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Show STRICKEN ARMENIA Responding with materia! aid to the Armenians left homeler-s and starving by a devastating earthquake, the world gives its sympathy sym-pathy as well. If ewer a people had reason to give up the ghost and say the world is against it, that nation is Armenia. It is not entitled en-titled to this last stroke of ill fortune, the extent of which appears to be far worse than estimated on the original surveys. It is not a nation-wide ca!-rnity, but strikes sickness and terror to all, and is only another of the many discouraging happenings to that forlorn and wasted country. Hundreds of persons are dead, buried alive, crushed or burned in their homes. Famine stalks in the wake of the tremblor, i?s, wherever a home or town was destroyed when the earth took a new measure of vengeance on that hapless people, the food supply was wiped out or lies buried beneath the debris, where it will rot before it can be dug out. This new disaster, dealt by nature, follows upon a long series of calamities eind oppression. Hounded and decimated by the ruthless hand of the Turk, its territory reduced from time to time, its people scattered until only a remnant of both remain to mark the nationality of a once powerful and diligent people, it seems that what is left as well take up a march and end it in the sea. T rom the Turks to the insufferable domination of the Russian bol-shevists bol-shevists was no change for the better. But, persistently sticking to their lives, these Armenians gathered what they could from the remnants, planted their crops and tried to think that the silver lining would soon show. From far across the seas had come help. America, through the Near East Relief organization, had furnished seed and equipment for the sowing of crops. Then came the last hard blow. It is significant and typical of the Armenian that he sia.w his home destroyed by the quake without hope gone entirely, without murmur, but he rejoiced and gave thanks that Mt. Ararat still stood. And herein is the ability of the Armenian's ability to stand for one disaster after another. If is the homing instinct. He will cling to the land of his nativity as long as breath lasts. Exiled, he will return. In slavery he will stay. ' As long as the prophetic mountain moun-tain stands he will stay. There rested Noah's ark. History has . recorded a sorry tale for the dwellers thereabouts ever since. At least, the Armenian must be credited with a purpose and the tenacity of mind and soul to hold on to it. Surely the reward will come some time, but it will be beyond the desert hill; on the other side of the mountain. Adversity wiwll not leave a single one of the race to recive it on this earth, it seems.-: S?Jt Lake Tribune. |