Th e

Ar m en ian s in Am erica

BY

M. VARTAN MALCOM

W W. rard ith an Introduction by Hon . James Ge Formerly Amer ican Ambassador to Germa ny and Preface by Leon Domin ian

ILLUS TRATED

THE PILGRIM PRESS

BOSTON CHICAGO

AUTHOR’ S NOTE

I 'r was the lack of a handy book on the sub j ect of the Armenians in America which first in d uced me to undertake the preparation of e this volum e . My original intention cont m plated a larger edition, containing more ex n tended historical a d statistical records . But the sudden cessation of the war and the couse quent rise of great national and economic ou questions , particularly those t ching the A rmenian people , have made it advisable not to wait any longer . r ob The prima y ject of this book, as indicated to s i by its title, is present a ketch of the h story , life and activities of the Armenians in the

. m a United States Circu st nces , however, have in cidentally added a greater importance to it . Those who are competent to judge an d speak “ of the Armenians have described them as The A - o f nglo Saxons the East . They are unanimous in their belief that these people are not only one o f t h e superior races in South r A eastern Eu ope and sia Minor, but by far the

fi f - Un most t and capable o self government . ’ viii AUTHOR S NOTE fortunately it h as been h po ssible to lay before the public concrete, unbiased and authentic fi u to I facts and g res sustain these opinions . trust that the record Of their colony in Amer as Ofii cial s Of ica, b ed principally on the report s the United State Government , will add weight to these assertions . I Ho wish to acknowledge my thanks to n . f r his to James W . Gerard o Introduction the L D om i volume and to Mr . eon in an for the

Preface . My thanks are also due to my K classmate, Mr . Henry H . ing, for reading i and correct ng the manuscript . I am also

. . Fam um indebted to my friend, Mr Royal B , Of for the drawing the cover design , and to Mrs .

Malcom for her valuable assistance .

. A T N LCOM M V R A MA .

New York Cit y,

F br ar 1 1 . e u y, 9 9 PREFACE

P REC IOUS indeed is the piecing together by h Mr . Malcom Of t e fragments Of the story Of Armenian immigration to the United n States . Its early beginni g will be a revela

. a tion to most readers Few perhaps , mong Am r Of A n e icans rme ian descent, were better qualified than the author to undertake the A . r task lawyer by training, having acqui ed h e the ability to discern fact from fancy, has coupled his professional experience with his knowledge Of the life and social conditions among Armenians living in America . The results Of his researches have a twofold value . They show first the Armenians ’ historical r backg ound, thereby helping to dispel many ni Of the prevalent errors concer ng this people . r a Moreover, they po tray faithfully the m nner in which the Armenians are being gradually Of un r absorbed by the population this co t y . Their imm igr ation to these hospitable shores has been eminently free from mercenary mo Of tives . They came not at the mere beck a f ctory owners, like so many in the foreign PREFACE throngs which crowded westbound tran satlan

r in - n s as w five r . r tic li e the p t t enty yea s Rathe , the outstandin g fact Of Ar menian immigration is its a r t nalogy, in espec to motive, with the early movements Of European population to our r land Of f eedom . Almost every Ar menian in the country is a refugee from persecution Of s r the mo t abhorrent cha acter, in proof Of which the data culled from United States govern r suffi ment eports by Mr. Malcom ce when com pared with the history Of atrocities perpetrated on the Ar menians Of Turkey . As ru the Puritans Of Old, and in t th with s m l r r Of t e many i i a t aits charac er, they cam bringing the same earnestness Of religious con viction s m l , the a e wi lingness to endure hard ships Of pioneer life and the same belief in gr ained in their minds that they were tr avelin g to a free land . In this last aspect the healthy seed sown by American educational endeavor in the Near East h as borne good fruit . This in itself was a privilege r arely shared by immigr ants from other parts Of the Old world . The potential value Of their racial con tribu tion to the American strain will be foun d in ’ Arm a s the picture Of their past . The eni n PRE FACE xi proper place in history has hardly yet come wn for to light . Enough is kno , however, an appreciation Of the truth that, as a people, they were strong in all those spiritual elements Of true permanence and depth which alone give F real strength . o r at least a thousand years an d probably for twice and thr ice that period they have been subj ected to the worst on Y t slaugh ts Of Asiatic barbarity . e their spirit never faltered and it is because Of their in domitable will to defend at any price the ideals which they held in common with the peoples Of the occidental world, that they have

survived as a distinct people . They might have surrendered a thousand

a o or five . years g , else centuries before this day i Had this course been theirs , the awful vis on . Of the Asiatic sink Of corruption overfl owing on European soil t o its westernmost shores is accom an i quickly conjured, with its foul p

m u s an d . ent Of e nuchs , concubine spies But the Armenians remained faithful war dens Of ’ ’ Christianity s and western civilization s south in t eastern gates . Century and century ou they defended the mountain passes which led r A f om sia into Europe, holding it light to die X11 PRE FACE

in order that great ideals Of humanity might

u Am - s rvive . id doleful and corpse strewn

ruins their bitter sacrifice was consummated . for For this service to civilization, the fact that they could neither be tempted n or bribed to mingle as on e with the conquering hordes Of ’ savages released by Central Asia s sandy

- wastes, they represent to day the creditors Of a civilized world for a debt Of culture which is

still unpaid . A strain Of such temper is as enviable as any i in the varied racial composition Of populat on . Analyzing this feature somewhat more deeply we fin d that from a strictly scientific stand A Of point the rmenians form—part that splen did race Of mountain men the same wherever Of it occurs, be it in the hills Scotland or in the — moun—tains Of Switzerlan d to mention these alone which has al ways been characterized by its strong inclination for order and organiza

as tt . tion, as well by high intellectual a ainment

Thus , although having lived among Turks in A Ar e Western sia, the m nian is related by blood far more closely to the Scotch or Swiss

than to his conquerors . Proceeding however farther away from the PRE FACE xiii

north than his western cousins he carries in him Of it a glow southern climes which , is true , is attenuated by rocky altitude He thus com bines endurance and steadfastness Of purpose with a lively im agination—plainly a matchless

blend for the perpetuation Of high ideals .

Of A Such, to the common fund merican culture, ’ will have been the Armenian s contribution . As can n far as be ascertai ed, few among the Armenians in America will return to their s native land . A in the case Of every well m meaning im igrant stock, the second genera u tion is thoroughly Americanized . Desce dants Of th e small band Of early arrivals have i all been assimilated beyond recognit on, which s is as it hould be . But the pride and conscious ness Of American nationality need not lessen the sympathy with which they will follow the endeavors Of the three or four millions over wh o there , after so many destructive centuries , are rising anew to the happy prospect Of safe u g arded development . A LEON D OMINI N .

Was h in ton D . C . g , , Febr ua r 1 5 1 91 9 y , .

INTRODUCTION

The Ar menians form one Of the smaller groups Of peoples that have been streaming into the United States from Southeastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the

- last twenty five years or more . While they represent only a fraction Of our large foreign population still their importance is recognized by students Of American history . It is esti mated that about eighty thousand Of them have settled in the United States and Canada . Investigation shows that Ar menians may be found in all important cities within the United our States and Dependencies overseas , but the great bulk Of them are congregated in the Y Pen n l New England States, New ork, sy ni va a, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Cali

fornia.

It is n ot generally known that there were Armenians in this country prior to the mas Of 1 89 4 1 89 5 1 89 6 h sacres , and w ich drove ’

out . them Of their native land Mr . Malcom s historical researches have brought o ut the illuminating an d interesting fact that Ar me xvi INTR OD UCTION

niams h ad a share in the early struggles Of this “ Of Republic . The romantic adventures Mar tin the Armenian ” and “George the Arme ” nian should lead to further research into the s Of our o ources colonial hist ry, because every indication points to the probability that other Ar menians may have ventured to seek their rt n an d fo u e on this continent, thus be among

the original settlers in America . There seems to be n o doubt that most Arme n ian s we meet in the United States to- day

-five came here within the last twenty years , and this fact in itself raises an inquiry as to the reason Of their imm igration to this par

ticular country . Much has been written and said concernin g the thousands who have been induced to rush to America through the efforts Of steamship agencies an d great industrial

concerns seeking cheaper labor . The Arme n ian s happily seem to be entirely free from

these influences . They emigr ated in order to

escape persecution from the Turks , but they chose the United States on accoun t Of their i love for the American m ssionaries . Of activi The record their character, life and ties in our country brings to light the sub INTR ODUCTION XVl l

stan tial qualities of the Armenian people . By comparison they stand head and shoulder above all other immigrant races from South A n eastern Europe and sia Mi or , which is sur prising when on e considers the fact that they are geographically isolated from direct con tact with modern European civilization and that they ar e more oppressed than an y other . Over forty per cent Of the Armenians ad mitted a e ar e into the United St t s , according to the classification of our Immigration Eu a r o fes reau, skilled l borers and educated p — sioual men and women a record which no Of other class Of imm ig r ants from that part the world equals or even approaches . The average earnings Of an Armenian laborer is greater than that Of a workman Of other na i l is t on a ities in the same industries . There a on e articu less illiter cy among them, and in p l lar loca ity, California, the Immigration Commission makes special mention Of the fact that the average Of literates among the Ar m en ian s is even higher than among the Ger a man s . The ze l with which they have quickly and tenaciously taken advantage Of the edu cation al opportunities in Am erica manifests xviii INTR ODUCTION

l n um intel igence , and one is astonished at the ber of Armenian children in our public schools as compared with the num ber Of childr en Of Of other races . In the sphere their home life even the ordinary workm en have better quar ters than those Of what are known as Older an d to be immigrants . Their desire ability come good American citizens is surpassed by none . Were the Armenians a weak people they would have been assimilated and lost many v centuries ago . They Owe their survi al as a d distinct nation to ay to their idealism, their courage and to the higher type Of their civiliza tion which coul d not be overcome and sub

dued by superior physical force . Their life and achievements in the United States mani fest anew the strong national char acteristics e f r which have distinguish d them o ages . I cannot permit this opportunity to pass without saying that I believe the Ar menians in the United States will play an important r Ole in the regeneration and reconstruction Of their country . They have here a good num ber Of educated men and women who can become Of A ni leaders the people in rme a . There are

CONTENTS

PAGE

’ Autho r s Note vii Preface by Leo D omin ian ix

o . XV Intr duction by Hon James W . Gerard

CHAPTER I ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS — — — Introduction Armenia ; Map Area Population — —~ — C Ol on ies Ethnology References and notes — L M on Eth—nology Language, i—terature, usic and Art References and notes Religion The C li hurch of Armenia, The Roman Catho cs and k — the Me hitarists, the American Missions His ’ tory ; Armenia s contribution to civilizat—ion The Rise and Fall Of the Ottoman Empire The Of Armenians and the Treaty San Stefano, the Cyprus Convention and the Treaty of Berlin ’ — - Armenia s r 61e in the Great War F—oot notes and bibliography on Armenian history C o lle c tion of foreign opinion on the Armenians

CHAPTER II THE PIONEERS “ ” M i r 1 6 1 8— art n—the A menian of Virginia, Docu ments The Cou—rt Book of the Virginia Com pany Of London Sir Dudley Digges and his ’ i l 654v- Fer r er s two Armen ans, John Poem “ ” George—the Armen ian and the Assembly of Virginia A brief sketch of the Armenians who came to Am erica between 1 884 and 1 89 4 5 1 XXII CONTE NTS

PAGE CHAPTER III IMMIGRATION AND DISTRIBUTION Sources of data—Table showing number of persons arriving from Turkey between 1 884 and 1 89 4 Table showin g number of Armenians admitted into the United States between 1 89 5 and 1 9 1 7 The Approximate number of Armenians in - — Amer—ica to d—ay The countries from whi ch they came Table Wh o furnished passage money The Ave—rage sum shown by immigrants when admitted Table comparing Armenians—with other races in respect to —financial status How many debarred since 1 89 9 How m—any departed from the United States since 1 9 08 Tahle show ing number and d—estination of Armenians at the time of—landing The Armenian colonies in America Notes 62

CHAPTER IV CAUSES OF IMMIGRATION — The influence of the American Missionaries Ex tract from a letter of William Eleroy Curtis H n h a i The Poli tical disturbances and the —u tc gg st party following the Treaty of Berlin The mas sacres of 1 89 4 - 1 896—After the massacres Constitutional Monarch—y in Turkey and con scription of Christians O ther causes 7 4

CHAPTER V THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES

Of i men k l Number Armen an professional , s il ed Of laborers, farmers, and laborers at the time CONTENTS 1 — PAGE coming to the Un ited —States Table comparing them with other races The A—rmenians and in d us tr ial condi tions in America The industries in which they are found—The average amount Of the we—ekly and yearly earnings Of Armenian workm—en Table comparing them—with other races The Armenian tradesmen —The Arme ni an merchants and manufacturers The pro fession al ni en Arme ans, lawyers, doctors, in eer s 80 g , professors, artists and actors

CHAPTER VI RELIGION AND EDUCATION The Church of Armenia and the A—rmenian Evan gelical (Protestant) —Church Approximate number Of adherents Where churches are o i o f l cated Pecul ar features these churches, n la guage used, ex—penses, missions, —parochial s k Ed uca chools, the Prelate Further remar s tion Of i . Percentag—e l terate and illiterate Arme nian immigrants Compared with other races Table comparing Old and n ew immigra—nts with respect to ability to read mother tongue Abili ty to speak English—Number of Armenian children in the—public schools Of 87 cities in the United State—s Table comparing Armenians with other races The Arme—nian students in higher in stitu tions Of learn ing Table —showing number in 7 5 Colleges an d Universities C onclusion 9 9

CHAPTER VII

ASSOCIATIONS, PARTIES AND THE PRESS — C haracter o f Armenian immigrant societies The Armenian Colonial Association of New York and xxiv CONTE NTS — PAGE Chicago The Armenian Educational Society The Armenian Students ’ Association—The United Armenian Societies—The Armenian litica l Or an General Benevolent Union . Po g

is a tion s . Parties, their names and platforms

ublicati n s . The Armenian National Union . P o Names and remarks on the nineteen Armenian li k i — dai es, wee lies and monthl es Their general Characteristics—Notes on the Armenian Asso ciations and the Press 1 1 8

CHAPTER VIII CONJUGAL AND LIVING CONDITIONS

Of i i Percentage marr ed, s ngle and widowed Ar m en ian immigrants Marriages In te rma r

—J - - — r ia H m s f f ges o e —O the well to do Homes O the labo ring class Table comparing Armenian wage- earners with other races in respect to Of — number rooms, re—nt, occupants, etc— The unmarried—Armenians Charity seeking Own ing homes Citizenship 1 2 5

CHAPTER IX THE FUTURE

Depends on the outcome Of the Peace Conference Some will go back and others come he—re when travelling restrictions are withdraw—n When Armenian immigration might increase Reasons why an independe—nt Armenia will attract many from this country Possible service Of the Ar m en ian s from the United States to Armenia Conclusion 1 85 ILLUSTRATIONS

MAP OF UNITED ARMENIA Fron tispiece FACING PAGE

HIS E THE 1 0 HOLIN SS, CATHOLICOS HIS EX CELLENCY B OGHOS NURAR 1 0 WITH THE BRITISH IN PALESTINE 1 1 VAN 24 BEFORE , ARMENIA THE AUTHOR 25 PASDERMADJIAN 88 D R . GARO ST A K Z J 8 8 MAJOR VAR D H . A AN IAN ARMENIANS IN THE AMERICAN FORCES 8 9 D OMINIAN 4 8 MR. LEON CHAIRMAN OF THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL UNION 4 8 AN ORIENTAL GEM 49 60 6 1 NOTED ARMENIAN EDUCATORS , AN ARMENIAN SCULPTOR 7 1 “ ” G- G G 7 1 LON WON , A PAINTIN THE MOST CELE BRATED PHOTOGRAPHER IN AMERICA 7 0 A NOTED ACTRESS 7 0

BEN A RI OLET ’I‘ O MR . PHILIP NY N AS G 7 8 K Z J MR . ARAM A AN IAN 7 8 A MEMBER OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA COMPANY 7 9

- . MOURAD IAN 7 9 MR SHAH , TENOR A GROUP OF ARMENIAN ENGINEERS 1 00 SOME ARMENIAN LAW YERS 1 01 FIR ST PRESBYTERIAN C HURCH OF FRESNO 1 08 THE PASTOR OF THE CHURCH 1 08 xxvi ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE THE SECRETARY o r THE ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEvOLENT UNION 1 09 THE PASTOR OF THE CHURCH IN NEW YORK 1 09 THE HOLY TRINITY CHURCH 1 1 4 THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA 1 1 4 BISHOP PAP R EN GULESSER IAN 1 1 5 THE PRELATE OF THE CHURCH OF ARMENIA 1 1 5

B 1 2 8 1 29 EDITORS OF ARMENIAN PU LICATIONS , ’ G - ON- AN ARMENIAN S HOME IN HASTIN S HUDSON,

Y. 1 4 N . 0 THE HOME o r AN ARMENIAN IN PASADENA 1 4 0 A HOMESTEAD IN CALIFORNIA 1 4 1 “ ” THE ARMENIAN CASTLE 1 4 1

Th e Ar m en ian s in Am erica

CHAPTER I ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS

VOLUME concerning a single race Of immigrants in the United States re quires by way Of introduction a brief but i comprehensive statement Of their or gin, their nationality, their language , their creed, their past and their present position among the civilized natio ns Of the world . Such a pre liminary geographical setting and historical background is especially indispensable in the case Of the Armenians because they are fre c quently onsidered identical with the Turks , th e r Sy ians , the Jews , the Persians , the Bul arian s o r g , the Greeks some other Of the many peoples that likewis e immigrate to this country A from Southeastern Europe and sia Minor . Arm en ia : The historic Kingdom Of Ar menia lies south Of the Black Sea, extending westward to the Gulf Of Alexandretta on the r to Medite ranean, eastward the Caspian Sea 4 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

r and southwa d to the plains Of Mesopotamia . Topographically it is a high mountainous

plateau . The boundaries Of the country are indicated on the accompanying map by the

black lines . It consists Of eleven Provinces

and contains about square miles . The s K Province Of ars, Erivan and the eastern portion Of ElizabethpOl constitute what is n as A n ow in k own Russian rmenia, and is cluded in the Transcaucasian district Of Azerbi Russia ; the Vilayet or Province Of jan, Ar known as Persian menia, is incorporated

with Persia ; and the Vilayets Of Van, Bitlis, Mam ur et - ul -A Erzerum, Diarbekir, Sivas, ziz, A k called Turkish rmenia, and Cilicia, nown as

L Ar . esser menia, are under Turkey Thus the whole Of Armenia is divided to- day into three parts and these divisions are designated on the

map by the dotted lines . P opulation : Accurate statistics Of the n um ber Of Armenians in the world have never been A compiled . The mbassadorial conference at London in 1 9 1 3 estimated Arme nians in the Ottoman Empire ; in the Caucasus and Russian Armenia ; in

