Armenia and its sorrows

56 ARMENIA AND ITS SORROWS
were of the most absurd character. He had visited
certain villages in connection with his mission work,
and this was regarded as a cover for the spread of
revolutionary teaching. No evidence whatever could
be procured except the affidavits of some men who
declared at the trial that they were tortured by the
Government agents until they signed the documents.
But notwithstanding these facts, M. Thoumaian and
sixteen of his companions were sentenced to death, on
the 12th of June, at Angora.
Happily for him, he was well known in England
as a respected missionary and philanthropist. A
great storm of indignation broke forth in all
directions. Meetings to protest were held in many
large towns, and urgent questions were asked in the
House of Commons. Representations were at once
made by the British Ambassador to the Porte, and
lie was informed that the case would be reconsidered
Ijy the Court of Cassation. But the British nation
was in no mood to be trifled with. On 3rd July,
Lord Rosebery sent the following telegram to Constantinople
—
:
" Her Majesty's Government cannot wait for result
of proceedings of Court of Cassation. Tlie Sultan
is evidently determined to add to the cruel farce
already perpetrated at Angora by another mock
condemnation. Every additional day, however, that
passes over the heads of these innocent prisoners is
a new injustice."
The effect of this was instantaneous. On the
following morning M. Tlioumaian was set at liberty.
It may be that other iniquities in Armenia would
have been checked had the British Government held
equally strong language on the subject.
Another step in the process of " diminishing " the
Armenians was to reduce them to a condition of
semi-starvation. The Ottoman Government is notori-