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.