700,000 GREEKS VICTIMS OF TURKS
Charge Made by Washington Legation, Which Puts Dead at That Figure.
KILLINGS AND DEPORTATIONS
These, With Famine, Said to Have Been Responsible for the Tragedy in Asia Minor.
The New York Times,
10 July 1921.
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, July 9. - Nearly 700,-
000 Greeks have been massacred, de-
ported, or have died of famine since
the war with Turkey began, according
to a statement given out today by the
Greek Legation. Half of these victims
are said to have been Greeks of Pontus
and the others were from the interior
of Asia Minor. Part of the statement
follows:
"American travelers and others just
arriving here from Samsoun, said a dis-
patch from Constantinople, report hor-
rible details of the persecutions of Chris-
tian populations in that region. The no-
torious murderous chief, Osman Agha,
arrived at Samsun the second day of
Bairam, a Turkish holiday similar to
Easter, inaugurating his entry by the
murder of ten Greeks. hen, surround-
ing the stores of the American Tobacco
Company, he arrested all the Greek
clerks, numbering about 800, and had
them transported to an unknown desti-
nation. The Greek quarter was then
surrounded and 1,500 other Greeks ar-
rested and deported to the interior.
"The population of thirty other vil-
lages in the Samsoun region were mas-
sacred while they were being trans-
ported to the place of exile. The Turkish
authorities prohibited the use of the
waters of the river contaminated by the
bodies. Other villages having refused
to comply with the deportation order,
were set on fire by the Turks, and the
inhabitants, regardless of age and sex,
were killed.
"The American commission which
went to this place reported these crimes
and brought back burned bones, which
were shown to the Turkish Governor.
"Since the beginning of the war the
Turks have exterminated by massacres,
deportations and through famine more
than 350,000 Greeks of the Pont (Pontus,
district of Asia Minor bordering on the
Black Sea) and as many other Greeks
from the interior of Asia Minor. This
work of extermination of an entire
peaceful population is pursued right be-
fore the eyes of the civilized world.
"The Ecumenic Patriarchate is much
worried by reports which are constantly
coming in from Metropolitans, re-
garding massacres and persecution of
Greeks in the interior. The Patriarchate
is preparing for the British High Com-
missioner a long memorandum showing
in detail the Turkish crimes. At the
same time the Patriarchate will call the
attention of the interallied authorities
to violations by the Turks of the regula-
tions laid down by the interallied con-
trol at Constantinople in the arrest of
Greeks coming from Ismid and other
localities of Marmora, under the pretext
that they had participated in activities
against the Turks."
The New York Times, 10 July 1921. Source
