DR. USSHER TOLD ABOUT MANY ATROCITIES AT SIEGE OF VAN

Dr. Clarence D. Ussher told of his experiences before and during the siege of Van at the last meeting of the Graduate Schools Society in Peabody Hall, Phillips Brooks House last night. Dr. Ussher was a medical missionary in the city of Van, the ancient capitol of Armenia, when the war broke out.

Several years before the war, according to Dr. Ussher, the Turks, urged forward by German influence, had sent 32 regiments to Van in order to carry out a great massacre of the Christians, and the fear of this massacre became so great that the Americans in Turkey persuaded the United States to intervene and Russia was requested by the United States to take charge of our interests in Eastern Turkey. Russia at once sent an army within striking distance of Van. In order to make it possible to transport the cannon and supplies over the deep snow carpets were collected which could be used to form a road-bed. Seeing these warlike preparations, the massacre was postponed for the time being. On receiving news from the Kaiser that the great European war could not then be advantageously started, the regiments were disbanded and the Turks were once more friendly.

In 1913 Dr. Ussher was in Jerusalem, and while there he went through a German "Inn for Pilgrims" which is very strategically situated on the Mount of Olives. He was surprised to learn that there were cannon in the basement and was told that the palatial "Inn" would be the headquarters of the first German governor of Palestine and after that would be occupied by the Kaiser when he was supervising the government of that section of his dominions.

When the war broke out all Armenians from 18 to 60 years of age were rounded up by the Turks for military service. The atrocities accompanying this conscription were only equalled by the massacre.

The Armenians were hostile to the Russians and determined to show the Turks that they were good soldiers. They hurled the Russians back into Russia and gave the Turks a chance to murder a great number of Russian women and children. The Armenians complained of this and as a result were disarmed and made the slaves of the Turkish soldiers. Many escaped and the Turks on finding it somewhat difficult to persuade those friends with whom they had taken refuge to give them up to be shot as deserters, a general massacre was ordered. The "Butcher Regiment," made up of former criminals, was ordered by the governor-general to begin the slaughter of the innocent Armenian women and children. The Armenians were murdered by the thousand, 55,000 were killed in one day. The rivers were blocked by the bodies and were turned from their regular courses.

When the Turks began the attack on Van, they met an armed resistance from the Armenians who were able to obtain weapons of any kind. Bombs were thrown into Van by the Turks, but the Armenian women patrolled the city and rushed up to the bombs before the fuses had burned to the powder, and after extinguishing the flame, used the powder for the shells, which were used against the Turks. After 28 days of continual fighting, the Turks decided that it would be impossible to overcome the Armenian resistance quickly, and on hearing that the Russians were coming to their assistance, retreated hastily.