’ l Statem en s Year Book . 19 1 8 . ARMENIA AND THE ARME NIANS 5

Persia and in the United States , A I A i Canada,—South merica, ndia, fr ca and Europe, total The most recent and most reliable figures are those published by the Ar menian Catholicos in 1 9 1 6 and the Armenian Patriarchate at Constantinople in 1 9 2 A 1 . ccording to these authorities the num ber Of Ar menians in Tur kish Armenia was and in other parts Of the O Ar ttoman Empire, in Russian s menia and the Cauca us , and about in other parts Of Russia ; in Persia and — in all other countries , total It is reasonably safe to say that before the outbreak Of the recent war there were at least A i rmen ans , Of whom

lived in , and territories immediately adj acent to , their native land . But this number h as been reduced by through the 1 9 1 5 1 9 1 6 deportations and massacres Of and , leaving a balance Of in or near A Of . rmenia, and a total in the world A A There are rmenian colonies in merica, z England, France, Swit erland, Italy, Egypt, e India, Bulgaria, Roumania, Greec , Poland,

- A un r . Galicia, Transylvania and ustria H ga y 6 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

The origin Of some Of these settlements dates SO far back that they have practically lost their 2 i e O th e t d ntity with the main body f na ion . on o s an d But acc unt of their existence it is aid, tOO A Often repeated, that the rmenians, like

the Jews, are the most scattered race in the

world . The comm on interpretation Of this statement gives an erroneous conception Of the A solidarity and unity Of the rmenian people . It is true that there are Armenians all over the Am world just as there are erican, English ,

French, German and Italian colonies in nearly every corner Of the globe . Nevertheless six sevenths Of the entire Armenian population in a i — out Of h bit the r native land that is , a total Of at least ar e in or near

Armenia. The same cannot be said Of the A . s Of r ar Jews a matter fact, the e are comp a tively fewer Armenians living outside Of their m s r ho eland than Greek , Bulgarians , Se vians, u or Ro manian s . E thn ology : The fact that Armenia is geo graphically located in Asia Minor has given rise to the impression that its native inhabitants

“ ” 2 See Hst re M e d Arm n n b rn es é e s K . . Bas ma F r i oi od i y J djian . o an ’ “ i n erest n acc n t of th e Arm en an s in In a e e M a h s a rc J. Set s Th e t i ou "i di , h Hi st r 0g A e th e rm n ans in In a . L cas C O . L n n 1 897 . o y i di u , o do , ARME NIA AND THE ARMENIANS 7

’ are Asiatics . The testimony Of the world s r at s is s r g e est historian , philolog t and anth o olo ists h p g , owever, proves beyond a question Of d oubt that the Armenians are Aryan and belong to the same racial stock as all European s as peoples . Ju t the white man supplanted the . n Am so th e Ar s I dian in erica, menian , cen tur ies an before the Christi era, migrated from Southeastern Europe into Asia Minor an d established there the ancient State Of Armenia . Homer and Herodotus r efer to them as Phr ygian colonists ; Strabo states that they came from Thessaly ; and the late Colonel

r . . L Hen y F B ynch, the best modern authority “ on : All the subject, says the evidence points to th e conclusion that they (the Armenians ) en tered their historical seat from the west, as abr anch Of considerable immigration Of Indo Eur opean peoples crossing the straits from Europe into Asia Minor and perhaps orig in ally coming from homes in the steppes north ”

Of . A the Black Sea The rmenian language , tOO - h ilolo , in the opinion Of such well known p b s as Hii chm ann . gist and St Martin, is Indo r e Eu op an, and this is a strong factor in deter min ing th e racial status Of the people who 8 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

. e h n olo speak it Moreover, the studies Of t o fi gists, based on the most appr ved scienti c o A investigation and test, sh w the rmenians to

Ar . a Z i be yan Professor Willi m . R pley, in “ ” bOOk on Of his notable The Races Europe , “ declares : The second racial type in this bor d erlan d (Ar menia) between Europe and Asia we may safely follow Chantre in calling Ar m en Oid A , because the rmenians most clearly

represent it tod ay . The similarity Of this to our Alpine races Of western Europe h as been especially emphasized by the most com

von L u . petent authority, uscha Were it not for the potent selective in fluence Of religion (Christianity and Mohamm edanism) com plete ruptur e by the invading Tatar- Turks A a . s might conceivably have taken pl ce it is , the con tinuity Of the Alpine races across Asia ” n Minor can ot be doubted .

’ R e e r en ces : i 862 - 868 u f Homer s Iliad II , l ne ; Herodot s “ 7 2 1 9 4 49 - 52 7 8 i, and , V, , and VII, ; The geography ” ’

Of . . . Strabo, H C Hamilton s translation, London, Vol ’ “ ”

27 2 . di II , Page Lynch s Armenia, Travels and Stu es, k . 67 . i London, Vol II, Page Th s wor is by far the

most exhaustive, the most thorough and undoubtedly the most authoritative on the subj ect ; Heinrich Hiibsch “ ” n k z 1 89 7 man , Armenische Grammati , Leip ig, Wil “ ” - i f 4 44 448 . Z . O liam R pley, The Races Europe, pages

10 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

Ar The classical menian, like the classical an d L n o Greek atin, is longer in use . Wh at literature the Armenians possessed in ancient times was completely destroyed when the nation adopted Christianity as a state re li ion th 4th g in e century A. D . There is n O doubt that they had some written literatur e before that because when Lucullus besieged Ti r an a erta Of A 69 g g , the capital rmenia, in

. C . be h B , found a theatre there . Wit the introduction Of the present alphabet a trans “ Of r O lation the Bible , desc ibed as the Q ueen f ”

41 0 A . . h Versions , was completed in D T is was followed with a history Of Armenia by K n Moses Of h ore e . From that time up to the 1 7 th century Armeni an literature contains s for the most part religious , hi torical and phil o so h ical r Of h p w itings , in all w ich it is exceed

in l . i g y rich Dulaurier, a dist nguished French “ : scholar, refers to these in glowing terms The glory Of the Armenian literature is the abun dance and preciousness Of her historical

. s n records The e records , succeedi g each other uninterruptedly from the beginning Of the fourth century to our day, form a golden chain which connects the Old world with our HIS HOLINESS GU HE C a tho lico s is th e head Of th Of Ar m en a i . cen tur es h s bee i , a n ized as th e head

Arm en i an n a ti o n .

HIS EX C ELLENC Y BOGR OS NUBAR S th e Presid en t Of th e Ar m en ian Na tio n al D elega tio n b r in Par s . His fa t er u a i h , N Pa s a wa s twice th e Pr m e Min h , i f E t bo t befo re an d is te r O gy p . h afte r British o ccup a tio n .

ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 1 1 own s . Hi torians describing on the on e hand th e h o eroic resistance, the c urage, the self Of on r denial a Christian people, the othe hand th e bar barity and cruelty Of their victorious ” o s oppress r , form a vivid scene Of tragedy. Arm enian music an d Ar menian art are o d A closely ass ciate with the rmenian Church . s t Beside the beautiful ecclesiastical music, here

m - ar e an . y sad, plaintive folk songs In the fi art h r fi eld Of , c u ch edi ces furnish the best exam ple of Ar menian architecture and mural

. n A ni an p ainting Speaking Of the rui s Of n , other capital Of Arm enia where there were 1 001 c ur L i Ar h ches , ynch cred ts the menians h O : with t e origin f the Gothic style . He says “ These monum ents are examples Of the Ar menien sty le at its very best . The merits are th e Of the style diversity Of its resources , th e lo w elegance Of the ornament in relief, th e perfect execution Of every part . It com bines many Of the characteristics Of Byzantine art th e and Of style which we term Gothic , and which at that date was still unborn . The conical roofs Of the domes are a distinctive

O . feature, as also are the purely riental niches Texier is Of opinion that the former Of these 1 2 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA features was carried into Central Europe by the colonies Of the emigrants from the city on the Ar pa Chai . “ But a lesson Of wider import transcending s the sphere Of the hi tory Of architecture , may be derived from a visit to the capital (Anni) B a r atid a and Of the g Dyn sty, from the study Of the living evidence Of a vanished civilization which is lavished upon the traveller within her walls . Her monuments throw a strong light th A upon the character Of e rmenian people , and they bring into pronoun cement important n o features Of Armenian history . They leave doubt that these people may be included in the small number Of races wh o have shown them ” selves susceptible Of the highest culture . The Ar exquisite beauty Of menian laces , mosaic ’ r work, and gold and silversmiths handic aft are famous the world over The late Oh ann ess A vazcvsk on e y y , Of the greatest marine

r A . painters in mode n times , was an rmenian

Ot s s c . her artists , sculptor and mu i ians have won distinction in Am erican and European capitals . The most imposing buildings in A Turkey are the works Of rmenian architects . n C on Sir Edwi Pears , an English resident in ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 1 3 stan tin o le for r A p fo ty years , believes the rme n ian to be the most artistic and musical race in O the ttoman Empire .

“ ”

R e er en ces : . é f E Dulaurier, Literature Arm nienne, ’ - R i w L Or ien t . 8 . 9 5 1 06 . ev e de , Ser , Vol III, pages “ ”

i an d . . Armen a, Travels Studies, by Henry F B Lynch,

. 89 0 89 1 . Vol I , pages and “ ” Ar m en ian Literatur e For , see Armenian Poems , re ck ndered into English by Alice Stone Bla well, “ ”

1 9 1 7 . s En Boston, Armenian Legend and Poems, in g

ll Zabell e . lish, beautifully i ustrated, compiled by C

a 1 9 1 6 . Boyaji n, London, This contains an introduction by Lord Bryce and an excellent essay by Aram Ra fli on

i k . Armen an Epics, Fol Songs, ancient and modern poetry “ ’ L Arménie s a ROIe , son Histoire, Literature, son en ’ ” l Orien t Arch a Tch oban ian , by g , with an introduction “ ”

1 89 7 . Poém es é by Anatole France, Paris, Arm niens, Arch a Tch obanian w i also by g , ith an ntroduction by Paul “ ’ — 1 9 08 . L Orien t é é et Adam, Paris, In dit L gendes ” di é Tch er az Tra tions Arm niennes, by Minas , Paris , 1 1 9 2 . The following contemporary publications contain a i Of s ori r i tr nslat ons Armenian poems and t es, and a t cles “ ” Of i : 4 t mely interest The New Armenia, 9 9 Broadway, Y k “ ” New or City ; The Armenian Herald, Old South i “ ” Build ng, Boston, Mass . ; Ararat, London, England ; “ ’ ” L Ar mén ie 80 La Voix de , Rue Jacob, Paris ; and

in i . 7 8 Armenia ( Ital an) , Carso Reg Margherita ,

Torino, Italy .

The following IS a partial list of noted men who have studied and admi red the Armenian language and litera : ture Lord Byron, John Brand, Sir Henry Norman, a i h i Willi m Wh ston, George W ston, Edward Tombe,

. Con beare Lon lOiS . F y , g , Brosset, St Martin, Professor 1 4 THE ARME NIANS IN AMERICA

Vill e froi Vetl er n Macler, Dore, , , Newma , Miller, Peter Hiibschm an n man, and others .

Ar m en ian Ar t ti e di For , see the Interna onal Encyclop a Ar m en ian Music and the references there . For , try on your phonograph some Of the excellent records made for h h n M r adi n c o e C O. . ou a the Columbia a p , by Mr Shah

. or c m Bez zia and Mr T o a n .

R eligion : Before their conversion to Chris ti an ity the Armenians were Z oro astrians . They had a system Of gods and customs peculiar to sun worshippers about which Pro

fes . An iki n h sor M H . an a Of t e Hartford Theological Seminary h as a very interesting ’ and scholarly contribution in the Hastings E n c cl md y op ia Of Religion and Ethics . The Christian religion was first in troduced to the Armenians by the Apostles Thad deus

- A - 50 D . 44 (35 43 . ) and Bartholomew (

A . . D ) The graves Of these Saints are in the monasteries at Magou and B aschkale re “ s ectivel p y , which lie in the western part Of ” Ki T 301 A . . irid a e Armenia . In D ng t s was i d converted by St . Gregory the Illum nator an i for fir the Christian fa th established , the st time in the history Of the world, as a state religion . It is on the basis Of these historical

1 6 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

sciousn ess they possess is due particularly to fl the in uence Of this great Church . Ar The supreme head Of the menian church,

hi re re called the Catholicos , is also the c ef p sent ative Of the Armenian nation He is fo r elected life by the clergy and the people, and I might add here that the system Of elec tions by popular vote has been used by the Arm for enians many centuries . There are various sects Of the clergy . The ordinary Parish priests are called D er d er s and they are

m to . r t per itted marry, but once only The Va a s an d A s in beds, Bi hops the rchbishop follow ow the order named . These take the v Of celi l bacy. The genera form Of worship conducted in the Armenian Church is similar to that Of the Greek but its polity is like the Episco

. i palian With the except on Of the sermon, nearly the whole Of the service is in m usic . In the matter Of religious dogmas the Armenian Church ad heres to the belief that the Holy Spirit proceeds from G od only ; that regenera tion by baptism is possible and that there is n to to o purgatory . Prayer saints intercede f or the suppliant is practised . Confession is ow u or on e is r r all ed, b t bef e confessing equi ed ARMENIA AND THE ARME NIANS 1 7

i to perform certain strict penance . Over e ghty per cent Of the Armenian people belong to the Church Of Ar menia . There are about Roman Catholic

Arm enians . The Dominican Fathers as early as the 1 4th century and the Jesuits in the 1 7 th century penetrated the heart Of Ar menia and established there their missions , some Of which are still in existence . The coming Of the Cru saders was also an important factor in intro ducin g Catholicism to the Armenians in Cilicia . In 1 7 1 7 on e named Mekh itar Of Sivas became a Catholic and subsequently foun ded the fam ous monastery which bears his name on the

L r . island Of St . azare, nea Venice It has been said that this is on e Of the greatest and most picturesque institutions am ong the Ar m i fin e en an s . Its library contains a collection

Of Old Armenian manuscripts . It has a picture “ gallery containing many works Of ar t by Ar m en ian s which have won the approval Of Rus ” n kin . The monastery also has o e Of the best O printing establishments in Europe . A few f the most noted Armenian men Of letters have been the Mekh itarist monks : Father L eo

P 2 1 Turkey an d Its People, by Sir Ed win Pears . age 7 4 . 1 8 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

A wa lishan s a distinguished poet and historian . Father Ar sen Pogr ad oun i was a great lin guist ; he translated into the Ar menian Mil ’ “ ” ’ s L ton Paradise ost, Homer s Iliad, the o i works Of Soph cles , and writings Of Volta re , i Rac ne and other French authors . Father Aiten ian is the author Of the modern Armenian C c Gramm ar. Father Michael h ami h wrote a e history Of Armenia . Father Heurm uz trans lated Virgil and the writings Of B em ardin

. e an d St Pierre, F nelon others, and also wrote many beautiful religious poems . About the year 1 831 the American Board Of Commissioners for Foreign Missions com m en ced its work am ong the Armenians in c n w Turkey, as a result Of whi h there are o A probably over rmenian Protestants . This rapid growth Of Protestantism is partly due to the fact that the Protestants formed a special commun ity un der the Turkish law and on account Of the presence Of the Am erican r missionaries , they received g eater protection from the government than the Armenian Gre r go ian s . The endeavors Of the American m issionaries in Turkey are well kn own in

Am erica . Through the individual efforts Of ARMENIA AND THE ARME NIANS 1 9

certain missionaries a number Of schools have as r been founded, such Robe t College and ’ Girls College in Constantinople, colleges at Mar sovan s A r u , Harpout, Siva , intab and Bei t, which are attended by Armenians as well as s r Greeks , Bulgarians , Syrian and othe nation l i a it es . They have also established primary c schools , chur hes, Bible study classes and medi n cal stations . Duri g the m assacres they have collected money from Americans and have used the same t o alleviate the suff ering Of the na

tives . French, English, Swiss , Italian and German missionaries also have schools and

s . to o r hospital They, , pa ticularly the French and the Swiss , have rendered very valuable educational and philanthropic service to the A Armenians . On the other hand the rmenians i main tain their own public nstitutions . The Church Of Armenia has thousand s Of parishes Ar m i A all over Turkish en a, Russian rmenia, O and in other cities in the ttoman Empire . h 1 9 02 T ese are centers Of civic activities . In A 803 the rmenians maintained over schools , 2 with 088 teachers and pupils . In so far as the Armenians are concerned the infl uence Of the American missionaries in 20 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

i Turkey has been twofold . They have st m u lated the Armenians t o better their own educa tion al institutions and to introduce some m od ern ideas and reforms in the Armenian Church . They have drawn students to American Co l leges and opened America to Armenian imm i io gr at n . On the other hand the introduction Of Protestantism has been a severe blow to the unity Of the nation because the Church Of Armenia has been for centuries the fortress c Of the Armenian people . An d again this on —Am stant appeal by the missionaries erican, a eta —for n French, English, Germ n, fu ds to support their institution in Turkey, has left an unpleasant impression on the public . The sympathy Of audiences has been aroused by depicting the massacres perpetrated on the A rmenians and the misery Of these people, although Syrians , Greeks , Bulgarians and even Tur ks have enj oyed the benefits Of mis r sion a y schools and hospitals . Thus the aver in age man England, in France, in the United A States , has the idea that the rmenians are

always begging, notwithstanding the fact that they have had nothing to dO with the collection

Of money and are by nature averse to charity . ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 21 People think that these Christians are butchered like fl ocks Of sheep instead Of put ting up a manly defense ; that they have n o c n o n o in chur h, religion, schools , and fact nothing except what the missionaries furnish them with . Of course all these notions are absolutely incorrect . It is true that the standard Of the institutions maintain ed by the Armenians d o n ot come up to similar in stitu Am tions in France , England and erica, but it must n ot be forgotten that what the Armenians are as a nation and what they have as a nation is far above the standard and quality Of any N other race in the Balkans and the ear East . I cannot close this subj ect without referring to another topic . One Often hears that the

Armenians are individualistic and disunited .

