The students must be great readers, Most of the people of the country are illiterate or read very little. The college has a library of about 7500 volumes, English, Armenian and Turkish. Students are encouraged to read and library work is a required part of the language courses, with the result that the number of books drawn per student during the year has averaged over fifty. Back here in the interior of Turkey, they have had sixty or seventy periodicals regularly on the shelves in the college reading room!
Site Given by Moslem
The fine site on which the college is built was given by a wealthy Moslem, back in the '70s, when the college was founded. His granddaughter's husband, by the way, has just been made governor of the city, under the French. But the Moslems have never been free to benefit from the college without restrictions. In the days of Sultan Abd-ul-Hamid, they were forbidden to attend, and under the Young Turks a government lycee was opened to keep them from attending. But there is bound to be a great change, when the college re-opens. Even now the Moslems of the city have appealed to the Americans to take charge of their common schools, something unheard of and without parallel in Turkey.
The Armenians had expected that Aintab would be included in Greater Armenia, but since that hope has vanished, they have accepted the situation and have shown a wonderful spirit in making up with and conciliating the Turks. Last February, they found themselves between the Turks and the French, when the former wanted to attack the latter, and were compelled to fight in self-defence, but after seventy days of fighting they were able to resume relations with the Turks. And now after the year of siege, when they find themselves on the side of the French who finally have conquered, instead of seeking revenge from the Turks for all that they have suffered, they have decided to do all in their power to help their Turkish fellow-citizens!
Armenians Resourceful
I have been amazed, not only at this, but at the courage, resiliency and recuperative power of these Armenians and at their resourcefulness. I have listened to story after story of the siege that is just over, telling of their pluck and ability and self-control. Their persistence and their religiousness, too, have impressed me.
Another thing that I must mention is the influence which these American residents, who know the language and the people, have out here with all races and classes. I have seen evidences of it myself, and have heard the stories of how Turks, Armenians and French, all fighting to the death, would stop hostilities to let the Americans rescue a hundred or two orphans or start on a journey that involved crossing the firing lines. America has a tremendous prestige as the disinterested friend of all who are in distress. It is something for us to live up to at home! We think these Americans have given up their lives and buried themselves, but we are mistaken. They are doing a work and wielding an influence that any man might desire and covet.