face of these fresh crimes committed by Turkey, the allied Governments
announce publicly to the Sublime Porte that they will hold all members of the
Government as well as such of their agents as are implicated, personally responsible for
such massacres."
By the middle of February reports of the slaughter of Armenians began to come to
America, and the days of 1895-6 when to be an Armenian Christian was to be in constant
danger were recalled.
On April 24, according to report, all of the inhabitants of ten villages near Van in
Armenia, were massacred. Soon after this, on April 27, the State Department at
Washington received a request from the head of the Armenian Church for intercession
and relief.
This was the first official notice conveyed to this Government of prevailing conditions,
and Secretary Brian at once cabled Ambassador Morgenthau in Constantinople to make a
personal investigation of the extent of the massacres and to appeal in the name of this
Government to the Turkish Government to exert its power and influence to stop the
slaughter.
The massacres did not stop with the appeal from the Government, according to reports
that continued to reach America. Less than three weeks ago news was received that the
Armenians had barricaded the town of Van against the Kurds and Turks and had held it
for a week. Simultaneously came the report that the Young Turks had adopted the policy
of Abdul Hamid in 1905 -- the annihilation of the Armenians.
No one has attempted to estimate the number of those who have been massacred nor the
amount of the property destroyed. The extent of the destruction and slaughter may be
only imagined from the fact that scarcely a report coming from the affected regions that
does not tell of troubles resulting usually in the deaths of hundreds of Armenians.