' I a disagr ee . I believe the Armeni ns are h more united than most other races . W at nation is there whose population has been divided against its will into three parts and each part ruled over by sovereigns hostile to each other and hostile to th e o natives , and yet in every crisis Of nati nal existence that subj ect race has held to gether tenaciously ? Wh at seems to be dis 22 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA union and individualism am ong the Armenians is nl to two On e o y skin deep and due things . , r b the division Of their count y etween Russia, i a Turkey and Pers a ; the other, the diverse tr in A ing Of their leaders . Some rmenians are A m i o educated in the r en an nati nal schools , o A m s s me in merican issionary institution , some un der the care Of the Jesuits and others un der the care Of the Mekhitarists ; some go to to i to Italy, others France , and st ll others Rus sia or to England or the United States for their h m en education . W en these get together there

s Of an d . u hi is no cohe ion ideas aims Th s, w le missionary effort Of every kin d is appreciated b A y the rmenians , on the other hand they realize the mischief it has un consciously caused s to the nation . Hence it is the earne t hope Of every thinking Armenian that when their r Of count y regains its independence , the zeal the missionaries will be subservient to the measures that must be enforced in order to guar d the unity Of the nation and t o establish a comm on ground for the training Of the coming

generation . History :It is beyond the scope Of this chap ter to attempt even a bare outline Of the history

22 THE ARMENIAN union and individualism is only skin deep and the division Of their coun try r i Tu key and Pers a ; the oth er , ing Of their leaders . Some educated in the Armenian n some in American mis some under the care Of un der the care Of th e M to Italy, others France, sia or to England or the education . When these men get is no cohesion Of ideas and aims missionary effort Of every kind A on by the rmenians , realize the mischief it h as

to the nation . Hence it every thinking coun try regains its the missionaries will b measures that must be guar d the unity Of the n comm on groun d for the training

generation . History : It is beyond the scop ter to attempt even a bar 24 THE ARME NIANS IN AME RICA

1 68 Vienna in 8 . It is an historical fact that the Arm enian people saved modern civilization by delaying the Tar tar- Tur ks Of Asia from in vad d in g Europe earlier than they di .

i : . 4 D . m 1 49 . 28 . Ar enian dynast es Arsacid B C to A , i . Ar zr n an . . Ba r atid 47 8 . . 1 07 9 . D d u 9 08 g A D to A , A D - 1 080 . D . Ru en ian 1 080 1 89 8 . to A , p

Armenian Emperors and Empresses Of the Byzantine Empire : Maurice (582 Philip (7 1 1 Leo (8 1 8 Basil (867 Leo (886 Alexander (9 1 2 Constantin (9 1 8 Romanos (9 20 Romanos II (9 89 John (9 69 Basil II (9 7 6 1 025) and Constantin II (1 025 Empresses : Marian na Theodora (8 1 8 Eupr osin a Theodora I Hegh in e Theodora II Theodora III (1 04 2 ) and Rita

in Other illustrious Armenians . Accord g to P . J . no Nar sas 542 - 568 was A her, an Armenian named ( ) ’ Emperor Justin ian s great general an d a favorite of

. Of Theodora Another Armenian by the name Isaac, “ says the same historian, held the destiny of all Italy ” in h is hand as the Exarch of Ravenna . (6 25 Pakr adon Prince , an Armenian, fought Napoleon at w Melik o ff was Mosco . Loris , another Armenian, the Commander- in - Chief of the Russian army in the Cau casus in the war Of 1 87 7 and the personal advisor o f K Alexander II of Russia . Prince Malcolm han has

i . rendered great serv ce to Persia Nubar Pasha, twice r Of Lucas z i Min the P ime Minister Egypt, and , Pr me i 1 9 1 8 . ster of Hungary in , were also Armenians Ar m enians who have held high administrative Ofi ces in the

V RT N M C M M. A A AL O HE autho r was bo rn in Sivas rm en ia an d cam e to th e , , A . United States in h is y outh . He wen t to th e p ublic schools

in Chico ee Mass . then to m herst Co lle e an d arvard p . , A g H Law School . He is n ow th e gen eral coun sel in New York C ity o f well-kn o wn iabilit In suran ce Co m an and of man of th e a L y p y . y leadin g Armen ian merch an ts . ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 25 govern m en t o f Turkey are too n um erous to m en tion r f h rea r r a he e . Most o t e t su e s o f th e Sult n s have been

Arm en ians .

When the Turks finally took Constantinople in 1 453 they had already conquered the W hole of Asia Minor, and Armenia, Arabia, Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia h ad passed into their hands . They now pushed their conquests westward in Europe and before long added

Greece, Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania, Albania, d z Mace onia, Montenegro, Her egovina and

Bosnia to the possessions . Favored by the n diversity of natio alities , languages, interest and geographical barriers, the Sultans were able to keep the native inhabitants of these un co tries subdued by brute military force . They inl po sed on them a crude form of gov n : - ernm e t . First The non Moslem population of this new Mohammedan Empire were “ ” un divided into comm ities, called Millets, on s s u the ba i of either lang age or religion, and each millet was granted the right to maintain, under certain strict restrictions and at its own expense, schools , churches , hospitals , news papers an d other institutions of a local char was a so acter . The adoption of this system b 26 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA lutely necessary because fusion was impossible between the Turks and the Christian subJects . Under this system the Armenians were sub

viz. divided into three distinct millets, , the “ ” l be Ermeni Mi let, composed of those who “ longed to the Church of Armenia ; the Katho l lik Mi let, composed of those who belonged o to the Roman Cath lic Church, and the “ ” l r Protestant Mi let, which was fo med upon the request of the American missionaries and which further broke up the un ity of the : nation . Second The Christians were heavily taxed and any one who refused or was unable to pay these taxes for any reason was thereby liable to forfeit all his possessions . Bribery, blackm ail and corruption of every descr ip r : tion became common. Thi d The Christians received no police protection . Brigands , thieves , soldiers, tribal chieftains would rob the peasants and the shopkeepers in the l r vi lages, would ca ry away their flocks and mm an d goods , would co it murder rape, and all go unpunished . The Christians were excluded from the army and forbidden un der penalty of death to carry arms of any kind and therefore had no means of defense ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 27 a : dmin is gainst these outrages . Fourth The a tration of justice was so deplorable that all Eur opean powers maintained their own con sular courts for the protection of their own citizens . But the natives were necessarily obliged to resort to Ottoman cour ts where the testimony of a Christian was inad missible a an d ag inst a Moslem, consequently no judg o o ment or satisfacti n c uld be obtained . Ex a President Willi m Howard Taft, in a public

a . Y . on J ddress delivered in Brooklyn, N , anu 1 0 1 9 1 8 ary , , very correctly sums up the character of the Ottoman G overnment in these “ words : It is a lawless form of medieval autocracy imposed on subJect races by pres sure from without ; sustained by fraud and force ; kn owing n o law ; despising justice ; alien to every instinct of humanity ; deaf to sympathy and glorying in the shame of the power to inj ur e and destroy . The first to rebel against these Oppressors were the Greeks who with the help of c r e England, France and Russia su ceeded in gain ing their independence Next Ser via and Montenegro arose against the

u . S ltan, and Bulgaria followed suit In order

ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 29

If a oum Ar d a an Kars or an o f em s all be B t , h , , y th h r ain ed Russia an d if an a em s all be m ade at et by , y tt pt h an y future tim e by Russia to take possession of an y ur er er ri o r o f His Im erial a es th e ul tan f th t t y p M j ty, S , in As ia as ed th e de n i ive r ea o f ea e En , fix by fi t T ty P c , g n en a s to oin His Im erial a es th e ul an l a d g ge j p M j ty, S t , f rm in d e fen din g them by fo r ce o a s . “ In re urn His Im erial a es th e ul an rom t , p M j ty, S t , p is es to n lan d t in ro du e n e ess ar re orms to be E g o t c c y f , a reed u on l ater etween th e two o ers in o th e g p b p w , t Govern men t an d for th e protection o f th e Christian an d other subj ects o f th e Por te in these ter rito ries ; an d in order to en able En gl an d to m ake n ecessar y provision s for u in h er en a em en s His Im erial a est th e exec t g g g t , p M j y, ul an ur er on sen s to assi n th e Is lan d o f rus S t , f th c t g Cyp ” l n to be occupied an d admin istered by En g a d . It will be noticed that under this contract the c onsideration on the part of England is a promise to defend by force of arms the terri tories of Turkey, particularly those occupied un by Russia der the Treaty of San Stefano , and on the part of Turkey the cession of the

Island of Cyprus to Great Britain . Refer en ces to the Christians is only to give the alli ance an air of magnanimity and to draw the

Armenians away from Russia . Needless to say that England still occupies the Island of

Cyprus, while many massacres have taken place under the eyes of the English consuls . Great Britain r egarded the provisions of 30 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

the Treaty of San Stefano as too severe on Turkey and forced Russia to a Congress of 1 3 1 87 8 d Powers, which on July , , substitute in l his its place the Treaty of Ber in . Under t e r v an d e tr aty , Roumania, Se ia Monten gro was were d eclared independent . Bulgaria made a vassal state ; Bosnia and Herzegovina un of - un were put der the care Austria H gary . Ar ni But in order to appease the Sultan, me a was deliberately turned back to him under

Article 61 .

“ Th e u lim e or e un d er a es to arr out wi ou S b P t t k c y , th t ur er dela th e im ro em en s n d e orm s d m an d ed f th y, p v t a r f e by local requir em en ts in th e provin ces in habited by Ar m enian s an d to uar an ee eir se uri a ain s th e , g t th c ty g t ir a i n n r I i r io di all m C c ss a s a d Ku ds . t w ll pe c y ake kn own th e s e s a en to is eff e to th e o ers wh o will t p t k th ct P w , ” n i n superi ten d the r applicatio .

What occurred since the Treaty of Berlin l o is singularly we l d escribed by Mr . M rgen “ 288 h is : thau, on page of recent book And n ow as u 1 87 8 ur v , Abd l Hamid, in , s eyed his s shattered domain, he saw that its mo t dan

erous Ar . g spot was menia He believed, a rightly or wrongly, that these Armeni ns , like n the Roumania s, the Bulgarians, the Greeks, ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 31

in and the Serbians, aspired to restore their an d n dependent medieval nation, he k ew that Euro pe and America sympathized with this

. h ad ambition The Treaty of Berlin, which

fi - s de nitely ended the Turco Ru sian War, con t ain ed an article which gave the European

Powers a protecting hand over the Armenians . How could the Sultan free hims elf per m an en tly from this danger ? An enlightened dm a inistration, which would have transformed the Armenians into free men and made them safe in their lives and property an d civil and s religiou rights, would probably have made

them peaceful and loyal subjects . But the Sultan could not rise to such a conception of

s . statesman hip as this Instead, Abdul Hamid apparently thought that there was onl y one way of ridding Turkey of the Armenian prob —an d lem that was to rid her of the Ar menians .

The physical destruction of men, women, and children by massacres, organized and directed by the state , seems to be the one sure way of forestalling the fur ther disruption k ” of the Tur ish Empire . It was this idea which found expression in 1 4- 1 89 the terrible massacres of 89 6 . It was the 32 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

d same i ea which the Turks, with the help of i 1 Germany, put into execut on in 1 9 5 on a

vaster and more systematically planned scale,

doing away with over a million souls . The important role the Armenians have played in the recent war has not been brought to the attention of the public because of the

distance of the scene of Operation . Dr . G . ls P asderm ad ian i j , the diplomatic representat ve i t in at Wash ng on of his Hol ess the Catholicos , gives the following summary of the service his countrymen have rendered “ In 1 9 1 4 both Turkey an d Russia app ealed to th e Arm en ian s by various promises o f a futur e auto n om ous Arm en ia to s ecure their assistan ce in their r espective militar ra i n r ir n n d i r x y ope t o s . Th ough the lo g a b tte e pe r icuce th e Arm en ian s kn ew very well that th e imper ial istic govern m en ts o f both Turkey an d o f Russia wer e Opp osed to their n ation al aspir ation s an d ther efore thos e

romises h ad n o value atever . But r ealizin th e p wh , g un i ersal si n i an e o f th e r esen war an d on sider v g fic c p t , c in th e a a usti e w as o n th e sid e o f th e En ten e g f ct th t j c t , th e Ar men ian s in s ite o f eir dis rus o f th e Rus sian , p th t t o vern m en rom th e er e inn in un reser edl g t, f v y b g g, v y

boun d them selves to th e allied cause . “ This decision o f th e Ar m en ian s cost them th e s acri fice o f m or e an m en in ur i s Arm en ia th T k h , an d compl ete d evastation of their n ative l an d even in f r th e fir st year o th e wa . “ In s i e of is er ri le lo th e Ar m en ian s did n ot p t th t b b w, “ ” 5 In Wh rm en S B r e P lish e h e Hai P b h is y A ia h ould e F e . ub d by t ren ik u lubin om an oston 1 9 19 . g C p y , B , ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 33 los e eir vi or an d e en ou h e au o r ati Rus sian th g , , v th gh t t c c o ern m en u to th e ime o f th e Revolution r ea ed all g v t, p t , c t s or s o f o sta les to im ed e eir a ivities t e still t b c p th ct , h y n rin con tin ued their as sistan ce to th e allied cause . I b g in g about th e failur e o f th e thr ee Turki sh o fien sives in 1 9 1 4 an d 1 9 1 5 th e Arm en ian s gave th e allied cause im o r an arm ed assis an e on ot sid es o f th e ur o p t t t c , b h T c i Rus sian fr on t er . “ A er th e Rus sian Revolu ion w en th e Russian ft t , h military for ces fled from th e C aucasian fron t an d l e ft it un ro e e d rom Jan uar 1 9 1 8 to th e middle o f th e p t ct f y, , oll o in e em er th e Arm en ian s er e th e on l eo f w g S pt b , w y p pl e wh o r esisted an d d el ayed th e Tur co - Germ an advan ce

o ard a u . o reo er th e Armen ian s a om lis ed t w B k M v , cc p h all his i eir own o r es all alon e sur r oun d ed t w th th f c , , by os ile elem en s wi ou an m ean s o f omm un i a ion h t t , th t y c c t wi h eir r ea All i f h s id en o f t th g t es o t e West . A an e v ce this we m ay men tion th e fact that dur in g th e l ast eight m onths an d a half th e Ar m en ian s have r eceived fr om th e Allies onl y rubles o f fin an cial assis an e an d th e ritis soldier s wh o were too t c , B h ” f n d ri d a ew a ar ve too l ate to s ave B ku.

- Lord Robert Cecil, the British under secre i ff tary of State for Fore gn A airs, in a letter 1 9 1 8 to Viscount Bryce dated September, , ’ enumerates Armenia s part in the war in the following manner “ On e :In th e au um n o f 1 9 1 4 th e n a ion al o n r es s o f t , t c g th e Ot om an Ar m en ian s t en s it in at Er zerum was t , h t g , ' o fiered au on om th e ur i s emis s ar ies if it ould t y by T k h , w a i el assis ur e in th e war but it r e lied at ct v y t T k y , p th whil e they would do their duty in dividuall y as Ottom an su e s e ould n ot as a n a ion or fo r th e ause bj ct , th y c , t , w k c n o f Turkey a d h er alli es . 34 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

“ Two :Followin h is oura eous re us al th e O om an g t c g f , tt Arm en ian s were system atically murdered by th e Turkish o ernm en in 1 9 1 5 m ore an eo le ein G v t, th p p b g extermin ated by th e mo st cold -blooded an d fien dis h m e thod s . “ ree : From th e e in n in f th e war a al o f Th b g g o , th t h f th e Ar m en ian n ation un der Russian s over eign ty organ ized volun eer or es an d un der eir er oi lead er en er al t f c , th h c , G An d r ani ore th e run o f s om of h e ea ies in g, b b t e t h v t fight g in th e i m i n Caucas an ca p a g . “ ’ Four : After th e Rus sian Army s breakd own at th e en d o f las ear ese Armen ian or es oo o er th e t y , th f c t k v ’ Caucasian fron t an d for five mon ths delayed th e Turks advan e t us ren derin im o r an ser i es to th e ri is c , h g p t t v c B t h Arm in eso o amia ese o er a ions in th e Al e an y M p t , th p t x d ro ol an d ri an re ion ein o f ourse un on n e ed p E v g b g, c , c ct i w th those of Baku. “ Armen ian soldiers are still fightin g in th e r ank s o f th e Allied or es in ria olun teers rin i all f c Sy v , p c p y rom Ameri e are to oun servin ali e in f ca) . Th y be f d g k th e r i is th e Fren an d in th e Am eri an armies an d B t h, ch, c , ’ have bo rn e their part in Gen er al Allen by s great victo ry ” in Pal estin e. The Armenians claim the absolute inde pen d en ce of their country on the groun d that they are lawfully entitled to sovereign posses sion of their native land just as much as Frenchmen are to France an d Englishmen are to England ; and all they ask for is their li e own country. Moreover, the Al es hav nl z under various treaties, not o y recogni ed the justice of her claim but also promised to ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 35

liberate her from Turkey, although they failed to carry out these solemn covenants . Further o in m re, the beginning of the recent war, the Armenians found themselves between Russia ur and T key, but they bravely joined the side of right and justice and fought as co -h elliger l fi ents with the A lies . They thus sacri ced over 25 per cent of their entire population while the losses of France are said to be less than 5 or 6

. o of per cent No nati n on either side the war, including Belgium, Servia and Roumania, has uff s ered more, contributed more and shed more o for An d blo d freedom than the Armenians . th ey are to-day demanding that the Great Powers shall not again make a pawn of their u o co ntry, but rest re it to its lawful owners and declare its complete Independence in the ‘ forthcoming Treaty .

6 A good m odern histo o f Arm en ia is et to b e writt en b ut th ere are ’ y ” excell ent assa es on th e su ect in L n c s rm e ia Tra els n d St ies n a . g j y h A , v ud p‘ ” rm Mi h ae See also ist o o f en ia c l Ch ami ch . On t h e rm en ia n H A , by A e 61 f e r red New ues tion see R 0 o th Tu eric . reen o r Q , k . by F k D G , Y k ” ° d h rm n ia i es M iss r 1 T r e n t e e n t ro c ti E . l T 896 u a . u e an d k y A A , by B ; k y ” “ ’ Its Peo le Sir E win Pears ; En lan s Res o n si ilit To ward Ar , by d g d p b y ’ ” m en ia Mal colm McC all Lo n o n ; Our Res o n si ilit fo r Tur e , by , d p b y k y , by “ ” th e u e o f r ll Lo n o n 1 89 6 Tra els an d Politics in rm en ia D k A gy . d . ; v A . by “ ’ No el E . Bur to n 19 1 4 . On th e res en t war m as sad o r Mo r en th a s , A u ” “b r en n Mo r en th au ew o r 1 9 1 Tre atm en 0 e Sto y, y H g . . 8 ; t th Ar b ” Y k m en ian e in th e att o ma n Em p ire (1 9 1 5 o cum en t s Pr es en t ed to D “ Vis coun t re o f allo o n iscoun t r ce Lo n on 1 9 1 6 Th e Pan G y F d , by V B y , d , ; ” erm an Plot n m as ed b n ré Ch era d a m e ith an in t ro uct io n G U k , A d w d by ” o r ro m er o n o n 1 9 1y Two W ar ears in C o ns t an tin 0 le L d C , L d , Y p . by r n W r Corres n en r ns te r m Stue mer , G erma a p t , t a la om th e Ger an y “ o d d"f b N or 1 9 1 7 rm en ia an d th e W ar E . ll en P ew . . B acch ian A , , A . y H , Y k B b with re ace isco un t r ce on on 19 1 8 . p f by V y . L d .

ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 37

The Armenians constitute the sole civiliz ing, the sole humanizing element in Anatolia ; peaceful to the degree of self- sacrifice ; law abiding to their own un doing and industrious and hopeful under conditions which would k appall the majority of man ind . At their best they are the stuff of which heroes and martyrs ” are moulded . -D R . . J. I N E D LLO ,

A w l- kn wn E n lis h wr ite n h e a a i h i el o g r o t Ne r E s t, n s “ ” A al n em r 1 9 Arm en ia an e C o t ora R eview 8 6 VC l . , pp , p y , ,

69 a 1 . , p ge “The Armenians are a people of large and noble capacities . For ages they have main tain ed th eir civilization under oppression that would have crushed almost any other people . The Armenian is one of the finest races in the

world . If I were asked to name the most de sirable races to be added by immigration to the

American population, I would name among fi ” the very rst the Armen ian . —T HE L TE NDREW HITE A A D . W ,

Un ited Sta tes Ambass a d or to Ger man an d oun d er y, f l n i h s b o o C o rn e l U versit in i Auto i ra h . f y, g p y

“ It would be difficult to fin d in the ann als of a nation less crime th an in those of the Ar 38 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

m enian s r t , whose vi ues are those of peace an d wh ose vices are the result of the oppression ” they have undergone . — RD Y LO B RON,

Wh o s tudied Ar men ian with th e Mikh itaris t Fath ers

n h I s lan d t Lazar e o t e of S . .

“ o u h They have all the s lidity of the T rk, wit out his immobility ; they have the quickness of perception and acuteness of the Greek, without

rivolit . his f y In one word, they are the Anglo ” Saxons of the East—. REv. . . W IGHT H O D ,

On e o th e rs t Am erican Mission a ries in Tur ke n f fi y, i “ ” r s an hi s Ch i ti ity in Turkey .

Among all those who dwell in western n a fir wi Asia they (the Arme ians ) st nd st, th a for t capacity intellec ual and moral progress , as well as with a natur al tenacity of will an d pur pose beyond that of all their neighbors n ot of r t r merely Turks , Ta ars, Ku ds, and u Persians , but also of R ssians . They are a strong race, not only with vigorous nerves and w sine s , physically active and energetic, but ” also of conspicuous brain power. —L0RD RYCE B ,

- s d r r B r a t h n it d s Ida Ambas a o of G eat it in o t e U e S tate .

ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 39

r an d The A menians , industrious, sober, zea ou u l s, occupied principally with agricult re, ai a u u with r sing cattle, and with m n fact ring carpets can be considered the po ssessors

of the highest civilization in Asia Minor . n i Tha ks to their apt tude and their intelligence , the Ar menians occupy the highest posi ” tions in Turkey . — V. OSEN R ,

A an uth rit in th Tii lich Run d s ch au. Germ a o y, e g e

We may say witho ut exaggeration that o in Ar not nly menia proper, but far beyond un a its bo d ries, the economic life of Turkey ”

s . re ts, in great part, upon the Armenians —D R U HRB C H . PA L RO A ,

An h w l- kn wn rman s ch lar ot er el o Ge o .

r The Sy ians, in spite of their ability, have so far never been able to push beyond places of secondary, though considerable, importance . n Arme ians, on the other hand, have attained the highest administrative ranks , and have at times exercised a decisive in fluence on the ’ ” conduct of public afl air s in Egypt . —L0RD R M ER C O , “ ” In his Mod ern E t Vcl . II a e 220. gyp , , p g 40 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

In some respects the Armen ians are the most interesting people in Asia Minor . They fi o fi are physically a n e race . It is pr li c an d comparatively free from the dead ly m maladies of im orality which, unless checked, ” will exterminate the Turkish race .

“ I believe the Armenian rac e to be the most ar tistic in Tur key . Many paint well and some o have made a reputati n in Russia and France . I can only judge of the Armenian love for music from the fact that nearly every ’ fl or family which can a d a piano has one . Every observer notes that our best native ” companies of actors are Armenians . —S IR DW IN PEARs E , For for ty years a dis tin guis h ed member of th e Eur o “ ean B ar a t on s tan tin o le in his Tur ke an d I ts p C p , y ” - Peo le a es 27 0 27 . p , p g 4

“ The Armenians are physically of good stature, strong features and manly bearing ; industrious and frugal ; loyal to their religion and their nation ; of marked ability for adapt u ing themselves to any circ mstances , whether s c of climate, o ial or political life ; very kindly, ff na an sympathetic, a ectio te, with element of ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 4 1 the j ovial in their life ; intensely proud of their history and their faith ; clannish alm ost to the s last degree, refusing such a sociation with other races as might imply the loss of their own ; of exceptionally pure morals among the Eastern races ; intense lovers of home and s family life, and hospitable in the la t degree ; i w th acute minds and suave manners , they manifest many of the essential elements of a 0 7 9 n l strong at on . - DW IN . BLIss E M , “ B irut olle e in h is Turke n d th e Ar men ia Of e C g , y a n ” At a 1 1 8 r cities e . o , p g

“In the modern intellectual revival in Turkey the Armenians were the first to respond . They not only eagerly fostered modern education among themselves and in own their country , but thousands of bright Armenian young men and women have studied in the educational centers of the world and have won distin ction by the superiority of their intellect and their unconquerable desire o and zeal for educati n . There is no race on the r t inh eri face of the ea h more worthy, by its o tance, its intrinsic w rth, its intellectual

ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 43

hr ll with Eup ates Co ege, which has continually from 550 to 600 Armenians upon its list of students, and after superintending schools ” which have more of them .

“Give the Armenian capital and a right eous n ur o gover ment, and he will t n the wh le of ” Tur key into a Gar—den of Eden in ten years . MES D R. . ART N JA L B O ,

Th e well- kn own S ecr etary of th e Am erican B oard of ommission s F r i n Mis sion s C er for o e g .

“ In the Armen ians we have a people who are peculiarly adapted to be the intermediaries of

our re the new dispensation . They profess li ion a i our l g , are f miliar w th some of best idea s, and assimilate each new product Of European culture with an avidity and thoroughness wh ich no other race between India and the Mediterranean has given any evidence of being able to rival . These capacities they have made u t manifest nder the greatest of disadvan ages, as a subject race ministering to the needs of

h o Mussulman masters . T ey kn w well that with every advance of true civilization they are 44 THE ARMENIANS

u nl s re to rise, as they will certai y fall at each relapse . “ The fact that in Turkey they are vigorously precluded from bearing arms has disposed superficial observers to regard them as ’ o difl er n c wards . A e t judgment might be meted out were they placed on an equality in this respect with their enemies the Kurds . At n ot all events , when given the chance , they have been slow to display martial qualities both in the domain of the highest strategy and in that Of personal prowess . The victorious com mander- in - ch ief for Russia in her Asiatic cam paign of 1 87 7 was an Armenian from the " - k fl district Of Lori Loris Meli o . In the same campaign the most brilliant general Of division in the Russian army was an Armenian ’ - Ter ukasofl . ff Officer g The gallant young sta , ’ T am aiefl , who planned and led the hair brained attack on the Azizi For t in front of z m for Er eru , was an Armenian, and paid his s daring with his life . At the pre ent day the o frontier police, engaged in c ntrolling the

Kurds of the border, are recruited from among fi Armenians . These examples may be suf cient u to nail to the co nter an inveterate lie , from ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 45

uff which the Armenians have s ered, at least in British estimation, more, perhaps, than from any other supposed defects . “If I were asked what characteristics distin ish d gu e the Armenians from other Orientals, I shoul d be disposed to lay most stress on a quality kn own in popular speech as grit . It is this quality to which they owe their preser va tion as a people and they are not surpassed in this respect by any European nation . Their intellectual capacities are supported by a solid oun o f f dation character, and, unlike the u Greeks, but like the Germans , their nat re is averse to superficial methods ; they be come absorbed in their tasks and plumb e them deep . There is no race in the N arer East more quick of learning than the Persians ; yet should you be visited by a Per sian gentleman accompanied by his Armenian o man of business , take a b ok down from your on e o shelves , better with illustrati ns, and the conversation turning upon some subject to treated by its author, hand it them after a passing reference . The Persian will look at

u s . the pict re , which he will praise The Arme nian will devour the book and at each pause 46 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA in the conversation you will see him poring over it with knitted brows . These tendencies are naturally accompanied by forethought and balance ; and they have given the Armenian ’ - ir his pre eminence in comm ercial afl a s . He is not less clever than the Greek ; but he sees r wi fu ther, and, although ingrained th the petty Of vices all Oriental traders , the Armenian merchant is quick to appreciate the ad vantages of fair dealing when they are suggested by the conditions un der which his vocation is pursued . A friend with a large experience of the wi o u Balkans, th their heterogeneous urban p p ation s as l , has told me, an interesting fact, that in the statistics of bankruptcy for those coun tries the proportion o f the Armenians impli cated is comparatively low . Inasmuch as such bankruptcies are usually more or less of a r fraudulent natu e, the fact indicates not , so perhaps, much the greater integrity of n t o Arme ians , as their power resist an imme diate temptation and their promptitude in recognizin g the monetary value of commercial stability . “But in order to estimate this people at any u r t u thing like their tr e wo h, one sho ld study ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANS 47

them not in the Levant, with its widespread o c rruption, but in the Russian provinces of ? Armenia. For what was it that I saw v In every trade and in e ery profession, in busi ness an d in the Goverm n en t services the Armenian was without a rival and in full pos session Of the field . He equips the postal r ou se vice by which y travel, and if you are so for tunate as to fin d an in n the landlord will be an Armenian . Most of the villages in which you so3ourn are inhabited by a brawny ns Armenian peasantry . In the tow , if the local governor att aches to your ser vice the i head of the local pol ce, it will be a stalwart Armen ian in Russian uniform who will fin d you either a lodging or a shad y garden in which on wa to erect your tents . If you remark the y some well- built edifice which aspires to archi tectural design, it will be the work of an Arme nian builder from Alexandropol . In that city u e itself, where the Armenians are most n m r ous , the love of building, which was so marked e s a characteristic of their for fathers , has blo som ed again among kinder circumstances ; a spacious cathedral and several large chur ches stand among new stone houses fronted with 48 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

o ambiti us facad es . The monetary tran s actions o f the country are in the hands of k Armenian bankers . The s illed w—orkmen jewellers, watchmakers, carpenters are Ar menians . Indeed were it not for the fac t that the governors and chief police Officials of a large districts are Russians , and that Coss cks and Russian regular soldiers may here an d s t there be seen, the traveler would not su pec was o u that he in a Russian pr vince, and wo ld go the way be listed with the mo st serene com posure until he was rudely awakened by some abrupt collision with the Russian system an d

. th e brought to his proper mind As it is, a Armenian has edged out the Russi n, and, if u peace were allowed her conquests nhindered, ” he would ultima—tely rule in the land. C OL ENRY . YNC H . H F . B L , “ ” A men ia Trav ls an d Studi s a e I n h is r e e V l . I , , o , p g

465. “The Armenians of the present day are the direct descendants of the people who in habited the country three thousand years ago . Th eir origin is so ancient that it is lost in fable an d un mystery . There are still undeciphered c e iform r ll Of Van insc iption s on the rocky hi s ,

ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIANs 49 th e ar r i l gest A menian c ty, that have led certain sc ar — n — hol s though not ma y, I must admit to identify the Armenian race with the Hittites Of th fi e Bible . What is de nitely known about th e r a A meni ns, however, is that for ages they h ave constituted the most civilized and most industrious race in the eastern section of the O o n tt m an Empire . From their mountai s they ’ h a u an d ve spread over the S ltan s dominions , form a considerable element in the population of all the large cities . Everywhere they are n r k own for their indust y, their intelligence, an d their decent and orderly lives . They are so superior to the Turks intellectually and morally that much of the business an d industry s k h as passed into their hand . With the Gree s, th e Armenians constitute the eco nomic strength of the empire . These people became Christian s in the fourth century and estab lish ed the Armenian Church as their state re li on gi . This is said to be the oldest Christian

Church in existence . “ In face of persecutions which have h ad n o par allel elsewhere these people have clung to their early Christian faith with the utmost fi u dr tenacity. For fteen h n ed years they have 50 THE ARMENIANs INEAMERICA

8. a lived there in Armenia, little isl nd of Chris tians surrounded by backward peoples of i host le religion and hostile race . Their long

existence has been one unending martyrdom . The territory which they inhabit forms the con n ectin g link between Europe and Asia, and — all the Asiatic invasions Saracens , Tartars , — o Mongols, Kurds and Turks have passed ver

their peaceful country . For centuries they f have thus been the Belgium O the East . Through all this period the Ar menians have

regarded themselves not as Asiatic, but as Eu ro ean - an p s . They speak an Indo European l

guage, their racial origin is believed by scholars a to be Aryan, and the f ct that their religion is the religion of Europe has always made them

turn their eyes westward . And out Of that W a al estern country, they h ve ways hoped, would some day come the deliveran ce that would rescue them from their murderous 7

. masters — ENRY ORGENTHAU H M ,

“ Ew- Un ited tates Ambassad r t Tur ke in h i Am S o o y, s ’ ” - bas sad or Mor en th au s S tor a es 287 9 . g y, p g

7 For th e n otations rom erm a n auth ors I am in e te t o Mr . Arsh a f G " d b d g Mah d esian t 0 Edit or of Th e New rm enia . , A CHAPTER II

THE PIONEERS (1 61 8 - 1 89 4 )

HERE were Armenians among the first

settlers in Am erica . We are indebted to the records Of the Virginia Company Of London for the interesting information that “ ” 1 Martin the Armenian was a member Of the n Colony at Jamestow , Virginia, as early as

1 61 1 61 9 . 8 or The exact date of his landing, the name Of the vessel that brought him here an d the circumstances that induced him to cross Of the Atla ntic are unknown . But all the bits references to him put together lead to the con clusion that he came here as one Of the servants 2 Of Governor George Yeardley . While in

r ir i 1 an cr t P e s in a N r Pu Li r V . II o ap , V g ( ew o lic ra y) , o l ages —B f Y k b b , p 1 He is rob b ' h e o h n M in h 1 9 7 99 . p a b t J art lis ted as on e of t e Adven t ure rs ’ S ’ in th e o m n s oo . ee orce s Tracts Vo l . III a m h let calle C p y F , , p p d a . B k ' eclarati o n of th e St at e o f th e o lon ie an d Afl aires m ir in ia : ith A D " C V g w

th e Nam es of th e Ad ven t ur ors . 2 On Se tem er 25 1 629 E m un Ro ssin h am a n e h e of o ern or p b , , d d g , p w G v ’ eor e ea r le le a claim a ain st th e lat ter s est at e fo r ser ice s G g Y d y , fi d g v ren er It a ea rs t h at ear e h ad em lo e o s in h am in 1 61 8 d ed . p Y dl y p y d R s g s en t o ok h i i Th a h is ag t o aft er s p la n tatio n n Virgin ia . e Privy Coun ci l re erre th matt er t o Sir u le i es Sir Maurice ot t an d Mess rs f d e D d D gg , Abb . h om i es n d S m Th r re n d T as G bb a a uel rote . e Refe ees p o rt a fin din gs state : an d als o th e t estim o n of Jo h n Mart in se r an t t o sai eo r e y , v d G g ear le an d th e n resi en t in ir inia t esti in th e etitio ne r t h en Y d y , d V g , fy g p

to h a e h ad o er n eat e easte et c . ert i cat e of Th o m as i s v f w b , C fi G bb an d m ro S r Sa uel te . ritish tate Pa e s olon i VOLV No . 1 5 1 a e 9 al 8 . W B p , C , , , , p g 52 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA

Virginia he acquired British citizenship which undoubtedly entitles h im to the distinction of being the first naturalized person on the Am er

ican continent . After remaining here for about four years he returned to England in “ ” 1 622 with a parcell Of tobacco which he had

raised in Virginia . Upon his reaching Lon don the customs Officer s imposed double the amount Of the regular duties on his importa

tion because he was a foreigner by birth . ’ Thereupon Martin appealed to the Company s

r . e Cou t for a reassessment His p tition, dated ° 8 1 622 d : May , , rea s as follows “ John Martin the Persian m akin ge humble ' suite for the Companies fauor to the fl arm o rs Of his Mats Custom e to free him from p ayin ge double C ustom e wch they required Of him beinge a Stran ger n otwith stan din ge he was

made a freeman in Virginia by Sr. Geo : Yeardley then G ouern or as by Certificate vn d er the C ollon ies Seale appeared An sweare was mad e touch in ge his freedom that none but the Kinge could make him a free d en izon of Custom e d em aun d ed England, and for the

3 In th e beginnin g of th e 1 7 th cen tury a large art of Arm enia was in e Sh f P r e a s eakm arti n m ust h a e een vad d by ah Abas o e sia . L g lly p g v b rsi n a Pe a subj ect . THE PIONEERS 53

' the fl arm or s th em selues could not nowe re mitt in reguard they had already en tred the parcel!into their bOOke and charged it vp on c wh er v on t Ac ount, e p it beinge aken into con sid er a on r eleiued was c howe he might be , he at length ad uised to petiEon vuto my Lo : Trear for r em ittin ge the said imposiEon in reguard he was a freman of Virginia and intended to r etur n e thither again e wth some servante out Of the proceed Of that smale par cell of Tobacco he !here!brought ou er to ” supplie his wante . 20 1 622 was On May , , the Court, which presided over by Lord Cavendish, rendered the following decision “ The Courte takin ge into con sid er acon the request Of Mr . Martin the Persian touching the double charge imposed vp on his Tobacco ’ by the fl earm ors in reguard he was a Stranger and h avin ge informed th em selues Of the r iuiled e Of iues p g their Patent, that g them power to en fr an ch ies Strangers and make them capeable thereby Of the like im un ities that th em selues enjoy :Haue therefore ordered ' that the Secretary shall repaire to the fl arm o rs of the Custom e with a Coppie of the said 54 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA clause and that with the Courte special!comen

Of . a vn to en dacon Mr M rtin them, and to treat their fauo r toward e him rather in respect Of his good likin ge to the Plantation whither

i a ain e wch he ntends to goe g , may happily encourage other strangers to the like resolution ” to go ouer thither . The valuable records of the Virginia C om pany Of London contain a number of refer

en ces to this Armenian . It appears that he ’ became a member Of the Company s Standing Committee and attended many Of its important

sessions . He is mentioned in the minutes of “ ” an extraordinary meeting held on October “ 20 1 623 ar Arm ean ean , , as M tin an When the question as to whether or not the Company should surrender its charter to the King was “ ” n put to vote , Martin the Arme ian, with

a an d h Lord Arg ll seven others , raised, his and “ ” Arm en ean for the affirmative . Martin was present at an important deliberation Of

e 1 2 1 623 . the Committee held on Novemb r , “ He is again referred to as Martin ye Ar

Th o urt o o . 4 Th e Records of th e Vir in ia Co m p an y o f Lo n don . e C B k

V . II a e 1 3 . E ite Susan M ra Kin s ur Vol . I a e 633 o l d d by y g y , , p g , , p g THE PIONEERS 55

O O mema In another meeting that took place on a 1 4 Janu ry , The next two Armenians came to Am erica in 1 653 under the most interesting circum

stances . There was at this time a great deal Of enthusiasm to produce silk in Virginia . Unsuccessful experiments h ad been made in the care and raising Of silkworms an d mul berry trees which furnish the chief nourishment

e a . d Of for these cat rpill rs Edwar Digges , one Of the leading members the Colony, having

e s heard through his fath r, then the Engli h m A bassador to Russia, that the Armenians Of were expert cultivators silkworms , brought “ over at h is own expense two Of them who enj oyed a high reputation in their native land ” for their skill and experience . The result Of the work Of these men was so promising that

1 654 e n e Of in , John F rrer, an ear st supporter “ a e e the Comp ny, wrote a po m dedicat d To the Most Noble Deserving Esquire Digges :Upon

5 n cro P ers r inia N r P Li r V II a t a i ( ew o u lic ra o l . a e s B f p , V g , Y k b b y) , , g - 1 97 199 . Th e Reco rds of th e Virgin ia Co m p an y of Lo n don ; t h e ourt

. E M 4 4 n d 4 oo ite Susan ra Kin ur Vo l . II a es 7 3 7 7 a 9 8 . B k d d by y b y , , p g al s ri i sh d r Br See o t S at e Pa er l n . A exan e o wn in t s o o i Vol . II a e 53 l B p , C , p g l , ” h is Th e irst Re u lic in m erica a e 554 s u est s t h at th e real nam e of F p b A , g , gg Martin mi h t h a e een Martian h ioph as all t h e elem en ts an d soun of a g v b , w d m m T r r f h n H es . go od A en ian na e . h e A m enian o Jo is o van n s ” 6 Eco n omic is tor of ir inia in th e 1 7 th en tur Ph i li . H y V g C y . by p A

ruce Vo l . I a e 365 . B . , p g

THE PIONEERS 57

in quest of prosperity during the rest of the 1 7 th and 1 8th centuries It is not at all im probable that through the influence Of the Armenians already in Virginia others may e hav come here, particularly from Holland and India W here Armenian merchants were n consta tly in touch with England . The Armenian pioneer iImn igr an ts began to come to the United States about three years after the Am erican missionaries planted 1 831 Of ( ) at Bebek, a suburb Constantinople , th e nucleus Of their present great enterprise

in the Ottoman Empire . According to the Kh ach ad oor Os an an best accounts , it was g g ,

a pupil of the new mission school, who started

the movement towards America . He is said to 1 4 have landed in New York in 83 . He was followed by another student who Oh tain ed a medical degree from Princeton and

then returned to pract ise in Constantinople .

