hat the women in question were
no longer Armenians, having become Mussulmans, and that by the Sacred
Law the killing of Mussulman women was not permissible. The Vali
replied: "These women are vipers, who will bite us in time to come; do
not oppose the Government in this matter, for politics have no religion,
and the Government know what they are about." The Mufti and the Kadi
went back as they had come, and the women were sent to death. After the
removal of the Vali--in consequence, as it was said, of abuses in
connection with the sale of effects left in Armenian houses and
shops--orders arrived that the conversion of any who desired to enter
Islam should be accepted, be they men or women. Many of the Armenians
who remained, of both sexes, hastened to embrace the Faith in the hope
of saving their lives, but after a time they were despatched likewise
and their Islamism did not save them.

THE GERMANS AND THE ARMENIANS.--Whenever the talk fell on the Armenians
I used to blame the Turks for their proceedings, but one day when we
were discussing the question, an official of Diarbekir, who was one of
the fanatical Young Turk Nationalists, said: "The Turks are not to blame
in this matter, for the Germans were the first to apply this treatment
to the Poles, who were under their rule. And the Germans have compelled
the Turks to take this course, saying that if they did not kill the
Armenians there would be no alliance with them, and thus Turkey had no
choice."

This is what the Turk said, word for word. And it was confirmed by what
I heard from a Turk who was imprisoned with me at Aaliya, on the charge
of corresponding with Abdul-Kerim el-Khalil. He said that when passing
through Damascus he had visited the German Vice-Consul there, who had
told him confidentially that Oppenheim had come on a special mission,
which was to incite Jemal Pasha to persecute the Arabs, with a view to
causing hatred between the two races, by which the Germans might profit
in future if differences arose between them and the Turks. This was a
short time previous to the execution of Abdul-Kerim.

THE KILLING OF THE TWO KAIMAKAMS.--When the Government at Diarbekir gave
orders to the officials to kill the Armenians, a native of Baghdad was
Kaimakam of El-Beshiri, in that Vilayet, and an Albanian was Kaimakam of
Lijeh. These two telegraphed to the Vilayet that their consciences would
not permit them to do such work, and that they resigned their posts.
T