A Comparative Review Of The “Memorandum” of Feb.26,1919 presented by the Armenian Delegation To The Paris Peace Conference - In The Light Of References From The Book - “THE GENOCIDE OF TRUTH” (ISBN 9789756516249)
As the author of the above-mentioned book, I am gratified to observe that documentary evidence, which surfaced after my book was published in April 2008, affirms my findings and . . references.
The first document is the “Near East Relief Report” No.192 approved by the US Joint Congressional/Senate Committee on April 22nd,1922. This was attached to the original manuscript of the book as a “Flier Sheet”, but not included by the publisher! The Link For This Free E-Book and I urge serious readers to peruse this document which exposes the serious flaws in U.S. Resolution HS.106. Frankly, I cannot understand how is it possible to have two resolutions by the same government institution, contradicting each other (viz. 1922 resolution versus HS.106)!
I am perplexed that the diplomatic Turkish channels have not formally presented this extreme irreconcilable contradiction to the U.S. Authorities -or to others- as official evidence!
The second document which surfaced recently, is the “Memorandum” signed by A. Aharonian and Boghos Nubar (representing Armenian Republic and Armenian National Delegation together), presented to the Paris Conference, as the official demand of the Armenian Republic, at the end of WWI. It is my pleasure to quote verbatim, some remarkable paragraphs, and ask the reader to compare with the information given in my book, which is also available on the free E-book library
For the remainder of this document, quotations from the 1922 Memorandum will be preceded by "M:" and quotations from my book will be preceded by "B:".
Re: Foundation of Armenia:
M: (p.3) “Relying upon these great principles, the Armenian National Delegation, interpreting the unanimous will of the entire Nation, a part of which has already constituted itself into an Independent Republic of the Caucasus, proclaimed the Independence of Integral Armenia and brought that fact in the attention of the Allied Governments by a note dated November 30, 1918”.
B: (p.409)
a- The Armenian National Council declared Armenia as Independent Republic (Ottoman Protectorate) on May 28-29th 1918 night.
b- Signatory A. Aharonian was received by Sultan Vahdettin on Sept.6, and sent a telegram on Sept.9th to Erivan, “praising the treatment and the friendship between Turks and Armenians”!
c- Mudros Treaty was signed on Oct.30,1918 (less than 2 months after this visit) and a month later, on Nov.30th, 1918, Armenia unilaterally broke off the Ottoman protection and became Independent!
d- (p.410) On Feb.7, 1919, The Dashnak Government (H. Katchaznuni) already asked British General F. Wocker to occupy the area including Kars.
Re: Amicable Relations between Dashnaks and the Young Turks (CUP):
M: (p.4) “In 1908, the Armenians lent to Young Turks hearty co-operation to bring about the overthrow of the Hamidian tyranny. The Young Turks, to secure their aid, had promised them an ear of ‘liberty, equality and fraternity’”.
(p.5) “This agreement signed on February 8th, 1914 was torn into bits and cast into a waste-basket by the Young Turks, when Germany started the Great War.
B: (p.29) CUP-Armenian cooperation is evidenced in several excerpts.
(p.30) Details of the Reform Agreement and reasons of force major (WW1) cancellation, explained by excerpts!
Re: Refused Autonomy:
M : (p.5) “Under these conditions the Young Turks offered to enter into an unholy compact with the Armenians: They proposed that the Armenians make common cause with the Tartars to rise in rebellion against Russia, and in return Turkey offered Armenia Autonomy. Germany undertook to guarantee the proposal of her Turkish Ally. The Armenians unhesitatingly and categorically rejected this infamous offer. The vengeance of the Young Turks, coolly premeditated and announced in advance, was terrible”.
B : (p.139-149) This subject I call “de-fused Autonomy”, has been explained in greater detail in Chapter 8 of my book, with references from diverse sources, including Pastermadjian! Aharonian neglects to say that this matter of Autonomy was part of the 1907 negotiations between CUP and Dashnaks, for their support! Apparently, CUP kept their promise and made their warning in advance, but was taken as a bluff!
Commentary: For a wider explanation and different version of the “AUTONOMY OFFER”, please refer to pages 16 – 17 of the Pastermadjian Book “Why Armenia Should be Free” The book contains several photographs, showing the Armenian armies in action, even before Turks entered WW1. Documents leave no room for any “innocence” claims!
Re: Atrocities, confession of treason and fighting wars with Turks on several fronts:
M: (p.6) “The Armenians have shed floods of blood to achieve this Independence – not only the blood of the martyrs who have been massacred or deported and then put to death after horrible tortures – but the blood of the volunteers and soldiers shed on the fields of battle, who fought to the side of the Allies for the liberation of their country”.
