Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 307

KAREN JEPPE
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made them say they were Mohammedans. Then our agent applied
to the French Colonel, and he informed General Bilotte. I was
also informed and went to see the General about it.
We arranged that I should have them for a month, and after
that time they could decide whether they wanted to be Moham-
medans or Christians. I have had them longer than that, and no-
body asks about them. In the beginning the older girl was very
obstinate; she wanted to be an Arab, but now they have made up
their minds to remain with their own people.”
Most of the refugees came to the Home in a miserable con-
dition: in rags and full of vermin, many had old, uncared-for
diseases and had to have much medical care before their health
could be restored.
Many of the women had been tattood by their Arab or Kur-
dish owners, and even their faces wore dark blue disfiguring
marks. And, worst of all, there was hardly a girl over 12 who
had not been violated.
One of the first steps that had to be taken was to try and find
out whether they had any relatives left. This was chiefly done
through the churches, and through Armenian organisations and
Armenian newspapers all over the world. Surprisingly enough
this succeeded in about 75 per cent. of the cases.
Thus these could be restored to “the natural family life of
which the comprehension is a good deal broader in the Orient
than it is in Europe. Uncles and aunts count as family and re-
cognize their responsibility as such.
This is in a way the most touching part of our work, and
numerous are the requests sent to us to look up lost relatives in
every part of the district. On the other hand we steadily keep
advertising found people, and what scenes do we not witness
when fathers or mothers clasp a child in their arms — a child
they never thought they would see again.”
Those, however, who had no relatives, or whose relatives
were too poor to provide for them, had to be trained to become
selfsupporting. The women and girls were usually taught do-
mestic work or embroidery, an old Armenian national art, half
forgotten, now revived by Miss Jeppe. This industry still gives
bread to many Armenian women.
In the course of the years many of the girls were married to