1 841 r v Of . In one of the se ants Dr Dwight, a

r . missiona y, settled in Brooklyn In the same H V bedi n . aroutoon ah a a y ear Rev , who later e b came a Patriarch, entered the Union Theo i i Of log cal School . Thr ough the nfluence other

9 T n in 1 h e Arm en ian version of th e Bible was first p rinted in Holla d 666 . 58 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA Am erican missionaries two more students came

to this country in 1 843 and went to Yale . One Sero ian of them, Christopher der p , is said to have inaugurated the Class Boo k custom at

Yale, and he is also credited with having dis covered the black and green colors now used 1 845 on all United States paper currency. In

Sero a Of p Alish n, brother Father Alishan, r e the distinguished A m nian poet, reached

1 848 - 1 849 America . Between an Armenian a merchant, nother student and two other

Armenians came to the United States . The number of Armenians arriving in America during the next twenty years (1 850

1 87 0 fift - fiv f ) totals about y e . A few O these e n w re stude ts, but the maj ority came here to e f l arn trades . This notable change O purpose

was probably due to the late Dr . Cyrus Ham Of lin, founder Robert College in Constan tin o le Of i p , who was a strong exponent teach ng the natives in Turkey modern methods of in

d ustry . The student class studied medicine an d dentistry, and in this connection I might n C alousdian mention Doctors Simon Mi asian, B orn i Mat ao sian r v and g , who se ed in the hos it ls p a in Philadelphia during the Civil War . THE PIONEERS 59

There are also accounts Of some Armenian volunteer soldiers and an orderly who fought nk Of Of in the ra s the Northern Army . Most ni the Arme ans of this period, however, devoted

- themselves to learn trades . The well known ' Ha o Matao sian n i g p , whose pri t ng and pub lishin g house in Constantinople is the largest

an d Of . best in Turkey, was one them It was fi at this time, too , that for the rst time three n Armenian girls came to the U ited States . An old Armenian resident in New York states

1 863 fift - five in a letter that in ( y years ago ) , there were about ten Armenians in Am erica Of who, with the exception two or three, lived 1 87 5 u in in New York City. In this n mber Of creased to about seventy, most them being in New York and the rest scattered in th e n : W orces followi g cities Jersey City, fi ter, Boston, Providence, Troy, Spring eld,

Lowell and Rochester, and one had gone as fi far as the Paci c Coast . The next twenty- four years (1 87 0- 1 89 4 ) brought a noticeable increase in the number of Armenians coming to this country . By this time the Am erican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions had gradually expanded 60 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA

h ad its activities throughout Turkey . It o r founded colleges , high scho ls , prima y schools and churches not on ly in C on stan tin o le r p but also in other cities like Smy na,

Adana, Marash, Diarbekir , Harpout, Marso van and Sivas . The increase Of American mis sio n ary work brought with it a corresponding increase of Armenian immigration to the

- United States . A total Of between thirty five and forty Armenian students , at various times in this period (1 87 0 were enr olled at n i m Yale, Pri ceton, Un on, Andover, A herst,

Wisconsin, New York University and Clark n University . Duri g this period, too, the United States became a place of sanctuary for

Armenian political refugees . The Hunt ch aggist movement was started in 1 883 and many of its leaders fled to Am erica to escape persecution . From the foregoing brief account covering a period of 60 years (1 834 certain in ere tin c t s g con lusions are to be drawn . In the fi fi rst place, it is quite evident that the rst Ar m en ian s who came here were not immigrants

in the real sense of the word . They belonged - i n d to the wide awake, amb tious a educated

THE PIONEERS 61

as s. cl They came here to go to school, to learn a tr des, to engage in commerce , and a few to i in escape political persecut on, but with the tention of returning to their country within a

short time . The second important conclusion is that the idea o f comin g to the United States

was due wholly to the American missionaries . Th e third point to note is that there were not more than three thousand Armenians actually 1 residin g in the United States in 89 4 . These came from a dozen or more different localities or cities in Turkey and founded small settle in ments New York, Worcester, Boston, HO Providence , Hartford, Philadelphia,

boken, Troy, Chicago and Fresno, Cal . , which in in cities later years , as we shall see the next Of chapter, became centers the present great 1 0 Armenian colonies .

10 For th e nam es ates an d accoun ts of th e rm en ians wh o cam e t o , d A th e n ite St ates rom 1 834 t o 1 87 4 I am es ecial in e te t o rch U d f , p ly d b d A

IMMIGRATION AND D ISTRIBUTION 63

t any hing better, however, we are obliged to

rely upon them constantly . Up to 1 89 8 the Bureau Of Immigration classified immigrants according to the country of their birth or origin and not according to

their race or language . For example a Turk, i l an Armen an, a Greek, a Jew or a Bu garian coming from the Ottoman Empire was put u down as an immigrant from Turkey . Co se quently there are no accurate statistics touch ing the Armenians as a distinct class of immi 1 89 9 fi u grants prior to . The g res employed here by me for the period between 1 834 to and including 1 89 8 are based upon a careful an aly Of sis such general statistics as are available, together with an eye on surrounding historical circumstances and the opinions of the Oldest members of the various Armenian colonies in o fi this country . The task of c mpiling gures for the years following 1 89 8 has been made a little easier because since that time the Depart an ment of Immigration , pursuant to Act of is Congress , establ hed the practical system of

classifying immigrants by their race . 64 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

IMMIGRATION FROM TURKEY TO THE UNITED SHMVEES 108344 89£P Turkey Turkey Turkey Year in Ya w in EurOp e 1 884 1 1 865 1 4 1 885 1 866 1 8 1 886 1 867 26 1 887 1 868 4 1 888 1 869 1 8 1 889 M 1 87 0 6 1 840 H 1 87 1 28 1 84 1 Q 1 87 2 20 1 842 N 1 87 8 58 Q 1 848 Q 1 87 4 62 Q 1 844 HO 1 87 5 27 H 1 84 5 Q 1 87 6 88 Q 1 846 Q 1 87 7 82 Q 1 847 N 1 87 8 29 Q 1 848 Q 1 87 9 29 OH 1 849 G 1 880 24 Q 1 850 HG 1 88 1 7 2 Q 1 85 1 N 1 882 69 1 852 Q 1 888 86 1 858 HQ 1 884 1 50 1 854 Q 1 885 1 8 8 1 855 Q 1 886 1 7 6 1 5 1 856 G 1 887 206 208 1 857 1 888 207 27 8 1 858 1 889 252 59 8 1 859 1 89 0 206 1 1 26 1 860 1 89 1 265 2488 1 86 1 1 89 2 1 88 1 1 862 1 89 8 6 25 1 868 1 89 4 29 8 1 864 1 1

o al rom ur e in As ia 47 7 7 T t f T k y , a r om ur e in uro e 469 5 To t l f T k y E p , Gran d Total 947 2 IMMIGRATION AND D ISTRIBUTION 65

NUMBER OF ARMENIANS AD MITTED INTO THE UNITED STATES (1 895

Adm itt ed Year Male Fem ale To tal D ebarred Depart ed 1 89 5 a 8 27 67 0 b 1 89 6 29 1 5 1 224 4 1 39 0 b 1 89 7 3203 1 532 4 7 32 0 b 1 89 8 26 1 5 1 624 427 5 0 b 1 89 9 4 7 1 203 6 7 4 80 1 9 00 7 4 8 284 9 82 2 2 1 9 01 1 864 4 9 1 1 855 2 1 1 9 02 9 46 2 05 1 1 5 1 1 8 1 9 03 1 4 24 385 1 7 59 59 1 9 04 1 3 1 5 480 1 7 4 5 4 8 1 9 05 1 389 589 1 87 8 80 1 9 06 1 4 28 47 2 1 89 5 64 1 9 07 1 87 4 7 7 0 264 4 85 1 9 08 209 7 1 202 82 9 9 1 46 284 1 9 09 2 59 5 5 1 8 8 1 08 9 4 56 1 1 9 1 0 4 6 86 822 5508 827 52 1 1 9 1 1 2 648 4 49 809 2 8 1 9 9 01 1 9 1 2 44 7 6 7 46 5222 280 7 1 8 1 9 1 8 7 89 3 1 460 9 853 848 67 6 1 9 1 4 6588 1 252 7 7 85 4 1 5 1 250 1 9 1 5 6 85 247 9 82 6 7 1 9 9 1 9 1 6 7 7 5 1 89 9 6 4 4 9 6 59 1 9 1 7 1 01 7 204 1 22 1 5 1 88

24 7 7 5852

1 It ill be n otice th at r o m 1 834- 1 89 4 a erio of 60 ears th e t otal w d f . p d y . 9 4 2 h at ere h e n tion lit f n um ber of immigran t s fro m Turkey is 7 . W w t a a y o e i n n Th e m a h a e ee n r ee s l arian s S n an s a th se s o t o n . u s k w y y v b G k , B g , y , l M o Im on is th at f th is num er a ou onl ere wel as Arm en ian s . y p o b b t y w rm enians o f h ich return e t o Tur e lea in a out In th e A , w d k y , v g b 4 Unit ed St at es in 1 89 . 2 Com piled from th e an n ual re ort s of th e Unite d St at es Co mmission of m r n n I mi ratio n . a Sex n ot iven p um be o t i en 0 r ace n ot i e but g ( ) g , (b g v , ( ) g v ; n o doubt th ey were Ar m enian s leavm g Turk ey on accoun t of th e m assacr es of - 1 894 96 .

IMMIGRATION AND D ISTRIBUTION 67 period (1 89 4 - 1 9 1 7 ) an d about for those d who have eparted from the United States , leaving a balance of And if we add to this number about children born in this country of Armenian parents we woul d have a total of Armenians in the United

States tod ay .

ARMENIANS ADMITTED INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM SPECIFIC COUNTRIES E N 1 89 AND JN 80 1 9 1 B TWEE 9 U E , 7 Austria- Hun gary 4 3 Switzerl an d 1 9 1 r Belgium 2 Tu key in Eur op e . 1 Bulgaria 58 Turkey in Asia . Fr an ce 37 7 Gr eat B r itain 9 1 4 Germ an y 4 1 Chin a 1 0 Gr eece 27 5 In di a 88 Italy 4 0 Africa (Egy pt ) 894 Nethe r l an d s 2 Aus tr alia 4 No r way 3 C an ad a P ortugal 4 Mexico 8 Ro um an ia 9 5 South Am er ica 822 Rus s ia West In di es 1 8 Sp ain 5 Other Coun tries 1 39 Swed en 1

Com pil ed fr om th e an n ual r ep or ts o f th e Com m ission

- o f Im m i r ation . 1 89 9 1 9 1 . g , 7

One of the tables in this chapter denotes the countries from which the admitted into i n 1 89 9 an d 1 9 1 7 the Un ted States, betwee , 68 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

fi came . These gures indicate that the influx of Armenian immigration has been principally from Turkey, with to her credit . Russia is next with There were a 9 1 4 r from Can da, from Great B itain , 69 4 822 from Egypt , from South America, 327 27 5 1 58 from France , from Greece, from

Bulgaria, and less than a hundred each from

- Germany, Austria Hungary, Spain , Sweden, z a t Swit erland, Indi , Australia, Mexico, Wes

Indies and other countries . I believe that the majority of those reported as having come an d from Canada, Great Britain, Egypt France merely passed through these countries on their way to the United States . Considerable importance is Often attached to who furnishes the money for the transporta tion Of immigrants to the United States an d what is the financial status Of an imm igrant at the time of his landing in this country . According to the statistics per cent of the

Armenians pay their own expenses , per 5 c cent receive aid from relatives and . per ent 8 from other sources . The form of the question asked by the Immigration exam iners on this

3 Re ort of th e Im m i rat ion ommission . Statistical Revie . Vol . 1 11 p g C w , page 361 . IMMIGRATION AND DISTRIBUTION 69 matter does not usually elicit the correct and desired answer . Technically speaking, most m i migrants pay for their own passage, but as a matter Of fact a large percentage Of them borrow the necessary funds from friends and m relatives in A erica . The table below indi cates the average per capita amount Of money shown by immigrants when they come to the ‘ United States .

Arm en ian Bulgarian an d Servian Cr oatian - Slovan ian Gr eek Hebr ew Italian (S outh) P olish Roum an ian

Ruth en ian Slo vak Syrian

In the last ten years about Armenians have departed from the United States for other countries against admitted in the 1 4 same period , or an average of about to every hundred . Among other races the aver age number leaving this country for every n : hu dred coming in is as follows Bulgarians ,

4 Re orts of th e Immi ration om mission Statistical Re ie Vol . 1 1 1 p g C , v w, , page 350.

IMMIGRATIONAND DISTRIBUTION 7 1

NUMBER OF ARMENIANS WHEN LANDING INDICATING INTENTION OF GOING TO THE STATES SPECIFIED 0 (1 39 9 - 1 9 1 7 )

Al abam a 58 Mon tan a 5 Al aska 3 Nebraska 1 3 Arizon a 3 Nevad a 1 Arkan sas 1 New Hampshire 522 Californ ia New Jer sey Col or ad o 6 1 New Mexico 1 Con n ecticut New Yor k District o f Co lumbia 2 8 No rth Carolin a 3 Flo rid a 1 8 Ohio 4 01 Georgia 3 Okl ahom a 7 H awaii 1 Or egon 1 5 Id aho 8 P en n s ylvan ia Illin ois P orto Rico 4 In di an a 1 6 7 Rho d e Isl an d Io wa 82 South C ar olin a 1 Kan s as 1 1 South D akota 1 3 Ken tucky 1 1 Ten n es see 3 Lo uisian a 1 0 Texas 263 Main e 547 Utah 6 5 Maryl an d 4 3 Verm on t 4 1 Mas sachus etts Virgin ia 1 33 Michigan Washin gton 7 1 Min n esota 6 7 West Virgin ia 2 3 Missis sippi 6 Wis con sin Missouri 649 Wyomin g 2 Before an immigrant is permitt to leave the port of landing, he is required to state where he in tends to go directly . Out of a total

6 o m ile rom th e ann ual re orts of th e om mission of Immi ration C p d f p C g , - 1 899 19 1 7 .

IMMIGRATION AND D ISTRIBUTION 7 3

a shifting of population, and among the Ar m en ian s there has been a steady and growing ni migration to Califor a, where there are more Of them than in any other state . The largest ni single Arme an colony is in New York City, and the next largest is in Fresno , Cal ., and then follow Worcester, Boston, Philadelphia, Chi i cago , West Hoboken, Jersey City, Detro t, ’ Los Angeles , Troy and Cleveland . CHAPTER IV CAUSES OF IMMIGRATION T was the presence of and contact with the Am erican missionaries in Turkey that started the movement Of Armenian emi r ation g to the United States . Before Doctors o an d S ch aufller Go dell, Dwight of the Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions set tled 1 831 in Constantinople in , we have no record of any Armenians coming to the United ni States, except those who were in Virgi a back 1 834 Of in the seventeenth century . In one the students of the Bible study class formed by these missionaries at Bebek (a suburb of Con

stan tin o ple ) reached New York . From that time up to 1 87 4 the seventy or more who fol lowed him to this country were in some way connected with the newly established Protes tant communities and schools of the American

missionaries . In the beginning they came

chiefly from Constantinople , but as soon as the Am ericans extended their Operations to other cities such as Nicom ed ea (near B rousa ) CAUSE S OF IMMIGRATION 7 5

Smyrna, Aintab, Adana, Marash, it soon re sulted in stirring Ar menians from these places also towards the New World . Aside from the fact that the going Of the Americans to the various cities in Turkey preceded the coming of the Ar menians from those cities to the United States , there are also the reports, publications and correspondence of the mis sion aries in which one frequently meets with the names of th e early Ar menians who came to this coun try . Up to about 1 880 there were so few Arme n ian s in the United States that it has been possible to prepare a more or less complete a be list of their names . But when the Sult n

Hun tch a ist so - gan to persecute the gg , a called t in revolutionary socie y, there was a decided crease, and while this increase was due to the prevailing political unrest that culminated in Of 1 89 4 1 89 5 1 89 6 l the massacres , and , sti l the reason why those who fled chose the United Of States as a place refuge instead of France, England or Switzerland is unquestionably found in th e influence of the American mis i s on aries . Immigration of the Ar menians to the

CAUSE S OF IMMIGRATION 7 7

“ A dozen missionaries have told me that the brightest and most promising youn g men and di a women in their strict, and especi lly the best teachers in their schools have emigrated . For am ex ple, the church at Harpout had members one year and the next . The - u balance had gone to America . One fo rth of the congregation of the mission church at Bitlis i em grated almost in a body last year . It would be a great deal better for Turkey if these people would stay at home and use the kn owledge and principles they have gained in the regeneration of their country ; but it cann ot be denied that they are am ong the most valuable immigrants Of all the aliens that go ” to the United States . Another incident contributed materially towards increasing the volume of Ar menian imm igration after the massacres . The cold blooded murder of over Christians ar oused the sympathy Of the American public to such a degree that their kin dness towards Armenians already here and the welcome the refugees received were un precedented .

