News
Prelacy Honors Three Extraordinary Humanitarian Actions
Banquet benefits ‘Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief’
NEW YORK—Three extraordinary life-saving humanitarian actions were remembered and honored by the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America on Sun., Oct. 7, at the elegant New York Palace Hotel. The honorees included Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the Near East Relief, and the American National Committee to Aid Homeless Armenians. The awards were to have been presented by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, during his pontifical visit to New York, which was cancelled due to the critical situation in Syria.
Already a subscriber?Log in here
This story is FREE for you...
Create a free account to access this and four more articles, and get more sent to you with our e-newsletter.By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Never underestimate the service of the Near East Relief to the Armenian people. The following two excerpts are documented accounts of actual events. They both happened separately on March 21, 1921, on Abovian St in Yerevan.
The Red soldier saw the apartment the girl ran into. The door soon noisily opened and the soldier came in. “What do you want?” asked, Mr. Pulton, barely suppressing his anger.”
“The girl who escaped from me came here. I will take her. She is a Tashnag’s daughter; she was involved in anti-Bolshevik work,” answered the soldier.
“Mister,” said Mr. Pulton, this is the Relief Office of a philanthropic American institution of which I am the head. A poor girl has taken refuge here. I will protect her.”
“You are protecting an anti-revolutionary. I will take her,” insisted the Red.
“Why have you come here, my girl?” Mr. Pulton gently asked.
“Yesterday, they handcuffed my brother, father, and father’s brother, and took them all to jail. Two soldiers came last night and told us that my brother’s wife and I must also go to the office of Tchega for questioning. They dragged us to the Tchega’s guardhouse. There was no questioning. They tortured us by…” The sobbing girl was not able to continue.
Our chief approached her and placed his hand on her head with concern, and said, “Do not cry, my child, do not cry. Our Lord Jesus Christ will save you.”
The girl thought this meant that the American refused to protect her himself and was handing her over to Christ for protection. She pleaded through tears, “Mister, pity, pity, please, I beg you. Save me, for the love of Christ, save me.” She then fell to her knees in front of the American.
At that moment, the furious Red soldier came up to the girl, and shouted, “Get up, child of a dirty bourgeois.” Our chief’s normally peaceful face became noticeably angry. He went to the soldier with firm steps, and said with obvious anger, “I order you to get out.”
here is an excerpt from the second account. The ARF soldier who is speaking here was almost completely without clothing. His friends had gone to the Near East Relief and asked for clothing for him. This is also a documented account.
“I felt ashamed by my obvious need and fell silent. Hamazasb got up, and opening the package, put shoes, a jacket, a pair of trousers, white wear, and a shirt on the table. I was shaking with happiness, but I did not want to reveal it. . Then, after a bath, I wore my new clothes. I sat for a long time with my friends from Kghi, and we spoke of what came and went in the city.”