The attached is an excerpt from Antranig Zarougian’s book “The Greats and the Others” (Մեծերը եւ Միւսները) chapter “Arshavir Shiragian and Trasdamad Ganayan (Dro)” where Antranig Zarougian reminisced Dro visiting the city in 1948. The article also sheds further light on Dro and also the one-time Armenian community in Aleppo. Antranig Zarougian, born in 1931, was a 27 years old young man at the time.
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Vahe H. Apelian
Dro visited Aleppo for the first time in late spring of 1948. It was not of course for sightseeing. Aleppo does not have scenic places save its historic castle and its famed covered market. He came to sort the sharp differences that existed within the party leadership.
The Arab-Israeli war had started as an outcome of the establishment of the State of Israel. The city was in an unusual heightened mood. The Arab “Hezb El Wattan” (The Party of the Fatherland), a nationalistic party with whom we had close ties, had asked us to form a legion of 500 Armenian volunteer combatants and had promised that they will completely support it financially. There some among us who were eager to affirmatively respond to the request. There were others who opposed it. Dro was invited to render the judgement.
- “Pretend that I am not present and freely voice your opinions.” Was his opening remark.
He listed to the both sides. He even let the exchange of bitter words to the extent of hurting each other. Adour1 (note: Kabakian), who acted as the liaison with the Arabs, along with Hratch2(note: Papazian), had already given his consent. Hratch repeated his stand saying:
- “I would sacrifice five hundred in order to guard the safety of the fifty thousand Armenian community”. 3
_ “As if we are at a poker game” sarcastically uttered (note: Mehran) Herartian4 to the attendees without looking towards Adour but in a veiled attempted alluding to Adour’s liking the card game.
These two had opposite personalities and they could hardly tolerate each other. During a meeting if it was one them who spoke first on the issue, the other would keep silent and would not speak. Both of them were experienced and devoted nationalist activists and in a strange way, their opposing personalities complemented each one of them and gave voice to contradictory opinions that was vital for the functioning of the party.
Adour, with his mellowed personality, was liked by everyone and was even respected by his opposition. In close circles we had nicknamed him “the soft thorn”. Herartian with his sharp disposition and dry tact, hardly could be tolerated even by his friends. It remained for us the young to keep a complementary dealing with both. But during that meeting we were all “Herartians”. The only person who stood with the Adour-Hrach duo was Onneg (Meliksetian). If it were up them, we should have already started registering volunteer combatants and that the registration was postponed because of our opposition and inviting Dro to come and render the verdict.
Dro let each camp to substantiate its stand. He listed to each with patience without interfering in any way. Concerned that Herartian with his firm stand may spoil the issue, I voiced my opinion in a conciliatory manner, saying:
- “The issue has two sides, ethical and pragmatic. I find its unbecoming for us to have volunteer combatants fight a people who have suffered a similar fate as ours. Also, from practical considerations, our community numbers fifty thousand among the five hundred thousand city inhabitants. In order to have a fair proportional representation, ours would be fifty persons and not five hundred. If we are obligated to respond to the proposition, then I would recommend…..
Hratch cut me off.
- “See, Unger Dro, was I not telling you that our boy is a poet, editor, and an orator, and he has started becoming a politician….”
- “It’s not a strategic issue, but simply accounting”, I said but I did not continue. Did he not say that he had talked about me to Dro? Surely he had spoken “positively” about me, as it was customary of him to do so. In situations such as this there should not be any consideration in hiding from Dro that we did not see each other eye to eye on this matter. So, I decided to speak forcefully letting Dro know that his consultation with Hratch could not have been impartial.
But Dro did not give me the opportunity to continue. He considered that he was sufficiently informed. He started talking.
“ The Unger is telling the truth, Hratch. The strongest Arabic force is that of the Jordanian army numbering ten thousand, organized by Glubb Pasha, (Leutenant General Sire John Bago Glubb, known as Glubb Pasha was a British soldier, scholar, and author who led and trained Transjordoan’s Arab legion between 1939-1956 – Wikipedia). I do not know about the Syrian Army; it could be twice as many but not of the same caliber. The Egyptian Army is superior in number but not militarily. This much about the armed forces. Regarding the Armenian volunteer combatants, the Armenians need not volunteer. Let the Syrian Government call for enlistment, the Armenian young men, along with the Arabs will stand side by side and will do their civic duties. When a country is at war, it is the responsibility of the government to recruit soldiers and it is not up to the political parties to take the lead, whether it is an Armenian party or Arab. That is my opinion.”
Have you ever gulped a class of cold water when you were very thirsty? How delightful it is !. I felt the same way.
After that day I have been with Dro for many years, whether during meetings or tete-a tete-conversations. But in none of these occasions he has come across to me as sound as he was that day. On the contrary I have found Dro partial, biased and at times distracted and I have wondered “Is this mand the same or is he another?”
Regarding the volunteering issue, fortunately or unfortunately, the “Friday preceded the Saturday” and Israel won and nothing else was said afterwards about the request. It was only Herartian who every now then would say with a smirk,
- “Adour lost the card game.”
Notes:
1. Adour Kabakian (1895Aintab-1972 Beirut) was a prominent ARF leader.
2. Hratch Papazian (1892-1960) was a prominent ARF leader and an architect of the Operation Nemesis.
3. “ With an official population of 4.6 million is 2010, Aleppo was the largest Syrian city before the Syrian civl war; however, it is now the second largest city in Syira, after the capital Damascus” (Wikipedia). The post Syrian civil war Armenian population in Aleppo is estimated to between 10,000 to 15,000.
4. Mehran Herartian (?? - ??) An ARF leader and one of the editors of “Arevelk” Daily published in Aleppo (1946-1963).
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