Churches, clubs, charitable societies vied with one another to clothe and feed them and to fin d 7 8 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA suitable homes and profitable employment for them . The immigrants wrote home describing the wonders of the New World and the gen ff erosity of the American people . The e ect of

was . these letters dynamic Friends , relatives a Of and neighbors , he ring the luck of those who had come here and having before them the n unsettled condition of their own cou try, de cid ed at once to emigrate to the land of “gold ” and honey . 1 9 08 There is still another cause . In Sultan Abdul Hamid was dethroned and a C on stitu B e tion al Monarchy established in Turkey . fore this change took place Christians were excluded from the army and a tax was imposed on them in lieu of military service . Under this new law Christians were inducted into the army . For obvious reasonsthe Armenians did not look upon this with favor or pride and therefore many young men of military age left the country and came to America . The causes of Ar menian immigration from Turkey to the United States may be summ ar ized as follows :It was started through the in S ub e fl uen ce of the American missionaries . s quently the inauguration of persecution by the

CAUSE S OF IMMIGRATION 7 9

S ultan Of Armenian leaders and the Arme n ian s in general upon the pretense of suppress “ ” ing a revolution added largely to the ann ual number of those who were coming here . The massacres Of 1 89 4 - 1 89 5- 1 89 6 finally forced thousands to seek the United States for safety . The welcome and comparatively better and brighter opportunities found in this coun try by the refugees encouraged others to emigrate u un also . In partic lar the yo g men came here r to escape milita y service, or to go to school un or to engage in some business . The yo g l women came principa ly to marry. There m u were those, of course, who i migrated beca se of the unsettled and un safe political conditions and general poverty in their native land . A few have come to join friends and relatives, and “ ” still others because it h ad become th e style

in certain localities to go to America . CHAPTER V THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIE S

HE statistics I have tabulated from th e reports of the Comm issioner of Imm i gration disclose certain valuable d at a concerning the industrial character of the Ar am m en ian s . They show that ong these people the percentage of skilled laborers and profes sioual men is greater than among an y othe r race of immigrants coming from Southeaster n d Europe an the Ottoman possessions in Asia . 1 89 9 r a ad Since , A menians h ve been

m itted . into the United States Of these, were skilled workmen representing fot ty-nin e kinds of trades ; were farmers ; 7 82 were professional men, teachers, lawyers, doctors , an d clergymen, engineers, artists and writers , a u e s were merchants , manuf ct rers, bank r and agents . The next table presents more forcibly the relative superiority of the Arme n ian s in this respect when compared with other o - s called newer immigrant peoples . THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTR IES 81

Pro fes Skilled Farm Laborers In o th er sioual Laborers Labo rers Occup ations Arm enian s Bul garians 1 3 Greeks . Ir ish Poli sh 2

Roum ani an s . 2 Syrian s Repo r ts o f th e Immigr ation Co mmission Statistical

R ie l . III a 6 . ev w, Vo , p ge 9

OCCUPATIONS OF ARMENIAN IMMI GRANTS WHEN ADMITTED INTO THE UNITED STATES (1 39 9 - 1 9 1 7 )

PROFESSIONAL Actors 1 8 Musician s 1 7 Ar chitects 1 7 Official s (Govern m en t) 7 Clergy 1 07 Physician s 35 Edito r s 20 Sculpto r s 8:Artists 32 Electr ician s 1 7 Teachers 334 En gin eer s 4 2 Others 84 Lawyers 1 2 Liter ary per so ns 40 Total 7 82

SKILLED

Bakers 44 5 C igar ette m akers 3 B arbers 7 1 8 Cigar m aker s 3 Blacksmiths 7 20 Cigar packer s 1 Bookbin d er s 22 Clerks Accoun tan ts 4 23 B rewers 1 Dressm akers 1 20 Butchers 205 En gin eers 7 1 Cabin etm aker s 20 En gr aver s 1 1 Carpen ters 1 4 1 9 Fur riers 1 1

THE ARMENIANS IN IND USTRIES 83 task of finding suitable employment un der the conditions existing in the United States is ffi beset with many di culties and hardships . The skill and experience many possess in some particular trad e or handicraft is not usually an

r ih Old asset in ea ning a livel ood here . In the country all commodities, if not imported from

England, France , Germany and America, are

r acti made by hand, while here in America p cally every article in daily use is produced by machinery with which the Armenians are absolutely un fam iliar . They are further handicapped because they are regarded as “ ” foreigners, many are excluded from Trade

Of Unions , and their ignorance the English language as well as Of the customs Of the country so unlike those to which they had been accustomed for centuries, aggravates the dif ficulti es they are bound to encounter . On the other hand those who have a small capital dare

Of not start a business their own, as they might n have done in their native land, on accou t of the serious competition and disadvantages they must face The educated and the pro fessio n al class also discover that their learning is not on ly a drop in a bucket but far inferior 84 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

to the standard required here . Thus with ra re exceptions all Armenian immigrants ar e obliged to commence life in the New World

by undertaking some sort of manual labor . Whatever success they attain in future years is due purely to their native ambition and in lli n e te ge c . We have seen in a preceding chapter that while Armenians have settled in nearly every

Of m state in the Union, still ninety per cent the s are located in New York, Ma sachusetts , a Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvani , a Illinois , Michigan, Wisconsin and C lifornia . It is therefore to them that we must turn our

attention .

In the New England States , in Boston ,

Lynn, Lowell, Haverhill, Brockton, Salem , a fi Peabody, N shua, Spring eld, Worcester ,

Whitinsville , Hartford, Providence, Woon

socket, etc . , they work in the shoe factories, in n the iron fou dries, in the machine shops , and

in the woolen mills . Almost the entire colony in Troy is engaged in the shirt and collar in

d ustr . a y In P terson and West Hoboken ,

. J. . N , they are employed in the silk mills It is difficult to say what is their principal occu THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES 85

patiou in New York City . Some are in the oriental rug repairing trade , others work in mercantile houses , many are waiters in the best hotels an d restaurants ; the Penn syl vania Railroad Company uses a large num ber as porters , and a still larger number of them are scattered in hundreds Of other occupations so abun dant in such Penn s l a city as New York . Throughout y vania Armenians have been found not only in the mills and factories in Philadelphia , but also in the bituminous coal mines . In the cities of dl r the mid e west such as Cleveland, Ak on,

d . . Gran Rapids, St Louis , East St Louis,

Chicago, they work in the great iron and steel r shops , in the automobile and fu niture manu facturin g establishments and in the slaughter houses . The Armenian workmen in these industries have rightfully earned the reputation of being among the most industrious in our h eteroge Of O r neon s laboring population . Years pp es sion and struggle for existence against untold economic barriers have made them accustomed a to hard work . Temper nce is the prevailing habit among them because beer, whiskey and

THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES 87

n 636 59 5 49 4 nia , $ ; Polish, $ ; Russian, $ ; 569 582 Ruthenian, $ ; Slovak, $ , and Syrian,

$59 4 . Next in importance to the Ar menians work ing in the manufacturing and mining indus in s r Ar tries the ea te n states , there are the me

nian farmers in California . The Immigration Commission made a special study of the colony

in Fresno which deserves to be quoted .

THE SETTLEMENT AND PROGRESS OF THE 3 ARMENIAN FAR MERS

“ m More interest attaches to the im igration, activities and progress Of the Ar menian a farmers than those of any other r ce, save the

n un . Japanese, fou d in Fresno Co ty The extent of their holdings and the place they occupy in the agricultural industries have already been noted and do not call for further

comment in this place .

“ The Armenians about Fresno differ from other immigrants found there in that they have not been d rawn from agricultural classes to

3 Re orts f Im mi r t In p o th e g ation Co mmiss ion . Immigran s in dustries .

Part 25, Vol . 1 1 , p age 633 . 88 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

n awn a y great extent, nor have they been dr from the class of comm on laborers . Th ese classes have been Oppressed in their native land but have generally been able to em igrate . The emigrants have been for the greater part m m merchants , com ission men, craftsmen, s all S o l e shopkeepers , h emakers , si k weavers , dy rs , e coppersmiths , and men of that type have b en most numerous who in their native land com bin ed handicraft manufacture and small shop

l a . keeping, a system sti l prevalent in Armeni “ These Armenians brought with them an y wealth they had accumulated . In some cases this was sufficient to constitute a working capi tal and enable them to start in business . In the majority of cases, however, they came with little or nothing . Such imm igrants usually found employment in shoe factories in Massa ch usetts l n , in si k mills in New Jersey, or in iro and steel mills . Those who migrated directly to Fresno found employment in the packing houses and as farm laborers for the most part .

But such persons were exceptional . The vast majority migrated to Fresno after spending years in Armenian colonies in the eastern in

d ustrial . centers However, they sooner or THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES 89 later desired to leave the factory life which was undermining their physique . Those who moved West were attracted to the new Ar memiamcolony which enjoyed favorable clim ate u and good Opport nities . Many of them, like the Danes , purchased land and at once became independent farmers upon settling in the new m co munity . The Armenians have , in fact , shown a desire for land not less strong than

a . th t of the Japanese Being ambitious , dis liking the wage relation, and being compelled to stand apart as a race, they have had as their goal the establishment of a business or inde

n . a pendent farmi g Furthermore, like the J p li anese , they are quite wil ng to take great risk fi where pro t may be made . “ In 1 9 00 the number of tenant farmers in u h i Fresno Co nty was very large . W te men h ad 436 the tenure of farms . Of these were leased for a share of the crop and 294 for a cash rental . A considerable number of these tenants were no doubt Armenians who had begun to farm on their own account and who then leased a larger percentage of the land they farmed than they do now. In some cases this was a stepping- stone to the purchasing of

THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES 9 1 total of the purchase price Of cov Of this was paid in cash, ered by mortgage . In one instance the full in amount was paid cash . At the other ex treme $200 was paid on a purchase price of Thus most of the Armenian farmers have begun independent farming deeply in debt . “ All members of the Armenian family work on the ranch . They economize and save care fi O r fully. Some add to the pro ts f the fa ms the earnings Obtained in packing houses or

- near by ranches . Yet such labor is not general. Little of the surplus made is sent abroad ; little th e is used to improve their houses . On con tr ar Off rt y, the savings are used to pay mo gage dn un indebte ess, or to buy more land, or is s k r in improvements in the land . They a e most n r n successful in developi g fa ms, maki g money, and paying off mortgage indebtedness . “ ru all an d By working hard, by living f g y, by ian usu good management, the Armen s have ally succeeded better than any other race in accumulating property. Not even the Japa nese about Fresno have succeeded as well as they . The 1 6 farmers who reported complete 92 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

data (and they are believed to be typical of the land- owing Armenians of th e coun try ) had properties with a gross value of ab out The value of the real estate was estim ated at against which there was mortgage indebtedness aggregating or roughly one - third of the somewhat exag ‘ gerated estimate values . They have few e other debts, however, so that the net valu of their property was or an average 1 7 u h of per farmer. Of the , fo r ad 5 property valued at less than (net) , at between and 5 between an d 2 more than while o n e t l did not report the exact amount . Se t ing in the imm ediate localities and purchasing land 1 9 00 1 908 at various dates, beginning with , in

4 Th e fo llo win g accoun t is given in anoth er part of th e Rep orts of th e Immi atio n Comm ission : Arm n ian Far s Th e ch i e rm en ian c on in h e est s e mer . f A ol y t W is i r n resn o oun t C al . Th e m em ers of this ace h a e een settlin h ere F C y , b v b g or t en t -five ears an d in clu in th e n ati e- orn elem en t n ow n umb er f w y y , d g v b , m ore th an o ut on e h al li e i n resn o th e oth ers in th e coun tr A f v F , y b — . h er ri t r n n r nin e m it ious n w e th e m ajo y a e te a t o lan d o w g farm rs . A a . b islik in th e a e relati on th e usuall uick r es ta lish th em se l es in d g w g , y y q h b v r r sen i m h th usin ess o as farm e s . At p re t t is esti ated th at th ey ave e b _ ten ur e of o ssi l acres of lan at least th ree-fifth s of h ich th e p y d , w b . wn Th e h a e usua ur ch ase or leas e Vi n e r s an d orch ar s . p . y v lh r p d d ya d d t is estim ate th at th e con tro l et een an d acres o r d y b w , rou h on e-sixth of th e acrea e e te t o t h e ro u tion of raisin ee g ly g d vo d p d c p . . ’ Th e ro som e rui t an d rom 5 to 1 0 er cen t of th e aterm elon s s ed y g w f , f p w pp from th e coun ty . Th ey h ave sh o wn an even greate r am bi tion t o secure lan th an h a e t h e Ja an ese an d h a e re uen t l b id u th e rice of d v p , v f q y p i n s h r ve lan d order t o ecure p osseSSIon s o f desirable farms . ey a e in ust rious , an d y usin ess sh re n ess , econ omy , h a e ma e rapi d b b wd ” v d r ss h a h Re rts f Immi ion C m prog e in t e ccumulation of wealt . p o o g—rat o on P r 25 2 r n in In e 2 6 . mi ssi a t V l . Immi a ts ustries 9 7 , , o , g d , pag THE ARMENIANS IN IND USTRIES 93 the selected farmers had between three and four tim es as much property as they h ad at the ” time of their settlement . Sin ce this report was made the Armenians have more than tripled their holdings in Cali

fornia . Besides the workingmen in the mills an d a ricul and factories, those engaged in g tural pursuits , there is a third important class

viz. l . of Armenians, , the sma l tradesmen In all Armenian centers there are the grocers, tailors and Shoemakers . It is reported that in the City of New York there are over 500 re pairing and tailor shops, about an equal num ber of shoe - repairing stores (shoe- shining “ ” parlors are conducted alm ost exclusively by 500 the Greeks) , and over grocers . The same situation is true in other cities where Arme n ian s u have settled in large n mbers . There Of C are , course , scores of lothiers, jewelers, b bar ers , restaurant keepers, etc . I have pointed out in another part of this book that ninety per cent of the Armenians in the United States to- day have come here within -five the last twenty years . They have not, u fi therefore, had s f cient time to undertake

THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES 95

business , still the Armenians are the leaders . They have factories in New Jersey where the rugs are washed so as to subdue their original brilliant color and thus make them marketable in America . They are the best buyers in the E aste rn markets because they know and under stand how to deal with the natives there . a a Beside the l rge Armeni n importing houses , there are the small retail traders in nearly every city of importance throughout the country . These concerns usually purchase from the im porters a stock Of rugs either for cash or on consignment and sell them to the public . The reputation of some of these smaller oriental ff carpet or rug dealers has su ered, I think, o unjustly . An oriental rug is a w rk of art ; it is like a painting . Its value depends not so l u much upon what it origina ly cost the b yer, but more upon its value to the purchaser . One a a r t 250 buys rug for ce ain price , say $ , and subsequently shows it to some one who says it — is worth $200 that is the value of the article to him ; but the purchaser thinks he has been deceived .

There are also Armenians in the professions . I believe there are in this country over one 96 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA hundred Armenian Protestant clergymen an d at least fifty of these preach in English to u O American congregations . The n mber f Armenian doctors and dentists in the United States exceeds two hundred and a large n um Of ber them have a good American practice, in fact the very best of these doctors an d dentists do not have many clients among th e

Armenians . Armenian lawyers now in active u o practice n mber ab ut fifteen . These ar e in located New York, Boston, Providence ,

ad . Phil elphia, Jersey City, Los Angeles and Of Fresno . Two or three them have succeeded in building up a lucrative practice among

- American or non Armenian clients . There m an are a great many engineers , che ists d t architec s . There are about eight Armenian professors and instructors in American 001 u leges and niversities . The Professor of Oral Military Surgery at the Harvard Dental Of s o f School, one the Associate Profe sors ni n Orga c Chemistry at Lehigh , an Assista t Professor of Physics at the Univer sity of n is a Pe nsylvania, the ass tant Libr rian and Lecturer on oriental languages at the Hart eu ford Theological School, instructor of THE ARMENIANS IN INDUSTRIES 97

r chemistry at Yale , an inst uctor in the medical i school of the University of Mich gan, are

Armenians . Two of the most noted photog r aph er s in the United States are Armenians . There are well- kn own Armenian painters and ul hi sc ptors in New York, C cago and San

Fran cisco . There are Armenians on the stage Of and distinguished operatic singers, one whom Often appears at the Metropolitan

Opera House in New York . Ar sh a Mahd esian Of N w . e Mr g , the editor Arm en ia , has furnished me with the following interesting memorandum relative to Arme nian s who have won distinction in America. “The Armenians have not been less prom in en t in the United States : witness the late ls C orwin Governor Thomas , of Ohio , also at one time Secretary Of the United States Treasury ;

. . th e n the late Dr Mihran K Kassabian, disti uish ed g scientist of Philadelphia, and one of the foremost Roentgen rays investigators in

e the world ; Dr . Menas Gregory, the emin nt

e psychiatrist of B llevue Hospital, New York ;

Mo o sh e h Va oun Uni g yg y , a graduate of the versity of California, who developed a syn

5 ith re eren ce to o ern o r Th om as or in see i ersi n s of a Di W f " G v C w D v o p lom at in Tur e el 8 a 1 2 Sam u 00 e 8 . k y, by , p g

CHAPTER VI RELIGION AND EDUCATION

HE Armenians in the United States h ave brought with them their religious n i stitutions . These institutions fall into i a two princ pal groups , n mely, the Armenian e Apostolic Church , Often spok n of as the Of m Church Ar enia or the Gregorian Church , an d the Armenian Evangelical (Protestant )

Church . The latter in turn is divided into Congregational and Presbyt erian denomina tions, with the Congregationalists in the majority. It is estimated that about eighty p er cent of the Armenians in this country be Of fi long to the Church Armenia, about fteen per cent are adherents Of the Protestant churches and the rest compose the Catholic and other sects . These figures are not authentic as a are a no st tistics avail ble to verify them , but they are confirmed by the opinion of well informed Armenian clergymen . It has been noted that the Armenian immi grants have congregated in certain industrial u centers along the Atlantic coast, aro nd the 100 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

Great Lakes and on the Pacific . In all th ese centers the Armenian Gregorian an d th e Protestant communities each have their sep a

h s . st o rate c urche For example , in Bo n , 1 e a v en ce Worcest r, L wrence, Lowell, Pro id , r ad hia Troy, New Yo k, Hoboken, Phil elp , a w r Chic go, Los Angeles , Fresno, Fo le ,

Parlier and Yettem (Cal . ) there is a G r e gorian as well as a Protestant Church an d with two or three exceptions the church build ings in all these cities are owned by their u respective congregations . A large n mber of smaller and less prosperous communities have missions and still smaller outlying districts are visited from time to time by Armenian pasto rs 2 and rectors .

