of American Mission and 2,000 under protection of French Mission at
Urumiah; it is learned that at Gulpashan, the last of 103 villages to be
taken after resistance, the Kurds shot the male citizens in groups of
five, while the younger women were taken as slaves; 20,000 Persian
Christians are dead or missing, while 12,000 are refugees in the
Caucasus; disease is raging among the refugees.

March 26--Turks force their way into the compound of the American
Mission at Urumiah, seize some Assyrian Christian refugees and kill
them; Turks beat and insult American missionaries; American and British
Consuls at Tabriz, near Urumiah, have joined in appeal to General
commanding Russian forces at Tabriz to go to relief of American Mission
at Urumiah, which is described as practically besieged by Turks and
Kurds; United States State Department is active and asks Ambassador
Morgenthau at Constantinople to urge the Turkish Government to send
protection; Persian War Relief Committee cables funds to American Consul
at Tabriz for relief at Urumiah.

March 27--Turkish Grand Vizier issues orders that Christians in
disturbed Persian regions be protected and uprisings be suppressed.

March 28--Turkish regulars are due to arrive at Urumiah to protect
Christians and suppress disorder; Turkish War Office says that "no acts
of violence had been committed at Urumiah"; Grand Vizier states that
reported atrocities are "grossly exaggerated."

March 30--Turkish Government gives renewed assurances to Ambassador
Morgenthau that protection will be given to Christians at Urumiah.

RUMANIA.

March 6--Parliament passes a law empowering Government to proclaim a
state of siege until the end of the war, if such a step is thought
necessary; military representatives of the Government are seeking to
place large orders for arms and ammunition with American firms.

March 12--Prime Minister Jonesco is quoted in a newspaper interview as
saying that he is sure the Allies will force the Dardanelles, the result
of which will be that Rumania will join the war.

March 15--Rumania's war preparations are causing uneasiness in
Austria-Hungary.

March 18--Government seizes a large quantity of shells in transit from
Germany for Turkish troops.

RUSSIA.

March 1--Paris Temps says that the Allies have reached an agreement by
which Russia will have free passage through the Dardanelles.

March 4--Village women capture and bind a detachment of German soldiers.