X.SANDJAK OF KAISARIA.
The Sandjak of Kaisaria is an outlying sub-division of the Vilayet of Angora. It lies under the shadow of the Erdjies Dagh (Mount Argaios), and bestrides the course of the Kizil Irmak immediately below Sivas.
We have comparatively little testimony concerning the occurrences in this district, but the documents contained in this section show in sufficient outline what happened at Kaisaria itself, as well as at Everek and K., the only other centres of importance.
83. KAISARIA: STATEMENT BY A TRAVELLER[103]FROM KAISARIA, PUBLISHED IN THE ARMENIAN JOURNAL “BALKANIAN MAMOUL,” OF ROUSTCHOUK.
The Armenians of the Kaisaria district, with the exception of Talas, have been deported. At the end of July the Government issued the following manifesto to the Armenians of Talas and Kaisaria:—
“(i) All the Armenians are to leave in batches of 1,000—the men, separated from the women, in one direction and the women in another.
“(ii) No one is to take with him more than 200 piastres (£1 13s.4d.). If, after examination, anyone proves to have more than this, he will be brought before a Council of War.
“(iii) No one has the right to sell his property, etc.[104]”
After urgent petitions this latter condition was modified as follows:—
“Anyone who has no ready money is authorised to sell property up to a maximum of 300 piastres.”
Up till now more than 80 persons have been hanged at Kaisaria, including doctors and other notables such as Hampartsoum and Boyadjian Mourad of the Huntchakist Party.
The relations of the victims themselves were compelled to take down the corpses from the gallows.
Only the women and girls were permitted to go over to Islam. When the Governor was petitioned to allow the infants to be entrusted to charitable Moslem families, to save them from dying on the journey, he replied:—
“I will not leave here so much as the odour of the Armenians; go away into the deserts of Arabia and dump your Armenia there.”
99. Date unspecified.
99. Date unspecified.
100. See Docs.68,94, and122.
100. See Docs.68,94, and122.
101. Kotch Hissar.
101. Kotch Hissar.
102. As the Russian fleet had blockaded the Black Sea ports and transport by water was difficult, the Turks appear to have been using the Anatolian Railway to Angora, the terminus of the line, for their communications, proceeding thence to Erzeroum through Sivas by horse and camel.—[Note by the interviewer.]
102. As the Russian fleet had blockaded the Black Sea ports and transport by water was difficult, the Turks appear to have been using the Anatolian Railway to Angora, the terminus of the line, for their communications, proceeding thence to Erzeroum through Sivas by horse and camel.—[Note by the interviewer.]
103. Name withheld.
103. Name withheld.
104. For other versions of the official proclamation see Doc.120andAnnexe C.to the “Historical Summary.”
104. For other versions of the official proclamation see Doc.120andAnnexe C.to the “Historical Summary.”
84. EVEREK: STATEMENT[105]PUBLISHED IN THE ARMENIAN JOURNAL “GOTCHNAG,” OF NEW YORK, 28th AUGUST, 1915.
At Everek a bomb explosion was the signal for a terrible persecution of the Armenians. The German who narrates this adds that the Governor of Everek was a good man, and was therefore relieved of his duties and replaced by a Circassian of violent character. There had been numerous arrests and atrocities in this district. After that, the wholesale deportations were begun.
105. Source unspecified.
105. Source unspecified.
85. K.: LETTER FROM A FOREIGN RESIDENT AT K., DATED 16th NOVEMBER, 1915; COMMUNICATED BY THE AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR ARMENIAN AND SYRIAN RELIEF.
I wish to confirm my telegram in Turkish dated the 12th November, stating that the authorities had begun to send away our Armenian teachers, and that we did not understand the reason for this.
I must now add to this that all our Armenian teachers have been deported, having left for the south by wagon yesterday. Two of them had been started in another direction last week, but were brought back to go south. One of these, however, had become insane from fright, and is left temporarily in our hands. It is doubtful whether he can recover under present conditions.
Our local Mudir gives us assurances that our school and pupils will not be interfered with, and we are going on as best we can, loading most of the extra work on to ourselves and our Greek teachers. Children of Armenian parents who have changed their faith are leaving, but so far others remain. What to do with children left on our hands without support is a serious problem.
The head of the orphanage at J. has left also, and I understand that the institution is in a very precarious, chaotic condition. What the outcome will be I do not know.
The members of our Armenian circle are well, but the long-drawn-out nervous strain is telling on some. Routine school work has not been stopped for an hour, and goes on quietly, as if nothing whatever were happening about us. But to accomplish this, some quick shifts have had to be made, and, as our Turkish friends say, “Idaré-i-maslahat.”