1 Th e first Ar m en ian Ap o st o lic Ch urch an d th e first Arm en ian Protestant

h ur ch ere uilt in o rces t er Mass . C w b W , 2 v Mih r n T Kalaid i n Secretar o f th e rm enian Mission r Re . o . a a j , y A y ss o ciation Of m erica h as i en m e th e o llo in m em o ran um : A A , g v f w g d Th e Pro t es t an t Arm en ian Ch urch es a reat m a o rit of h ich are , g j y w o n re atio n al are o er n ed acco r in t o t h e o lit an d rin ci les of th e C g g , g v d g p y p o n re atio n al ch urch an d a t th e sam e t im e are en joyin g th e en evo len t C g g ,

r f th e h o m e m iss io n ar secreta ri es an d so cieties . o ever amon ca e o y H w , g t h ese ch urch es t h ere are t wo o rgan ize d b o dies fo r t h e p urp o se of fellows h i r t o n O n e is th e rm en ian E an elical a n d m ut ua l h elp a n d in s p i a i . A v g A lin n ee o f m erica h ich t a es in all o f t h e E astern an d Mi le estern A , w k dd W S At res en t it is co m o se o f t e n re ularl o r an ize ch urch es an d tat es . p p d g y g d s h e o n ch r h an d t h r ee m is io ns are Pres o ur teen m iss io n . Of t se e u c s f , by

d e n d n t n d th e rest are C o n re at ion al . Th t e rian , o n e ch urch is in p e e a g g e e r o r an izat io n is t h e Arm e n ia n E a n e lical Allian ce of ali orn ia o th g v g C f . e n Tw f co m p risin g Six re gularlv o rgan iz d ch ur ch es an d several missio s . o o e i e o f h th e se ch urch es ar e Pre sb y te rian an d th e r s t Co n gr egat io n al . F v t ese ch u rch es h a e t h e ir o w n h o uses o f ors h i an d in t h is res ect th e Ar v w p , p C e W s e ro m th e or m en ian ch ur ch e s o f a lifo rn ia ar very fo rtun a te . e e f f e go in g th at th e o rgan ize e an gelica l o rces a m o n g th e rm en ians in th is d v f A o h h s ut en t m i ss i co un try co n sis t a lt o geth er o f fift een c urc e an d abo tw y ons . n n d o n Th e n um er Of Greg r ian ch urch es in th is co un try is t ee , a ccasio al b ” fif ch urch services are geld by visitin g p riests . A A ABE MR . RME P E N H. G R D H. A LIAN TASHJIAN an Auto m atic T ele ho n e En S co n s ultin g en gin eer fo r 1 4 n eer . He re ceived is degree s co n crete ship s n o w b ein g co n o m Ob erlin an d W o rcester structed by th e W ar D epart He ra a ech nic In i t m en t . du ted fr m st tu e . g o Massa ch use tts In stitute f T h o ec n o lo gy .

N B Y HN MR . EDW RD V. R N R . JOH O AJO A BA O e o f th e structural en gi n NOTHER Co rn ell man o f th e th n In n ti l class o f 1 9 1 0 is an en in eer e Ameri ca ter a ona , g ding Co ration at in th e reclamation service of

d . ll ted GO He is a rne man .

RE LIGION AND EDUCATION 101

Some of the peculiarly local features of th ese immigrant churches will naturally in ter est a great many readers and I mention

them here casually. Services of cour se are

conducted in the Armenian language . For a few Armenians who come from Adana and Cmsarea nl , and speak Turkish o y, a special mission (Protestant) has been organized in i Boston, and in other cities the Armen an Protestant churches hold services once a month

or less often, in the Turkish language . Each W church, hether Gregorian or Evangelical,

elects by popular vote its trustees or deacons , as well as its rector or pastor as the case may

be . Each Gregorian community pays the ex h penses of its churc , but the Protestant churches receive substantial financial assistance from the State Home Missionary Societies and al that is one reason why the Protestants , though constituting only fifteen per cent of the

o Armenian p pulation in the United States, still have as many well organized churches as the Gregorian s with their far larger member ship Some of the Armenian Apostolic Churches conduct a parochial school where r u children are taught thei mother tong e, but 102 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

these are rather poorly attended . Moreover, the Gregorian churches are under the authority P " and guidance of a relate , who is elected by the members through a representative assem a bly . The Prel te is the recipient of consider

able prestige and power . He is the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church in

America . The Armenian people have always been warm supporters of religion in general and a their vener ble church in particular. But here in the United States they manifest an apparent

lack of interest . In this respect it is only fair to say that the Protestant chur ches are better

attended. That is probably due to the fact that the pastors of the Protestant churches are a Of better educ ted . Every one them is a grad uate of an American college and speaks Eng l lish fluently . They have superior faci ities for

o organizati n . Their sermons are well pre pared and they have succeeded in making their churches centers of considerable religious and a civic activities . On the other h nd there are

3 Th e follo win g h ave been th e Pre lat es o f th e Arm en ia n A osto lic Ch urch i H e . S ra an an 1 89 9 Ma h n th e Un it e St at es ovs a j y , arta e d , p V k (V b d) D er n ian 1 894 Mas h t t z arta e Pa azian 1 89 7 Sara an Y b b o o o ) . ( e is o os , (V b d p iy g 1 898 Mo us h ed Yeb is ob os Se ro ian 1 9 1 1 r sen arta e Vah oo ni an , ( g ) p , A (V b d , h t e p resen t in cum ben t is Sh ah en (Vart abed ) Kas p arian . T e o fi cial res i

n ce f h e Prelat e is at rces ter Mass . d e o t Wo , RE LIGION AND ED UCATION 103

only two or three of the higher clergy of the a Gregori n Church in this country, and the

D er d er s a (p rish rectors ) , with few exceptions , ar e not as well educated a s the pasto rs Of

D er Protestant churches . These d ers come here at an advanced age an d never seem to grasp the changes that have taken place in

em Of the temper, outlook and d ands the

i a Armen an immigrants , and so ad pt them

selves and the churches to meet these changes .

a The people love their church, but c nnot oo endure the long services , p r sermons and “ ” chur ch troubles resulting from bad man m n age e t and organization . They will pay their annual dues and if need be more ; they will rally around their church when something it threatens , but will not attend services except on special occasion such as Christmas an d

Easter . The younger members of both Gre gorian an d Protestant families take little in ter est in their native ecclesiastical institutions . an d Old I believe more Armenians , both young , m go to A erican churches than to their own .

RE LIGION AND ED UCATION 105 investigation shows that among the Armenian laborers per cent could read and co uld read and write ; among the Bulgarians p er cent could read and could read and write ; among th e Greeks per cent could read and p er cent could read and write ; among the Syrians per cent could 15 a re d and per cent could read and write . Certain classes Of im migrants are well repre sented in California and the data collected there by the Immigration Commission on the

a is e com subject of liter cy , th refore , quite l “ p ete . The Commission reports that The Ar m en ian s r , Germans and No th Italians each

‘ s 9 5 how more than per cent literates , or somewhat more than the average among th e foreign born per Among the farm laborers the report states that “ Of u c a the other n meri ally import nt races , the percentages of those who can read and write their native languages are as : a 9 5 follows North It lians , per cent ;

Armenians , per cent ; Greeks , per 87 cent ; Germans , per cent ; Chinese, V 1 5 Re ort s o f t h e Im m i ratio n om m ission stracts o f Re orts o l . p — g C , Ab p , , p ages 438 442 . 6 Rep ort s o f th e Im migrat ion Co mmission Im m i gran ts in In dust r ies .

Part 25 , Vo l . 2 , p age 69 . 1 06 THE ARME NIANS IN AMERICA

per cent ; South Italians , per cent ; Mexi cans , per cent ; East Indians , per ” 7 cent ; and Portuguese , per cent . “ Among the females , those having the largest percentages of literates were the Armenians with per cent ; the Germans , per cent and the Japanese , per cent .

OLD AND NEW IMMIGRANTS COMPARED WITH RESP ECT TO ABILITY TO READ 9

OLD IMMIG RANT S NEW IMMIGRANT S Percen tage able t o read Perce n t age a ble to read

n adi n Fr n . l Arm n i 2 1 C a a ( e ch) 8 8 e an 9 . an adi n t rs ar i 1 C a (o he ) Bulg an 7 8 . Dutch Gre ek li 9 i ia En g s h 8 . 8 L thuan n Germ an P olish Ir ish Po r tugues e Scotch Roum an ian s Swed ish Rus sian ls r We h 9 8 . 1 S e vi an 7 l . 3 Syr ian k With reference to ability to spea , English a r among the farm laborers in C lifo nia, and emplo yees in the boot and shoe factories in the

a e stern cities , the Armenians were found to be

a . head of other races For instance, in Cali

7 Re ort s of t h e Im mi r ation om mission . Im m i ran t s in In ustrie p g C g d s .

Part 25 Vol . 1 1 , , p age 65 . 8 I bid , p age 7 0.

9 I bid . st racts o f Re ort s . o l . l a e 443 . Ab p V . p g RE LIGION AND E D UCATION 107 fornis per cent Of those examined could a speak English, while the percent ge among a was : other r ces as follows Greeks , per cent ; Germans , per cent ; South Italians , 40 per cent ; North Italians , per cent ; and

Mexicans, per cent . The Armenian workmen in the boot and shoe industries showed even a greater percentage of those able G to speak English with per cent ; reeks ,

er . per cent and Polish, p cent

I believe it was J . Gordon Browne who once “ said that The Armenian passion for education

is astonishing . There is probably no people in the world who will make such sacrifice for ” this Object . Here in America there is con

crete illustration of the foregoing opinion . I

have yet to meet Armenian parents , who , no

o matter how po r and ignorant they may be, do not regard the education of their children 1 909 of the utmost importance . In there were Armenians in the public schools Of 37 1 1

a . n Americ n cities Unfortu ately Hoboken,

1 0 s t h Im m mm o Part 25 V 2 e 8 Re ort o f e i ration o issi n . o l . a 5 p — g C , , p g ; 8 0 P 8 10 a e 4 9 . 3 1 art , p g 3 0 1 1 Num ber o f Arm en ian p up i ls in t h e p ublic sch oo ls of 37 Ci t i es (1 908 1 909 : ost o n 1 33 h elsea 28 h ica o 1 5 in cin n at i 2 le elan 3 ) B , C , C g , C , C v d , et roit 4 all Ri er 2 a erh ill 20 Los n eles 37 Lo ell 29 L n n 63 D , F v , H v , A g . w , y , Man ch est er 2 Mil au ee 2 Ne ar 9 New ed or 3 New ri t ai 38 , w k , w k , B f d , B n ,

New P 4 P ur 2 Pro i en ce 1 53 St . Louis 9 o r 1 90 h ila el hia 7 itt s g , , , Y k , d p , b v d — San ra n cis co 3 Scran to n 1 orcester 1 97 on ers 1 2 . rom th e Re ort s F , , W , Y k F p f h m r ts in th e sch ools o t e Immigrat ion Commission o n I mig an .

RE LIGION AND EDUCATION 109 of them have anywhere near as many students in the higher institutions of learning as the

. ni Armenians Yale, Harvard , U versity of a a California, Chic go, Wisconsin, Michig n,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology , C o lm n bia Am Valparaiso, , Brown and herst are the principal colleges and universities that attract these young men and a few young women . Medicine seems to be their favorite profession . Architecture, chemistry, law, i pedagogics , electrical engineering, agr culture, eo th logy, mining, political economy, philos o h ll p y , dentistry, pharmacy and forestry fo ow in the order named . As a general rule most of the Armenian students in these universities work their way through . A few receive as “ ” sistan ce from home or from relatives , but ninety per cent of them depend upon their own

r . a ea nings They wait on table , clean l bora in a n a tories , work kitchens , w sh wi dows , cle n a house, work in stores and undert ke all sorts of jobs . They are a hard working lot of boys and are liked by their fellow students and mem r bers of the faculty . Their st uggle for an edu cation wins the admiration o f all those who come in contact with them . They are success

RELIGION AND ED UCATION 1 1 1

o A N rm l C al t o a . 27 L . . ( ) 2 8 Mass achus etts In stitute o f Techn ol ogy 1 N 29 McCorm ick Theol ogical School H ! n 30 Michigan Un iver sity i M 3 1 Min n esota State Coll ege H 32 Mo ody In s titute N 33 Nation al Un iversity Q 34 Nazarin e Un iversity H 35 New En gl an d Con s er vato r y o f Music N r l H 36 New Hamp shir e Ag . Col ege 37 New Yo rk Un ive r sity Q 3 8 New York Law Schoo l N 39 Ne ft Coll ege H 4 r st rn n i r i R 0 No thwe e U ve s ty I 4 1 Oberlin Coll ege H 4 2 Ohio Norther n Un iver sity H i D 4 3 Ohio State Un iver s ty C 44 Okl ahom a Coll ege H 4 5 P acific Medical College H 4 6 Phil ad elphia Den tal H 4 7 Phil ad elph ia Fin e Arts n 4 8 P r att In stitute u n- 4 9 P rin ceton Un iver sity t e 50 Ren ss el aer Polytechn ic l 5 1 Rhod e Isl an d Coll ege o f Phar m acy m a 52 Rho d e Isl an d School o f D esign h a 53 Rutger s College b 54 Swarthm o r e College u t- 55 Simm on s College t 56 Syr acus e Un iver s ity u l 57 Temple Coll ege s 58 Tr en ton Norm al School H ! 59 Tufts Den tal Coll ege o H 60 Un ion College (Neb . ) o 6 1 Un ion S emin ary t - 62 Union University 1 1 1 2 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

63 Univer sity o f C aliforn ia 2 2 64 University o f Georgia 1 65 Un iversity o f Illin ois 5 66 Un iversity o f Iowa 1 67 University o f Penns ylvania 6 68 Un iversity o f Verm on t 1 69 Univer sity o f Wis cons in 2 7 0 Valparaiso Un iver sity 2 7 1 Virgin ia Polytechn ic l 7 2 Westchester Norm al 1 7 3 Wo r cester Polyt echn ic 5 “ 7 4 Worcester Art School 1 7 5 Yal e Un iversity 20

Total 2 34

Th e above table was compiled prin cipally from a re ’ por t o f th e Arm enian Studen ts Association i m l M rs l Un fortun ately th e l s t is n ot co p ete . y pe on a in vestigation o f th e n umber o f Armen ian stud en ts in th e u li s ools an d in Colle es n i ersi ies an d o er in p b c ch , g , U v t th stitution s o f l earnin is n ot I re re to sa r ead f g , g t y, y or

u li ation at t is im e . I can s a e owe er th a n o p b c h t t t , h v , t other cl ass o f immigr an ts in th e United States have taken gr eater advan tage o f th e ed ucation al facilities an d r in i oun r an h Arm n oppo tunities th s c t y th t e en ia s . CHAP TER VII

ASS OCIATIONS , PARTIES AND THE PRES S

n u HE merous societies, clubs and asso ciation s maintained by the Armen ians ar e in in the United States , in most

r . stances, educational and philanth opic In every colony there is always some sort of movement to support a school or a hospital u back in the old country . As a general r le immigrants from a certain city or village in Armenia form a society under the name of ’ s their native town ; for example , the Orphan an d and Hospital Society of Sivas, send the a u funds derived from initiation fees, nn al dues, ‘ donations and gifts to that institution . There — 1 Th e follo win g is a p artial list of th ese so cieties : Th e Armen ian i rar n ion of resn o or anize in 1 89 7 th e rmenian cad em L b y U F , g d ; A A y , organ ized in 1 888 but n o lon er in existen ce ; th e Persian Arm en ian Ed u cation al So ciet 1 9 1 0 New ork rarat lu New or or an ize in y , , ; A C b , Y k . g d 1 890 for militar an d h sical cul ure th e Arm em an Red ross Societ y p y t ; C y , New 1 New or 1 9 10 th e . R . . Li rar or 890 th e rm en ian Y k , ; A F b y , Y k : A E ucational So ciet of Pash a h a ee 1 39 3 New Yor th e E ucationa d g gg , , k ; d l y .

Societ of Hoosem ck 1 888 orcest er Mass . t e E ucat onal Societ y , , W , ; h d i y of Morn ick 1 890 orcest er th e Arm em an re orian E ucati on al Societ , , W ; G g d y of o h e 1 89 2 o ell th e E ucation al So iet of rmenian re oriane H k , , L w ; d y A G g c . of B o om 1 89 1 Pro i en ce E ucational Scen t of Hazaree i l e 903 d , , v d ; d V lag . . a ren ce Pro ressi e lu of Ph ila e h ia 1 8 n ot afi liated with e L w g v C d lp , ( th ; ' b Ro oseveltian Pr ve P th is is m ereb a lib club Ed uca ° tion al Societ 0 Ara ker h ila a h is 1 907 Ed uca onal e f y , d , ty o ’ ' K-Kh ee 1 897 ceton th e oman s Church lub 1 906 Don on ' V , ; C . W ’ ’ omen s Orp s Society of New Britain . Conn . , 1905; th e Education al

THE HOLY TRINITY C HURC H resn o C alifo rn ia wa built in 1 04 b th e e b ers o f th e Church F F , , s 9 y m m f r o A m enia .

SSOCI TI NS RTIE S AND RE SS 1 1 5 A A O , PA P gives financial help to those in dire circum an d t ur stances , conduc s a free public lect e course during the autumn and winter months . The Armenian Educational Society was founded in 1 9 06 by an Armenian merchant of

Chicago in memory of his daughter . It lends money to needy Armenian students taking professional and technical cour ses in recog n ized o American colleges , theol gical schools and universities . Its present endowment is

The annual income from it , together with occasional gifts from various sources and collection of loans , now amounts to about On account of a very large demand for assistance this sum is not sufficient to render substantial help to more than a lim ited few at fi a time . During the rst ten years of service (1 9 01 - 1 9 1 6 ) it has distributed in form of loans the sum of to 7 2 students . The Armenian Students ’ Association was 1 9 1 0 formed in , although prior to that many spasmodic attempts were made to bring about

a similar society . At the present time the 250 Union has about members . It has a num a ber of commendable aims , such as publishing i good monthly, rev sing the curriculum of the

SS CI TI NS RTIE S AND RESS 1 1 7 A O A O , PA P

Constitution ; an d about constitutes a special fund composed of legacies and 1 06 donations . Since 9 th e total income of the Union derived from the interest on its capital and from special gifts , membership dues and fees amounted to “ The funds of the Society are used solely for the benefit of the Armenians in Armenia . This object has been carried out with notable n success by founding or endowi g schools, hos itals in stitu p , orphanages and other public i u tions ; by d strib ting seeds , cattle and agri cultural implements to the peasants ; by rendering relief to those who are in distress

s m fir e . becau e of fa ine, or massacre “The Union aims to accomplish two objects one is to bring under one head every Armenian regardless of creed, sex , political belief or place of residence . This is very vital because the Armenians are more or less scattered all over the world and divided among themselves by i ff religious and pol tical di erences, and this separation and division of opin ion has been their worst enemy. The other aim of the n Union is to keep the Armenians in Arme ia, h conserve what is left of them there, help t em 1 1 8 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

i m a ta to retain t tle to their native land, and in in their national integrity . An y one who k no w s r r the history of these people, their st uggle f o existence an d their aspiration s will at once appreciate the necessity and sign ificance of th is ” 3 - great world wide Association .