“Armenian volunteers fought on all the fronts. In France, in the Foreign Legion, by their bravery they covered themselves with glory. Scarcely one-tenth of their original number now survives. They fought in Syria and in Palestine, in the Legion of the Orient, under French command, where they hurried in response to the call of the National Delegation. In this Legion, the Armenians constituted the largest element, or more than one-half of the entire French contingents. There they took a leading part in the decisive victory of General Allenby, who paid high tribute to their valor. In the Caucasus, where in addition to over 150.000 Armenian men who served in the Russian army on all the fronts, an army of 50.000 men and thousands of volunteers fought throughout under the supreme command of General Nazarbekian. It was with these troops that, after the breakdown of the Russian Army and the treaty of Brest-Litovsk the Armenians, deceived and deserted by the Georgians, and betrayed by the Tartars who made commonly cause with the Turks, took over the defense of the Caucasus front and a period of seven months, delayed the advance of the Turks. They thus rendered important services to the British army in Mesopotamia, as stated by Lord Cecil in an official letter addressed to Lord Bryce and in his response to an interpellation in the House of Common. In addition thereto, by their resistance against the Turks until conclusion of the armistice, they forced the Turks to send troops from Palestine to the Armenian front, and thus contributed indirectly to the victory of the Allied Army in Syria”.
Remark: This is a complete and self-explanatory report of various and absolute treason!
B: (p.151-195) The Armenian atrocities have been covered in Chapters 9 and 10 of my book. Yet the aforementioned boasting is so complete, that needs no further elaboration. The only difference is that the number of so-called volunteers fighting as fifth column is indicated in many sources to be around 25,000 – 30,000. However, given their usual habit of inflating numbers of persons or statistics to support their arguments, I ask the readers to apply a minimum reduction of 50% on their “50.000 men bragging”!
Re: Population numbers and controversies:
M: (p.7) “The voice of all Armenians, dead and alive, must be heard. It is true that the Armenians do not constitute the majority of the population in Armenia, but they do constitute the plurality of its population. “
“In 1914, there were in Armenia 1,400,000 Armenians, against 943,000 Turks and 482,000 Kurds. Moreover, the Armenian population is not the only one that suffered. Even during the Balkans War, the Sultan’s armies, which were principally recruited in Asia suffered heavy losses. The present war has actually exhausted the sources from which the Sultan recruited his fighting forces. On the other hand, mortality among the Turkish civil population has assumed terrible proportions, not only in the regions that were invaded by Russia, but throughout Asia, where the Moslems have been decimated by epidemics, and as a result of lack of medical care and food. But, number alone should not be the determining factor to fixing the boundaries of our future State. Not only the rights of the dead and degree of the civilization of the people should be considered, but the vital fact must not be lost sight of that Armenians are the only element in Armenia, capable of setting up a civilized and free State”.
Remark: This is typical Armenian logic: demand land for the dead, and eliminate all other people!
B: The subject of Population is explained in Chapter 15, relocations in Chapter 14, Epidemics and Famine in Chapter 19 with diverse excerpts. The figure of 1,400,000 Armenians, can be true for total ‘Armenians within the Ottoman borders, Western, Eastern Anatolia and Tiflis - Yerevan area which was 60%, Moslem’. What the delegation tries to say is that they need all the land because they are civilized, and those who are not, must be eliminated or evacuated from the lands, they demand to be their country!
Re: Borders and land to be allocated to the new Armenian Republic:
M: (p.8)
“First: The seven Vilayets of Van, Bitlis, Diarbekir, Harput, Sivas, Erzurum and Trebizond (in conformity with the provisions of the Reform Measure of February 1914) excluding the regions situated to the south of the Tigris and the west of Ordu, Sivas line.
Second: The four Cilician Sanjaks, i.e.: Marash, Khozan, Djebel Bereket and Adana, including Alexandretta.
Third: All the territory of the Armenian Republic of the Caucasus, comprising the province of Yerevan, the southern part of the former Government of Tiflis, the south western part of the former Government of Elizapetvol, the province of Kars, except the region north of Ardahan (see below map):
Remark: At the time of this demand, the total Armenian population (according to Khachaznuni and A.A. Lalaian) was about One million, which was not even 20% of the total population of the area!
B: Above extravagant requests are self-explanatory and have not been covered in the book, in such exaggerated extent, because they were “never taken seriously by the Conference”. Readers are advised to refer to pages 599, 614, 622 and others of the book.
Re: Main Armenian Claims from the Paris Peace Conference, February 1919:
M: (p.11) “The program of the Armenian National Claims may be summarized as follows:
First: The recognition of an independent Armenian State, formed by the union of the seven Vilayets and of Cilicia, with the territories of the Armenian Republic of the Caucasus.
Second: That the Armenian State, thus constituted, be placed under the collective guarantee of the Allied Powers and the United States, or the League of Nations, of which she asks to be a member.
Third: That special mandate be given by the Peace Conference to one of the Powers to lend aid to Armenia for a provisional period. In the selection of the mandatory power, the Armenian Conference, which is actually assembled in Paris, should be consulted. The maximum duration of the mandate should be twenty years.
