Book Description

SIX months before war was declared in Europe the Russian Government and the German Government entered into a secret Convention with the Turkish Government for the extermination of the Armenians.Whether it was the government of Rasputin and the Empress notoriously in league with Germany, or whether it was the government of Autocratic Russia, that since the accession of the Tsar Alexander III had sought the extermination of the Armenians, has not yet been traced, for the present, the extent of the knowledge ascertained, is, that six months before war was declared in Europe, a representative of authority in Russia secretly went to Constantinople, and there in conjunction with the representative of the German Government, secretly entered into a Convention with the Young Turk Government for the extermination of the Armenians.As the Armenians had neither been consulted nor apprised when this secret Russo-Germano-Turco Convention was being ratified, the proclamation of the Tsar Nicholas II opened out a glorious vision before their eyes. It precipitated the whole Armenian nation headlong into the trap of the betrayer. There was great enthusiasm among Armenians abroad. Russia was hailed as a deliverer, and volunteers burning to strike the stroke of liberation hurried breathlessly to the Caucasus to help to deliver the Fatherland from the accursed Turkish yoke.Three and a half years of war in Europe have brought forth many revelations, and among them, one of the most important, that Authority in Russia joined in the war against Germany not for the purpose of fighting Germany but in the hope of preventing the down-fall of Autocracy in Russia.The revelations in the trail of the war have disclosed that there were two Russias, and that the one Russia was warring against the other Russia in co-operation with Germany.This Russia helped Hindenburg to sink whole regiments of Russians in the Mazurian swamps.This Russia gave up by a series of wanton retreats, whole cities, and miles upon miles of territory to Germany. This Russia sent millions of Russians against the German cannons, with the express purpose of getting them killed off. And this Russia in co-operation with Germany emptied Armenia of Armenians.If the Russian Army had remained in Russia, the campaign in Armenia would have resulted in a swift and glorious success, for then all the victories of the Armenians would not have been blasted there would have been no evacuations of occupied positions, and no wanton retreats, purposely undertaken when victory was in the grasp, to prevent help from reaching the defenseless Armenian population.The Armenians in Turkish Armenia and Asia Minor were defenseless and absolutely dependant on help from outside: Russia took care that help should not reach them and that the Germans and the Turks should have the time and opportunity for exterminating them either outright by massacre, the Turkish form of extirpation, or by the deportations, the German scientific form of extirpation.It may be argued why should Russia seek to empty Armenia of Armenians? What had Russia with her vast territory, her enormous resources, and her over-whelming population to fear from a few million Armenians? The answer to such an argument (supposed it were made) is, that facts are conclusive; facts are stubborn things that stand. It is a fact that since the accession of the Tsar Alexander III to the throne of the Romanoffs, Russia has sought the extermination of the Armenians.It is a fact that the Tsar Alexander HI had given assurances of his friendship to Abdul Hamid. It is a fact that Prince Lobanoff the Prime Minister of the Tsar Alexander III proclaimed that Russia "would annex Armenia when there were no Armenians left". It is a fact that after the massacres of Abd-ul Hamid had raged for several months, Prince Lobanoff saw nothing to destroy his confidence in the "bonne volontè" of the Sultan "who" he (Prince Lobanoff) "felt assured was doing his best".