The Armen ian political par ties occupy an important place in the life of these people . It must be understood that these par ties have no con nection with and take no direct in terest whatever in American politics . They ar e solely concerned with their own national a f o fairs , the main issue of which is the liberati n of the Armenian people from the oppressio n of the Turks and the realization of absolute

Independence . There are four of these Hun tch a ist D ash n a tza an parties , the gg , the g g , the Reorganized Hun tch aggist and the Con t i u ion l s t t a Democrats . The Hun tch aggist n r Party is the oldest, havi g been fo med about 1 880 , or soon after the treaty of Berlin . The D ash n agtzagan Party was established in 1 89 0

and by a group of Russian Armenians , the

2 From a p amph let p rep ared by th e auth or for th e New York Cit y f Bran ch o th e Um on . SS CI TI NS RTIE S AND RE SS 1 1 9 A O A O , PA P

Reorganized Hun tch aggist is an offspring of O H the ld un tch aggist Party .

As I have stated before, the principal aim of all these parties is one and the same , but their general platforms diff er from one another in certain respects . The D ash n agtzagan s and H the un tch aggist s have socialistic tendencies . The platforms o f the others are less radical and tend to follow a moderate course . The total membership of all these parties in the

United States is about ten thousand . Each one maintains a newspaper for propaganda work , which I shall take up presently . Each has branches or clubs all o ver this country . The to tal amount of money collected from their members in America exceeds a year . The Armenian National Union was created since the commencement of the war at the r e o f B o h o s quest His Excellency g Nubar , the diplomatic representative of his Holiness , the e n Catholicos , the supreme h ad of the Armenia

Church an d the Armenian nation . The head quarters Of the Union in the United States is

- in Boston . It has twenty one members com posed o f three delegates each from seven of

SS CI TI NS RTIE S AND RESS 1 21 A O A O , PA P these are in the Armenian language and two i in English . I mention them in the r alpha betica Asbar ez r an l order. (The A ena) , D h n a tza an organ of the as g g Party, is a weekly Azk 1 809 . published in Fresno , Cal . , since 1 907 (The Nation) , published in Boston since , is owned by the Constitutional Democratic

Party . Babag (The Sentinel) is the mouth piece o f the Reorganized Hun tch aggist Pa rty and is now issued twice a week in Boston . l n Cilicia, a re igious weekly with Arme ian ur u characters but in the T kish lang age , is E n printed in New York . Janasser (The d eavorer ) is published by the Armen ian Chr is E itassart tian Endeavor Union in Fresno . r Haiasd an n an (Young Arme ia) , the chief org Hun tch a ist t u i of the gg Par y, is p bl shed in

. Etchm iadzin us Chicago , another religio monthly allied with the interest of the Arme ,

u . nian Apostolic Ch rch, is printed in Fresno G otch n a ll g (The Church Be ) , an independent weekly, was originally intended to be the u Am a ica organ of the Protestant Ch rch in , but it is not a religious paper notwithstandin g its nam e and the fact that its editors have al Hairenik ways been ordained ministers . (The 1 22 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

ze 1 89 9 is n Fatherland) , organi d in , the pri cip al organ of the D ash n agtzagan party an d is H . oush ar ar is now publ hed daily in Boston , hr u New York, is issued t ee or fo r times a year by the central American Committee of the Ar m en ian in k General Benevolent Union . Nor G e (New Life) is another independent weekly Pun i issued in Fresno . g, a literary monthly ,

. areli io us is edited in Boston Pem, Fresno , is g monthly controlled by the Armen ian Congre gation alist s ; Siswan (Fresno) and Taurus

(Boston) are independent weeklies . Ver ad z n oo tun (Renaissance) is a monthly issued in Boston and Yegh egh etzi (The Church) is pub lish ed in New York by the Armenian Evan

gelical Union . The two periodicals in the “ i ni Engl sh language are , The Arme an ” - Herald , a well edited monthly published by “ the Armenian National Union, and The New ” w Armenia (New York) , issued once every t o weeks by its editor with the support of sub

scribers and friends . Both of these periodicals contain good articles on historical and con

temporary subjects touching the Armenians , and excellent translation of Armen ian stories

and poems . SS CI TI NS RTIE S AND RE SS 1 23 A O A O , PA P

It will be noticed that six of these publica —Asbarez E tchmiad zin Jann asser tions , , , Nor Gin ke , Pem and Siswan are printed in —Azk Fresno, California ; seven of them , b Hairen ik Pun i ur s Verad zn oo Ba ag, , g, Ta u , tun and the Armenian Herald are published in E H iasd an . on & r itassart a —Boston There is issued in Chicago, and the remaining six C elicia G otch n a Housh ar ar Ye h e h e zi , g, , g g t — and the New Armenia are in New York . The general character an d contents of these publications in the Armen ian language have

i mm fi - someth ng in co on . In the rst place each is controlled either by a par ty or a religious organization or a group of in dividuals . The Asbar ez Azk b Ver ad zn ootun Yerit , , Ba ag, , asart Haiasd an and the Hairen ik are party fin e r z papers , anced by th i respective organi a tions and exist primarily for the pur pose of promulgating their ideas and maintaining G o tch n a fin their constituents . The g is anced by a few well - to - do business men and mer

. Gink e a ur chants Nor , Sisw n and the Ta us z o n o have no organi ed f llowi g, but have s me individual supporters . All the others are m aintained by various religious organiza

CHAPTER VIII

CONJUGAL AND LIVING CONDITIONS

HE Immigration Commission has gath ered considerable data from wage earners relative to their conjugal l fi and iving conditions . Six hundred and fty of those examined were foreign -bom Arme n ian s and the statistics compiled upon the information collected shows that 58 per cent ia of these Armen ns were married, per cent were widowed an d per cent were single . Of the married class per cent had their wives in the Un ited States an d per l fi u cent in the old country. I be ieve these g res fairly represent conjugal conditions among the ni m Arme an immigrants, except that the nu ber of the widowed must be larger at the present m ti e . It is interesting to note here the dif ference between the Armen ians and other races with respect to the number having their wives abroad :Among the Arm enian s it was per 1 26 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

a a cent ; Bulg ri ns , per cent ; Greeks, per cent ; Macedonians, per cent ; Rou m an ian s v , per cent and Ser ians, per 1 cent . As a rule Armenians marry in their own r ace . The ratio am ong them of female to male 1 1 0 immigrants is to . Consequently an n e Arme ian girl, regardless of her b auty or m station in life, need have no fear of beco ing a spinster. Scarcity of suitable girls obliges many a young man to bring over a former a a ac uain sweetheart, or schoolmate or f mily q tance from the old country . In such cases negotiations are conducted through his and ’ a the girl s parents or relatives . This m nner of securing a wife , which is prevalent in all Euro lm pean countries , may seem strange to A er e u h i s s ; but it nevertheless as its advantages . The Armenians handl e these matters with the strictest regard for the welfare of the parties concerned and on the highest moral principles . Of cour se some of these matches prove to be unhappy and sometimes lead to separation an d l divorce, which is rare among these people ; sti l

1 e f Im i i m io str of Re orts . Vol . R p orts o th e m grat on Com iss n . Ab acts p 1 - . p ages 449 , 459 460 C ONJUGAL AND LIVING COND ITIONS 1 27 marriages contracted on the American style

m l l do not do away with fa y troubles .

- m Inter marriage with A erican girls of Irish, di Swe sh, French, English, Jewish and real oc Yankee extraction is not uncommon. It curs more frequently among the educated and c long resident Armenians . I am personally a uain ted n q with many of the Arme ian lawyers, eu doctors , dentists , instructors in colleges , in eers g , clergymen and pastors , and a great many successful merchants throughout the an d I United States , know that more than half of these have American wives . These marriages e I turn out v ry happily, judging from what have actually seen in their homes and from the fact th at I have heard of only one divorce in this class . On the other hand intermarriages by the Armenian workmen are not so satis factory and should be discouraged . Unless a foreigner has acquired a good command of the

English language, lived here long enough not only to be able to discriminate between goo d s and bad American girl , but really come to know and un derstand Am erican ways and habits, he should not attempt to marry other than a girl of his own nationality .

AT YE A M . . A HE C H RV NT K . P PAZ MR . R R S IA

HE edito r f Bah a is a rad HE edit r f Azk h o g, g o o , t e _ ua te o f Bo sto n Un iversity trI-weekly n ewsp ap er

La h l . n ite d Sta tes rec i w Sc oo U , e v e duca tio n at th e Un ive rsity

co usi n .

N A M . IN I M S M . SAH G M. C R M. A A R HUC H HE edi r o f Siswan was HE edito r f Hairen ik to , o form erly th e superin ten den t o nly daily M en ian n ew o f th e rm en ian National in this coun tr receiv A y, S ch ools in th e District o f Van . He degree fro m th e Umversity o is a Yal e man . com CONJUGAL AND LIVING COND ITIONS 1 29

I ’ The table below, to which call the reader s s a a u pecial ttention, shows the verage n mber of ’ t h rooms per apartmen , the average mont ly r u ent paid for the same, the average n mber of a occupants in each such apartment . A casu l study of it will bring out the fact that living condition s among the Ar men ians are far better than those of a dozen other races which I have chosen at random .

‘ Average Avera e Average Average n um ber o f m on th y ren t n umber of room per rent p er o ccup ant s per apartm en t p aid capit a ap artm en t Arm en ian s 1 7

l ri 9 Bu ga an s . 7 Cr oatian s r 1 4 G eeks . 7 ' Italian s (North) Lithuan ian s 1 Polish

Russian s 1 . 27

an 1 Servi s . 03 1 1 8 Sl ovaks . Syrian s

The next table co mpares old and new immi gran t races with respect to congestion . It will be noticed that among the Armenians there is not only less congestion as compared with

other new immigrant races , but they are even

- better than so called old races .

C ONJUGAL AND LIVING C OND ITIONS 1 31 cated Ar menian boys get in with good Am er m ican fa ilies . The laboring class , especially in our great cities like Boston, Providence,

New York and Chicago , settle in the less de n a sirable sections of the town, eat in Arme i n “ restaurants and become habitués of Orien é ” tal caf s , where the evenings are spent in — playing backgammon a game in which Arme — n ian s are very pr oficien t cards and billiards . Armenian leaders often speak disparagingly of these cafés because they are the resort of th e i idle and the low, still I th nk they are far better

- than the bar roo ms . In the small industrial a s towns like Whitinsville , M s , where many

Armenians are employed, the bachelor class

i ir fi . l ve in groups of twenty, th ty and fty A fi large house is hired, the rst floor of which is used as a dining room and café and the upper

parts for sleeping quarters . An Armenian cook with his helpers prepares the meals and take gener al care of the prem ises at a very low

cost . There is practically no charity- seeking

among the Armenians . The records of

charitable societies in cities like Boston, ia Worcester, Chicago, Providence, Philadelph 132 THE ARMENIANS IN AMERICA

and New York an d others show a total average of about 50 a year an d these are often taken care of by some individual Ar menian or o r

an ization . r g A rests on criminal charges , espe cially among the lower classes of unmarried m young men, are someti es made . Judging u n from my personal experience in co rts, I thi k the number of Ar menians arrested for on e thing or another is insign ificant compared with a an d Itali n, Polish, Russian, Greek, Jewish a m Syri n i migrants . The reports of the Immigration Commis sion ‘ contain tables regarding the percentage of

immigrants ownin g homes . This investigation

appears to have been very limited, but it shows that out of the number from whom data were obtained among the Ar menians per cent owned their homes ; among the Greeks per um n u an cent ; Ro a ians , per cent ; R ssi s,

. th e per cent ; Syrians , per cent I believe Ar too percentage for the menian is low, par ticularly in view of the situation in California -five where seventy per cent of the colony, in a which is the largest the United St tes , are w 8 o ners .

3 Re orts o f th e Immi rat ion ommission . st ract s of Re orts Vol 1 g C Ab p . . , pages 68 and 487 . CONJUGAL AND LIVING C ONDITIONS 133

The Armenians appear to be one of the fore

‘ Am most races to accept erican citizenship . The investigation among immigr ant employees in the manufacturing an d mining industries shows that over 58 per cent of them are fully naturalized . This is an excellent ” a record when comp red with other races , as shown in the following table

Per cen t

Arm en ians

ul arian s B g . 0 Cr oatian s Gr eeks H ebr ews Italian s Lithuanians Magyar Po lish Portugues e Russian s Ruthen ian s l ova s 1 1 S k 7 . Syr ian s

It must be born e in mind that an Armenian n bor under the Ottoman flag, when he becomes an Am erican citizen forfeits all his property u r re rights in his native co nt y, and if he ever turns there the Un ited States Government will z in no way protect him as an American citi en .

CHAPTER IX

THE FUTURE

T is obvious that in the future immigration to the United States will depend to a great extent upon the outcome of the Peace

Conference at Paris . Possible legislation by Congress and by the various governments in Europe on this problem will un doubtedly have an important effect on the movement of p Opu lation from one country to another . It is generally recognized that the world is entering r upon a great economic struggle . Eno mous national debts must be paid . Oppressed races that have hitherto migrated westward to Amer ica in large numbers are to- day facing the dawn of freedom and independence . At the threshold of all these changes it is difficult to say with reasonable certainty what the Arme n ian s will do after the Treaty of Peace is signed . i There are, however, certa n eventualities fi that are apparent . In the rst place, the moment all restrictions for traveling are with 136 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA drawn a great many Armen ian s will undoubt edly take immediate advan tage of th e oppor tun ity an d visit their native lan d to sear ch for r d us r rt s thei loved ones , to a j t p ope y right r kin an rising from the death of thei next of , d to acquir e first-hand knowledge of condition s

. u ds r e there On the other hand, h ndre of A m n ian s who have gone through th e awful expe ricuce of war and deportation are feverishly waiting to leave their devastated h omes an d u seek the United States . Th s for the next few years there will be a constant str eam of Arme n ian s either departing from or comin g to

America . Just what the Peace Conference will d o for

Armenia is not known at this writing . If the practical application of the provision s they agree on leaves the country in the hands of a Power to be exploited by it for its own self th e interest, then Armenian immigration to h United States will increase . America as opened the eyes of these people . They know what democracy and independence mean . They are now capable of discerning real free dom by comparison with one that is mort gaged for the benefit of a mortgagee . I d o THE FUTURE 1 37 not believe that Ar menians who h ave lived in — the Un ited States even for a few years and ninety- five out of every hun dr ed have been here at least five years because very few have come since the beginning of the war—will ever sub mit to or be satisfied with conditions which they endured formerly . Those who journey to Armenia after the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and fin d that the ultimate In d epen in 1 87 8 dence of their country is as uncertain as , will at once return to Am erica and their example will be followed by thousands of others . It is hoped that through the presence an d influence of the United States at the Peace a Conference, the fate of Armeni will be de cided justly and honorably. Armenian s demand nothing except what they are entitled to . They ask that the boundaries of their his toric kingdom shall be unequivocally defined and settled ; that their country be detached completely from Turkey, Russia and Persia ; that its independence be declared and a Com mission o f Englishmen or Americans be ap pointed to assist in the organization and de velopm en t of their national institutions . What

THE FUTURE 1 39 gir ls are scarce and for most of these men to intermarry with foreigners would be very un r wise . But there are hundreds of A menian orphan girls and widowed women back in Ar menia who are absolutely destitute . Who is to take care of them if not the un married Ar m en ian men ? And if there is security of life and liberty, it would be best, economically and i own politically, for these people to live in the r native country . Moreover, the Armenians in m the United States, farmers , work en and those engaged in business have saved up some i money. These ind vidual savings , however, are too small to undertake enterprises in Amer u sufiicien t fi ica, but q ite to be pro tably invested in Armenia . We also have hundreds of Arme

n ian s . in professional life These lawyers , doctors , dentists , engineers , editors and

r Am teachers, all g aduates of erican colleges a o and universities , believe th t they will have p po rtun ities for service and leadership in

Armenia which are denied them in this country . i These , I think, are the chief reasons wh ch will influence all classes of Armenians to return to Armen ia . Let us not forget for a moment that should 140 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA at least two-thirds of the Armenians now in this country—that is about of them o r u u g back to A menia, they wo ld contrib te u materially to the ind strial, political and social reconstruction of their country . The Arme n ian s in America have money . They have acquired skill not only in manufacturing o m machinery and t ols, but in the use of the for productive purpose . With these men in

Armenia and with abundance of r aw material, the capitalist will encounter no difficulty in securing labor to make machines and in manu actur in f g shoes, automobiles, silk goods and all sorts of commodities . Also, the Armenians have come in contact with American politics

and government . In order to illustrate the m lessons they have learned, I ight cite here as t 1 1 9 1 9 an example the fac that on February , , a e Armenians of voting g , both men and

women, throughout the United States chose by ballot patterned after the American system of

election, four delegates to the Armenian Con r gress in Paris . Moreover, the A menians in America have become accustomed to American m habits , and A erican ways of thought, manner

and living . Their association with American ’ ME T T I - - N MENI N S O A S N S ON D N . A R G U SON . A A H HA H , Y

RESIDENC E OF AN RMENI N AT AS DEN C I ORNI A A P A A , AL F A

THE FUTURE 141 institutions has broad ened their vision and a outlook, has m de them more tolerant and has taught them that it is possible for peo ple ff ac di ering in color, creed and r e, to live to gether happily . Thus when they go back to

- Armenia, they will demand American like n a r homes, American clothing, America r il oads, telephones and roads . They will carry with them something of the spirit of America . It is no exaggeration to say that the Armenian imm k igrants from this country, with the s ill, knowledge an d experience they have gained u here in the sphere of education, ind stry, n government and living conditio s , together i a with the aid of the American m ssion ry forces , and let us hope with the mandate of the United a a States, will constitute an invalu ble sset in the development of the coming Armenian Re u n th e public . And they will not only f r ish necessary medium through which American products will fin d a vast market throughout bu the East, t will also help to implant and diffuse American ideals and American d em oc in th racy that part of e world . I do not wish to convey the idea that j ust as soon as an Armenian State or Republic is 142 THE ARMENIANs IN AMERICA established every Armenian in the United

States will rush over there . Armenians who have married American girls will hesitate long before tr ansferring their families to a foreign r count y . Children born in the Un ited States r of A menian parents , who go to our public u schools, who, nlike other races , attend Ameri can churches and associate with American children and who do not read or write Arme nian and who constantly use the English lan guage at home, will exert their influence on their parents to persuade them to remain in the

United States . There are those, too, who are too old, those who have established business connections and those who are property

owners, who will likewise be very slow to take such a step . And those of us who came here in our early youth will fin d it as hard to go to Armenia as it is for a native -born American to go to China or Brazil . My personal opinion is that if conditions in Armenia are very two- a promising, about thirds of the Armeni ns now in the United States will return to their native country within the next five years . The rest will remain here and their descendants will become absorbed in the great “melting pot .