Thousands were actually driven into the sea and thousands more threw themselves into the water to escape by drowning an intolerable existence as mistresses or slaves to the inhuman Turks. But for the assistance and the remonstrance of our representatives on the spot and of the representatives of other civilized nations few of the helpless Greeks and Armenians herded together like cattle on the beach at Smyrna would have escaped death or a life worse than death. After weeks. and months in some cases. of untold suffering and privation about 1.200.000 emaciated and miserable refugees found themselves In Greece without food or money. in fact. with nothing except the rags on their backs. About 10 per cent of the refugees were Armenians. Hebrews. Assyrians. and Circassians. " having no claim upon Greece except the claim of human beings denied shelter elsewhere." to quote from a report of our adviser to the Greek Government. Greece. a little nation of something over 5.000.000 inhabitants. impoverished and prostrate after the Smyrna debacle had these helpless and starving refugees. equal in numbers to onefourth of her population. thrust upon her: to support. This Congress made no appropriation to help these distressed people. Relief societies and association from all the civilized -world. however. rushed to her assistance. It: is said that for five months in 1922 and 1923 the American Red Cross alone cared for 868.000 refugees. and the Near East Relief for thousands of others. For reasons. which I will not here discuss. the American Red Cross withdrew from Greece the 1st of last July. The Greek Government. assisted by the Near East Relief and other similar societies and associations. have done all that is humanly p0ssible with the funds available. Notwithstanding their efforts. I find from a recent report that there are still no fewer than 500.000 refugees. who are homeless. without adequate food and clothing. and an easy prey to hunger. exposure. and disease. Mr. President. while we are considering appropriations for the purchase of food supplies for destitute women and children. let us not forget the unfortunate Christian refugees in Greece. There is more suffering today among the Jews in Poland and Russia than there is in Germany. but no one is asking us to appropriate money to help them. If we appropriate the peoples money to help the starving. it is our duty to help all those in the greatest distress.- I am opposed to charity just to get votes.
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refugees