AMBASSADOR MORGENTHAU HONORED BY SURVIVORS
Taleen Babayan
Armenian Weekly
Thu, Apr 29 2010
The Museum of Jewish Heritage, located on the tip of Manhattan in
Battery Park, on the shores of Ellis and Liberty Islands, served as
the setting for the honoring of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Sr. and
his family, including Robert M. Morgenthau, chairman of the Museum,
by Armenian Genocide survivors and the Knights and Daughters of Vartan
on Wednesday afternoon, April 21.
Robert Morgenthau talking to survivors Four Armenian Genocide
survivors, residents of the Armenian Home in Flushing, N.Y., met
Robert Morgenthau in front of the museum’s special exhibition, which
chronicles U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau’s
tireless efforts to stop what he termed "the murder of a nation"
in his autobiography-an expression tantamount to "genocide," a word
not invented until 1944 by Raphael Lemkin who was reflecting on the
attempted extermination of the Armenians.
Dr. Mary Papazian, the senior vice-president and provost of Lehman
College, City University of New York, made opening remarks on behalf of
Armenians worldwide. She said that the survivors and Robert Morgenthau
had come together "in a special way, joining the present and the
past, in an affirmation of the tragedy which befell the Armenians
and Ambassador Morgenthau’s efforts to ameliorate their suffering."
Dr. Papazian introduced each of the survivors, including Charlotte
Kechejian, Oronik Eminian, Arsalo Dadir, and Perouz Kalousdian,
and briefly told their stories of escaping during the genocide and
eventually making their way to the United States. She noted that
Ambassador Morgenthau worked on behalf of Armenian survivors after
the genocide by supporting the efforts of the Near East Relief,
authorized by the U.S. government. Papazian noted that he became the
"voice to these victims."
Ambassador Morgenthau returned to the United States in 1916 and
published his memoir Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, describing the
atrocities committed by the Young Turk dictatorship in the Ottoman
Empire.
Among the official documents on display is the noted 1915 telegram
where he warned the U.S. State Department that a "campaign of race
extermination" is being carried out under the pretext of putting down
a revolt.
"The exhibition behind us celebrates the contributions of this
remarkable man, a man of principal, who believed in humanity above
politics," said Papazian. "We’re here to honor the contributions
your family’s made and express our deepest gratitude and thanks from
Armenians worldwide."
Papazian and Haig Deranian, the grand commander of the Knights of
Vartan, presented Robert Morgenthau with a plaque.
"I’m very proud to receive this recognition for my grandfather’s role
in struggling against the murder of a nation," said Robert Morgenthau,
90. "It was a case where criminals took over government and proceeded
to exterminate all Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Obviously,
they did not succeed."
"Armenians have good memories," he continued. "They remember who their
friends are. I thank you for this honor on behalf of my grandfather
and my family."