then, was the psychological moment:
Turkey for the Turk was the aim of the Committee of Union and Progress,
and with a discontented population, unwilling to fight, the moment had
come for restoring to the Turk this mass of property which at present
belonged to an alien race. War might have its drawbacks and its clouds,
but war would be seen to have its advantages and its silver linings, if
out of it there came this legacy of Armenian wealth. And by the same
stroke Turkey could get rid of those thousands of meddlesome
missionaries, American and French, who spread religion and learning and
other undesirable things among the cursed race. Once remove the cursed
race, and there would be an end of their instructors also, for there
would be none to instruct. 'Thanks to their schools,' so we read in the
_Hilal_, an organ of the Young Turks, 'foreigners were able to exercise
great moral influence over the young men of the country.... By closing
them (i.e. by exterminating their pupils) the Government has put an end
to a situation as humiliating as it was dangerous.'

Such, then, was the spirit that animated Enver and Talaat, and during
the winter of 1914-15 they perfected their plans. The Armenian race was
to cease, and the Valis and other officials were, each in his district,
to see to the thoroughness of its cessation. Sometimes, as happened at
Erzerum, the Vali in question, not having the broad out-look of Enver,
or quaintly and curiously having a womanish objection to the national
duty of flogging men to death and giving over young girls to a barbarous
soldiery, remonstrated with the authorities, or even refused to obey
orders. Such a one was instantly removed from his office, and a
stauncher patriot substituted. All was put on an orderly footing: here
Kurds were to be employed on the old Abdul Hamid formula, who by way of
wage would enjoy the privilege of raping as many women and girls out of
their hapless convoy as seemed desirable, while in agricultural
districts they were allowed also to take over the sheep and cattle of
their murdered victims. Here, in towns where there was more chance of
resistance than in scattered homesteads, it would be wise to employ
regular troops, backed, if necessary, by artillery, to whom would be
entrusted the murder of the whole male population, after suitable
tortures, supposing the executioners had a taste for the sport, and to
them was given the right of general plunder. Then, as soon as t