Fourth: That an indemnity be fixed by the Peace Conference to repair all damages suffered by the Armenian nation through massacres, deportations, plunder and destruction of property.
Fifth: That the aiding Power be charged with the following mandate:
a- To bring about the evacuation by the Turks, Tartars and others of all the Armenian territories.(*)
d- To expel from the country all the disturbing elements and the lawless nomadic tribes. (**)
e- To return to their homes all of the Muhajirs, who have been brought to the country… (***)
f- Turkey must undertake to pay the full value of all the requisitions she has made and also restore with equitable estate, wherever situated, to their rightful Armenian owners, and also the Churches, schools, monasteries with their estate real or personal, which have been unlawfully seized from the Armenian communities under any pretext .
The Armenian religious authorities at Constantinople shall have the right to take possession of all national properties and also of the estates of all Armenians throughout Turkey who have died leaving to heir, and shall have power and authority to dispose of them in any manner they see fit and appropriate their revenues for the needs of their flocks.
The Armenian Question is not essentially a local and national question; it concerns peace of Europe, and upon its solution shall depend the pacification, the progress and the prosperity of the Near East.
Paris, February 12, 1919
A. Aharonian Boghos Nubar
President Armenian Delegation of the Armenian Armenian National Delegation
Republic to the Peace Conference
Remark: The claims are so gigantic and out of any measure of logic, that they hardly deserve any counter comments. The book does not cover these unbelievable details. The following explanatory notes may show some of the absurdities:
* = Evacuate the majority living in the area, leaving those of Armenian nationality alone!
** = Whatever remains, if they were not evacuated, expel them as trouble makers!
***= Return the “Muhajirs to where they came from” meaning all Balkans, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria etc.!
The FOURTH request, COMPENSATION is the HEART of EVERYTHING as explained in detail with several examples in chapter 30 of my book…
B: Exaggerations and distortions on which these unbelievable claims were based, are also explained in the book.
Commentary: According to the Ottoman records of deportations and settlements, total of Armenians who have been relocated is 438.758 by names. The number of persons who have arrived at the destinations is 382,148 by names, showing a difference of about 56,610 [13%] loss in the process. If we take an unbelievably huge error margin of say 50%, it will mean that 650,000 were relocated, and taking even a larger loss percentage of say 15%, the total loss is still under 98,000 based on “negative probabilities”. We have to remember that the report dated 1.3.1914 prepared by French-Armenian Committee for “land distribution under scheduled reform program”, wrote that only 542,421 Armenians were living in East Anatolia! There should be no ‘error margin in this figure’ or source.
The Armenian declaration that about 1,400,000 people were alive in 1919, or that of the American Relief Report dated April 22, 1922 declaring 1,414,000 Armenians were alive at the end of 1921, (based on other sources and my findings) are exaggerated and wrong figures!
The first exaggeration was intended to show that there was so many Armenian alive, to fill up the huge area requisitioned at the Peace Conference. The second exaggeration was intended to procure “more relief aid from the US Government or other associations”.
CONCLUSION: Any person with average intelligence, who reads the three documents available on the internet, namely (“Why Armenia Should be Free” plus “Memorandum” plus “Near East Relief Report” – at given links) needs no other proof or reading my book “The Genocide of Truth”, or almost the 2000 references in there, to accept that the revolutionary Armenian leaders, were in full rebellion and war with their parent country the Ottoman Empire, strove to destroy their country and serve the purposes of her enemies, and they forced their own people to bear the bitter consequences of their acts of treason, plus war calamities. Certainly there were deaths by thousands, but those during the four-five months of relocation in 1915 is well under a hundred thousand, when reciprocal acts of butchery are taken into account. However, owing to the on going famine, epidemics, movement of the immigrants back to Turkey together with Russian or British-French armies in the next years and out again, certainly caused natural deaths, the numbers of which can only be estimated. The deaths in Armenia under rule of their own government, during the period 1919 – 1922 are confirmed to be about 200.000 and are unrelated to relocations. Surely, the CUP government had many failures and shortages owing to general war conditions, incapacity and overall deprivations for all citizens including soldiers. Yet, as it is clearly confirmed also in the “Relief Report”, several Christian Relief Organizations could extend their various relief activities uninterrupted or hindered, (under guard of famished Turkish soldiers) from 1916 onto 1922 at all times and in all places! Relative personnel or missionaries directly distributed the relief supplies! No food supply was given to Turkish kitchens of immigrant camps. Blockade of all ports by the Allied Navy worsened shortages. Moslems died in even larger numbers, owing to epidemics and starvation, and the immigrants were not immune! The districts where immigrants were put in provisory buildings, sheds or tents, were not desert but were farmable lands. Most of them settled and became self-supporting. There is no authentic evidence for any extermination! It is time that prejudiced persons either ACCEPT the valid PROOF or… PROVE their CHARGES according to accepted standards of historical evidence!
Sukru Server Aya, Istanbul 7.07.08
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