Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-04-29 | Page 3 | Palestine Changed under British Rule

PALESTINE CHANGED iOERlIISI RULE Moslems Show an Excellent Spirit and Seem Glad the Turk Was Beaten. LONDON, April 2. (Correspondence of the Associated Press) Conditions in Palestine today are in marvelous contrast con-trast with those which prevailed before the British general, Allenby, set up a military administration in Jerusalem, writes an American resident of that country coun-try to the Associated Press. The correspondent cor-respondent adds: "The removal of the old Ottoman regime, re-gime, which had for Us primary object the setting of one class against another; the complete respect for the feelings and rights of all religious sects; the establishment estab-lishment of really equitable judicial tribunals, and the excellent behavior of the British troops have already had a marked effect, not only on the people of the towns, but also on the wild nomad Bedouin. All through the liberated districts dis-tricts the British authorities have been afforded every possible assistance by the people, and the British methods of dealing deal-ing with thorny religious questions are in general approved by the various religious re-ligious communities. "The Moslems have shown an excellent excel-lent spirit. Recently the military governor gov-ernor of Mejdel was invited to attend a religious ceremony by the Mohammedan Moham-medan notables of the town a great concession. con-cession. In another case, a party of troops sent to collect arms from a village near Hebron was invited to take shelter from1 the cold of a rainy night in the village mosque. This was a remarkable piece of hospitality. "On all sides, in short, it is evident that the new administration is regarded as a great relief after the tyrannous corruption cor-ruption of the Turk. The British tribunal established in the sacred city of Bethlehem, Bethle-hem, for example, is giving general satisfaction sat-isfaction and has the support and backing back-ing of the notables and headmen. People who have always endured Injustice rather than submit themselves to the corrupt Turkish courts are now freely availing themselves of the new tribunal. "In the Mejdel area the local chiefs. In a petition urging that the British employ no former Turkish officials in their administration, ad-ministration, said: 'The British administration adminis-tration is like a sword, but it is straight, has a true edge and is no respecter of persons.' "The population of the grain-producing country between Gaza and Beersheba is delighted at the promise of prosperity which they see in the linking up by railway rail-way of Palestine and Bjjypt, which affords af-fords thorn a permanent market for their produce."