Speech #670145275

TThe Rev. Panaretos. formerly abbot of the Monastery of St. John of Vazelon. who traveled extensively through the whole of Pontus early in 1919. at the request of the committee of the Pontus Greeks. in order to obtain information concerning conditions. states that the diocese of Amassia before the war had a population of 136.768. with 393 schools and 12.360 pupils and 493 teachers. 498 churches. two bishops. 19 suffragans. and 518 priests. and that at the time of his visit 72.395 of this number had been deported or exiled. 70 per cent of whom died in exile or during their deportation. He further says that less than 30 per cent of the deported ones had returned to their devastated homes after the armistice. He also states that 1.40 villages had been completely destroyed in the same section. that the Greek village of Cadikeuy. numbering 3.640 souls before deportation had been enforced. at tile time of his visit had only 810 inhabitants. and there remained but 100 houses out of 450. and of the former number many were partly destroyed. He further states in his report that he visited Ordou. in the diocese of Neokaisarea. which numbered before the war 1.4 towns. 166 villages. 1 secondary school. 18 grammar schools. 173 primary schools. and a Greek population of 87.457. At the time of his visit 25.000 of this number had been deported. mainly from the communities along the coast. into the interior. and 2.700 had been taken to Russia. This prelate declares that the persecution was still raging and that the "loss of life and property was appalling." In those places where deportation had not been ordered the loss of life was great. and 50 per cent of the Greek lpopulation had died as a result of the hardships. beatings. and imprisonment to which they had been subjected by the Turkish gendarmerie and officials who terrorized the country. Referring to that part of the coast visited by him lie states that " all trace of the once flourishing villagers has disappeared. Out of the 25.000 deported only 6 per cent of the villagers and 35 per cent of the townspeople have been saved. mere shadows in rags and living witnesses of Turkish barbarism. Tlhroughout the diocese 20 priests were shot or hanged or burnt or buried alive." This reverend man declares that " in the midst of this desolation the Greek race shows its vitality. a comnunity has again been started. schools have been opened. orphanages founded where the orphans -victims of tile persecutionfind shelter. The orphanage of the community cares for 106 orphans. and tleir number is steadily increasing. The central committee for relief to the Greek deportees had sent from Constantinople up to the time of our arrival at Ordou Ltqs. 1.500. and the American Committee for Relief in the Near East had given Ltqs. 3.300. The Creek Red Cross has also helped in the way of medicines an"d clothing." Senators will remember that these conditions existed early in 1919. The persecutions have continued since that period. ald. as I have stated. under tile K1emalist regille they have been more violent and deadly than before.