Welsh Journals

Wales and Armenia. Cymru Unllais. •No. 8 (Second Issue). OCTOBER 7TH, 1896. PRICE id. I RELIEF AND RESCUE. We wait, not without good reasons for hope, to hear what the Governments of Europe will do for suffering Turkey. It is enough for us to know that large plans of reform and reorganisation are under discussion, under which Syria and Armenia may yet be as well ruled as Bosnia and Egypt are, and Crete soon will be. But meanwhile massacre, outrage, starvation, and fever do not wait: and our country lags far behind its duty in giving practical help. Still in Turkey and on its borders we have men who stay at their posts, daily risking their lives to administer the charity of England : but that charity flows in driblets where it should rush in a generous stream. Can we not move with more ardour, more agreement, more sincerity in this matter ? Is each man in Wales going to wait till his neighbour acts ? We record today gifts from the CM. Church, Clynnog, from the Garth Board School, Bangor, and from Llandudno. Will others follow ? We submit that Wales should raise ^"5000 for these funds before Christmas. If we cannot make some such sacrifice, our Christmas feasts will be a mockery and profan¬ ation, and the cry of those we have let die we shall vainly try lo hush. RESULTS. A correspondent of the Manchester Guardian reports the following conversation with a high official. He said the ener¬ getic agitation in this country was having a curious effect on the Continent, where it was feared that Lord "Salisbury would be driven, even against his will, to take some strong step alone which would once more throw the whole Eastern Question again into the arena. To prevent this, some of the Powers at least are desirous of advancing further with Great Britain, and of doing something which would satisfy public opinion here and help to quiet an agitation which they regard as dangerous because of its inevitable effect on the British Government. This statement is probably sufficiently accurate. In this country we should probably write instead : " Lord Salisbury will be led to do that which he has long desired, but for which he has only now received sufficiently strong support from public opinion." There can be little reason to doubt that the steps indicated by Mr. Gladstone would be -quite sufficient entirely to upset the paper policy of the " diplomatic corpse," as it has been not inaptly named, and to force upon Europe more energetic measures. What is now as necessary as ever is that public meet¬ ings should declare with firmness that England's policy is fixed, and cannot be altered to please the remaining members of the European concert. The reports we publish to-day of meetings held in Wales shew that this attitude is not only that adopted by agitators, but that it has the approval of statesmen of position on both sides, and, if maintained, will surely bring about the orderly government not only of Armenia, but of all Turkey. : We publish the accounts of the Spring Collection, •amounting to over ^1000, besides ^1000 collected in Wales through other channels, and repeat our gratitude to all helpers. REPORTS OF MEETINGS iN WALES. • ( Holyhead—A largely attended meeting was held at the Holyhead Town Hall on Friday evening, to proteft against the Armenian massacres, the chair being occupied by Mr. J. Roberts, J.P., chairman of the Urban District Council. A resolution expressing abhorrence and indignation at the monstrous and inhuman cruelties having been unani¬ mously passed, Mr. J. Bryn Roberts, M.P., in moving a resolution pledging support to the Government " in any measure that they might see fit to take to compel the Sultan to abandon his policy of oppression and murder," said that there was no danger of such an attitude leading to war, but their resolution went as far as this, that if every other measure failed and the Government came to the conclusion that it was necessary to act, and even to act alone, we, as a nation, would support them to the utmost. Some were saying, with the view of frightening us, that that must lead to war : but he considered that they had a duty east upon •them, and that that duty would not lead to disastrous results but that they were bound to support the Government what¬ ever the results. Sir E. Clarke had said that England had a special right and duty in this matter. He thought there was a distinct improvement in the situation during the last week, and that it was due to the Powers of Europe seeing that the people of England were willing to give Lord Salis¬ bury practically carte blanche in the matter, so that the menace might not fall to the ground. Amongst those who took part in the meeting were the Revs. Canon Thomas, John Williams, John Hughes, R, P, WlUiax^-W^Evans (Monwyson), E. B. Jones, Gomer Evans, Father D'Alton; Mr. J. Lloyd Griffith, Mr. T. Billsborough, Dr. Roland Williams, Mr. Forcer Evans, and Mr. W. S. Owen. With reference to this meeting a correspondent writes : "We had a magnificent meeting in all respects. The plat¬ form, as you will see, was a most representative one, and I have never during my residence in the town seen Holyhead so unanimous on any subject as on this one of horror.and disgust at the iniquitous misrule of the Sultan. The Town Hall was crowded, and there was not one jarring note from beginning to end." Llanfairfechan.—At the Quarterly Meeting of the ■r neor Welsh Wesleyan Circuit, held on Saturday, under the' presidency of the Rev. R. Lloyd Jones, the following resolution was unanimously passed: "That this meeting; expresses its deepest sympathy with the persecuted Christians of Armenia, and its horror and indignation at the continued^ massacres of Armenians under Turkish rule. This meeting is unanimously of opinion that every possible effort should be put forth to end the present misrule, and assures Her Majesty's Government of its hearty support in any measures that may be found necessary for this purpose." Dolgelley.—K largely attended meeting was held in the County Hall, Dolgelley, on Friday evening last, convened^ by the Mayor (Mr. J. Meyrick Jones), who presidedj^^ O. Slaney Wynne moved a resolution expressing indi^atfo" at the continuance of the massacres of Armenia^ u"a.^ Turkish rule, and assuring the present Government ot ns support in any measures that they may takey°^ . ■■ things. With the great speech deUveredJ^ _ ^ Liverpool by one of the greatest sp^geat pleasure in possesses, he entirely agreed. He «"" & *>