PERSECUTIONS OF THE GREEKS IN TURKEY SINCE THE ...

PERSECUTIONS OF THE GREEKS 11
destruction of Hellenism was made by this measure, especially
if the fanaticism with which it was carried out be
taken into account, for naturally these measures were not
extended to include the Mussulman deserters. In order
to understand this, it is enough to glance at the following
extracts of official reports.
Thus the report of the vice-consul of Greece in
Cydonia dated December 12, 1914, No. 672 (Ministerial
Archives, No. 47298) makes the following statement:
" About 5 A.M. soldiers closely invested Cydonia and
guards with fixed bayonets beset the Greek houses and
even the consulate itself, stopping all traffic in the
streets. At the same time the Military Governor,
through a proclamation, summoned the deserters to present
themselves, and ordered the citizens to hand over
all hidden weapons. About midday a house to house
search began, executed by officers who did not spare even
the churches themselves. During this search many unheard
of excesses were committed and upward of two
hundred Greeks were seized. In Genitsarochori, in
particular, the gendarmes went so far as to outrage
women. But what surpasses all description is what took
place in Moschonesia, where churches were looted, and
men and women were beaten and tortured. Thus a man
named Copanos was thrown into a pit and pricked with
needles to compel him to betray the whereabouts of
weapons and deserters supposedly concealed in Moschonesia.
The bishop Photios, various priests and prominent
men were seized, beaten and imprisoned in a mill,
to be released only after some days had passed. The
object of this search for deserters and arms was to diminish
the male population, to disarm the inhabitants
and to dishearten the Greek element through various
oppressive means. During this cruel search crowds of
Bashibouzouks surrounded the city awaiting the signal
to come in and loot and destroy the place. The Military
Governor was heard to say: "One or two more such