Turkey Asked To Stop Massacres

State Department Acts By Russia’s Request In Behalf Of Armenians.

Bryan Cables U.S. Ambassador

First Official Notice Received Of Reported Armenian Atrocities.

Washington, April 27.- An appeal for relief of Armenian Christians in Turkey, following reported massacres and threatened further outrages, was made to the Turkish government today by the United States.

Acting upon the request of the Russian government’s board through Ambassador Bakhmeteff, Secretary Bryan cabled Ambassador Morgenthau at Constantinople to make representations to the Turkish authorities, asking that steps be taken for the protection of imperilled Armenians and prevent the recurrence of religious outbreaks.

Ambassador Bakhmeteff called at the state department late today with a dispatch from his government, which included an appeal to the President of the United States for aid forwarded through the Russian government from the Catholics of the Armenian Church, at Etchmiadzin in the Caucasus. Russia being at war with Turkey and could not conduct negotiations directly in the matter.

“The request from the head of the Armenian Church to this government forwarded through the Russian ambassador,” said Secretary Bryan, “is the first official notice the department has received of the reported Armenian massacres. Our action was taken as a matter of humanity. We notified Mr. Morgenthau to submit the matter to the Turkish government, asking that inquiry be made and combining therewith a request for representations on behalf of the Armenians.”

Dispatches from Tiflis several days ago contained first news of atrocities against Armenians in Turkey. Officials are inclined to the belief that Mohammedan Kurds, whom Turkish troops several weeks ago drove out of Urumiah, Persia, where outrages had been committed against American and French missionaries and refugees, crossed into Armenia to renew their warfare against Christians.

The Russian embassy today gave out a translation of a recent speech by the minister of foreign affairs in the Duma, in which the presence of Russian troops in Persia was explained. The foreign minister said:-

“The presence of our troops in Persian territory, by no means involved a violation of Persian neutrality. Our detachments were sent to that country some years ago for the definite purpose of establishing and maintaining order in districts contiguous to our possessions, of high economic importance to us, also to prevent the seizure of some of these districts by the Turks, who openly strove to create for themselves there, especially in the district of Urumiah, a convenient base for military operations against the Caucasus. The Persian government, not having the actual power to maintain its neutrality, met the Turkish violation of the latter with protests, which, however, had no results.”