1916-02-14-DE-002

1916-02-14-DE-002

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Link: http://www.armenocide.net/armenocide/armgende.nsf/$$AllDocs/1916-02-14-DE-002
Source: DE/PA-AA/R14090
Central register: 1916-A-04240
Edition: Genocide 1915/16
Date of entry in central register: 02/15/1916 p.m.
Embassy/consular serial number:
Translated by: Vera Draack (Translation sponsored by Zoryan Institute)
Last updated: 03/23/2012

From the director of the German Christian Charity-Organisation for the Orient Friedrich Schuchardt to the Foreign Office

Correspondence

Frankfurt am Main, 14 February 1916
We take the liberty of sending you transcripts (two copies) of the latest reports we have received, to complete your files. Should you have already made a copy of these yourself, we would appreciate your noting this when passing on our reports.

I remain,

Yours sincerely,

F. Schuchardt

Enclosure 1

[Transcript]

Report by a Preacher in Aleppo

Aleppo, in December 1915

The neediness of those Armenians led away is such that it is impossible to imagine it or to describe it. In the cold of winter thousands of women, children, sick people have gone hungry and naked into the deserts and onto the roads. The Turkish government does very little to support them. In the months of September and October, approx. 20,000 deportees arrived in Hama, near Aleppo. During this time, the government spent 2,000 Turkish pounds on them, i.e. 13 paras per person; that is 4 pfennigs. In just those 2 months, three thousand people died of hunger, two thousand of infectious diseases. Over 500 children died on the streets where they searched the sweepings for garbage. These figures are exact facts, statistically established.

After these two months, not a penny more has been spent, and thus, the number of deaths has risen dramatically.

In a village in the area around Homs, one hundred people died of hunger in just a week; they belonged to one of our Protestant parishes. From this one local fact one can easily infer how hunger and illness are raging in other towns. Cries for aid reach us from all sides, requests for bread and money. The assistance centres for the deportees set up by the government have long been disbanded in many towns. The streets, villages, steppes from Konia to Mosul & Aleppo to Kâan (near the Dead Sea) are dotted with graves and unburied corpses. The vultures and jackals are tired of clearing up. In the beginning, the people still carried some things with them, but they were robbed along the way and even the underwear was taken off some of them. They sold or ate many of their things themselves. Now they have nothing left. Someone told me, "We've sold our blankets and the piece of rug we sat or lay on, everything, even our cups. We asked farmers along the way to help us, but they turned us away, remarking that they would give us bread if we sold them our children." Many did so: children were sold for 2 medjidije. The number of sick and starving children has become legion. The people on the streets, without a home, without food, without clothes, without any sort of medical aid; yet everything is so terribly expensive; can a people continue to exist like this? Even here in Aleppo there are people who are starving. A man said, "We were a family of eleven, and I am the only one left alive." A little girl told us, "We were ten in all; I am the only one left." A mother said while crying bitterly, "I had six children; four of them died of hunger and the other two are on their last legs."

I would not like to list any further facts. Those I have mentioned are enough to give a man of mercy and conscience a picture of what is happening here. In the name of humanity, in the name of Christianity, have pity on this unhappy, starving, trampled-on people, a dying people. If possible, put a piece of bread in children's hands that reach out hungrily; if not, at least think of them with compassion and pity.

Enclosure 2

Report by Sister Beatrice Rohner.

Transcript.

Aleppo, 29 December 1915

On Thursday, 16 December, Paula [Schäfer] and I left Marash. We went to Intilli via Sarylar and from there to Islahije, where we reached the railway. When the Marash – Islahije road has been completed, you can be in Aleppo in 1½ days. We first stayed at the Frank Hotel and soon had an opportunity to speak to Djemal Pasha. We asked his permission to travel through the area around Aleppo by particularly emphasising the need to work there from a sanitary point of view. His Excellency was very nice, but stated that he could not grant us such permission; instead, he offered to assist us here in Aleppo. I spoke to him alone the second time as Paula had already returned to Harunia and Marash. He requested that we take over the large Armenian orphanage in town, which was very neglected and urgently required supervision. I questioned him with regard to the children's maintenance, and he said that they would pay for everything and he would instruct the local Vali to procure everything I needed. He asked that I send him a telegram, should this not be done. The next day he left for Damascus; he had sent people to the hotel several times to look for me as he wished to speak to me, but unfortunately I had gone out. Later I went to see the Vali, who was also extremely accommodating.

The telegram giving permission arrived today; I believe we must do what we can in this matter, however unpleasant working with the authorities may be; this may be an important step for the future of our work here in this country.

The house in which the children – 311 at present – have been put up is in the centre of town and belongs to a French holy order. The nuns were expelled and the building requisitioned when the war broke out. Then soldiers lived there for months, after which it was placed at the disposal of the deportees passing through.

Thousands came and went, became ill and died or recuperated there. 50 % of the little children died; those still living are in a pitiful state. The entire house is contaminated, dirty and half demolished. We looked for another, but it was futile: all of the better buildings have been set up as hospitals and schools. Dr. [The following sentence was crossed out . Only fragments are legible.] ..... suggested ...sending … children to Djerablus on the Euphrates River ... hours by train from here …, because in the association's empty barracks …, but we have heard that typhus rages far worse there than here. If the children are to be saved we must begin working immediately; I expect Paula in 1-2 weeks with 1-2 girls. In the meantime, I am getting the authorities to carry out the necessary repairs and have set myself up there in a makeshift fashion.

Bab, south-east of here, is now the centre for new deportees; thousands are dying there of hunger and epidemics. Burying goes on the entire day. The last Armenians are being deported from Aintab; I am afraid that it will then once again be poor Marash's turn.

I enclose a report from the local preacher.

[From the German Foreign Office to the Embassy in Constantinople, 19 February]

The enclosed transcripts of reports on the persecutions of the Armenians, sent by the Christian Charity-Organisation, are respectfully sent to the [title] Ambassador in Pera under No. 128 for his information.

[From the German Foreign Office to Schuchardt, 19 February]

Your [… etc], I confirm with thanks receipt of the reports from Aleppo on the persecutions of the Armenians sent with your letter dated the 14th inst. The reports will be made available to the Imperial Embassy in Constantinople. By the way, I would like to note that transcripts are not generally made of documents which pass through the local censor's office.