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Show Palestine Fair Land ! Under America's "Wing I a Romantic Possibility i ,. , ,. i United States Trusteeship of Bible Countries Seems Logical Thing in General Scheme of Reconstruction and Restoration. BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS. . ' (Copyright by tho New York Herald; Special Cable to The Salt Lake Tribune and New York Herald.) PAUIS, March 5. There Is a host of persons now in Paris, mostly representing rep-resenting Great Britain and the little nations, who see very clearly what is America's duty to the world that she has helped to give a fresh start. As tho continual dropping wears away tho stone, so Americans in Paris are gradually yielding their once firm conviction that whatever befalls this old earth, this country is not going to become be-come entangled in European or Asiatic ! responsibilities. "It is perfectly impos- 1 sible," said one famous statesman, "that : America, the strong, should undertake to reshape the whole earth simply by telling ! other nations what they should do. Sho i must do her part, however distasteful j that may be to her." One gasps at the magnitude of the j tasks that are calmly being earmarked for America. There seems to be no idea among theso men, who know world maps as definitely as a national politician at home knows electoral districts, Mhat America is to be let, off with any one piece of work, such as the administration of Constantinople and the straits. The assumption Js that tho United States will accept a share of the world's work commensurate with its capacity. An Appeal to American Sentiment. I have even heard It suggested that, as Americans have a deep sentimental j interest in Bible lands, they might be persuaded to become responsible for the entire eastern Mediterranean littoral, from Gaza, the city down near the Egyptian border where Samson ran off with the gates, clear around the head of the sea including Antioch, where the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians, Chris-tians, and Paul's Tarsus, which he boasted boast-ed was no mean city; and Smyrna and Ephesus, where the Apostle John lived to Macedonia and the city of Thessalo-nica Thessalo-nica (the modern Saloniki), where Paul preached and lived and . to which he wrote two letters! How vast nd varied are the present problems such a task would unload on i America's shoulders, it would take many articles to set forth. There is no likelihood likeli-hood of any such comprehensive generosity gener-osity as this being accepted; but the suggestion is significant. There is no limit to what America can undertake, except her own willingness to assume responsibility. re-sponsibility. As a matter of fact, the man who recommended rec-ommended .the whole extent of Bible lands about tho Mediterranean for American trusteeship knew tho psychology psychol-ogy of the nation. ,Americans as a whole are more familiar with the maps in their Bibles and Sunday schools than with the latest publications of tho Royal Geographical Geo-graphical society. An old-fashioned and ineradicable interest in the Bible is a national characteristic. We arc a people of "The Book." Before the war, it was Americans who traveled most extensively extensive-ly to Palestine barring the religious pilgrimages pil-grimages from eastern Europe. After the war, when the land has onco moro been opened to travel' (it is now closed) there will be a tremendous influx of Americans. Ameri-cans. All over America, and even In the Metropolitan opera house in worldly minded New York, there havo been held great celebrations of the fall of .Jerusa- , lem. The most wie'ely circulated books in America are religious, or having to do j yith Palestine. So when it is proposed that Biblo lands come under the guardianship guar-dianship of the American flag, the popular pop-ular imagination is enkindled at once. The idea echoes from pulpit and Sunday school and religious press and secular schoolroom. Constantinople and Straits One Step. In a preceding article I developed the proposition that America should stand sponsor for Constantinople and the straits, and what this responsibility involves. That would only he the fateful first step in a new national policy of international ser-vice.' ser-vice.' Really, the first step, was taken in the Philippines, but this is a new beginning, begin-ning, under the Wilson ian standard that no nation lives to itself, and no nation dies to itself; we are all bound up together in the bundle of life, and the strong ought to bear the burdens of the weak. Sine one or more of the five dependent groups of peoples al ready outlined tho Bnlkans, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Persia Per-sia ahd Syria must fall to the custody of the United States, which is likeliest to meet with the least opposition from the people at home? If we must go into the international kindergarten business, what children shall we. enroll? To that question there is likely to be one rather unanimous answer. If America must send her sons ahroad for Jong foreign for-eign service', let it be1 in Syria and Palestine, Pales-tine, amid the sacred scenes of the Old and New Testaments. Since somebody must help the new Syrian government to find itself and to fulfill its highest possible pos-sible destiny, and if America must do this sort of work somewhere, it elects the Land of Promise. This is the region in which the American public can be kept (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) PALESTINE MAY COME ! UKDER YANKEE WHO i , j (Continued from Page One.) most Interested, and to which recruits for service can most easily be attracted. I The sentimental advantage of having ; Syria for a sphere is great ; other lands might need no sueh incitement, but the "hard-headed Yankees" are the most sentimental sen-timental peoplo in the world. Mothers would not .besrrudire their sons to Galileo and Judea and Pa ma sous and the Lebanon. Leb-anon. And what Interesting: t tines the teachers would have in following tho flap over these sites of sacred and classical history! Arabians Said to Favor Yankees. From Prince Feial himself, who is sitting sit-ting in the peace conference representing-hltn representing-hltn father. Jlusseln. the king- of Arabia, and who is at. the head of the government in Damascus', which hat succeeded, the 7'urks, I have it. that hi and his people would rather have the Apiericans come to tutor them onward to self-support and self-realization. The finjt reason -is that there would b no uneasy suspicions that America was playing a deep international game, wherein the local interests of Syria would bo subordinated to high matter? of diplomatic policy or of "national exploitation. exploita-tion. Syria does not want to be traded in or traded on. Tho people see their chance to come out from under immemorial immemo-rial bondage. They have been made free by the truth proclaimed by America. During their formative period of weakness, thev desire America herself to safeguard their liberty. Prince Feisol la very candid about what, they wish from America. Taking ua at our own valuation, he says he wants us to help his people magnanimously, that they may become their own best selves. They abhor the thought of being Anglicized Angli-cized or Americanized or Frenchified. It Is their own racial ond cultural personality person-ality that they seek to express. Modestly, yet forcefully, the present ruler of Syria set forth to me his convictions that his people have yet a distinctive contribution to make to the world. They mean to buy bark their great past, when Syria was the glorious giver to the human race. So they covet safety and opportunity to develop their own Syrian life. Where Naaman Sang Dynamos Will Hum. There will be unbounded opportunity for American capital and enterprise. AH the Syrian agriculture, now on the plane of 2000 years ago, Is to be brought up to date. The farmers are to be equipped, as well as taught reclamation and reforestation reforesta-tion and irrigation projects await western initiative. The tumbling waters of the Jordan and of the rivers of Damascus, whose praises Naaman, the leper, sounded, sound-ed, are to be harnessed for the production of power. Cities are to be equipped with the methods of modern life. Trade and Industry are to be stimulated. Education will call for legions of American teachers. Throughout all, American administrators, civil servants, and constabulary may be utilized. Already there is a potent American leaven at work in Syria. The greatest western educational institution in tho east, with approximately one thousand students, in Syrian Protestant college, now known as the American universitv, In the City of Beirut. Title to this magnificent mag-nificent property, situated on a bluif looking look-ing out over the Mediterranean, is heid by a board of trustees in New York. Its staff is composed of Americans and Syrians, Syr-ians, its graduates have penetrated the life of the near east, and Prince Feidal declared that they were prime forces in the new Arabic movement. It would be possible for tho United States at once to lay hands on dozens of Americans who have taught in this university, and who have a knowledge of the Arabic language. lan-guage. In the same City of Beirut Is a historic Presbyterian mission with a famous press which has dieseminated the literature of liberty over the Arabic-speaking world. This mission maintains schools in Sidon, Zehleh. and many other communities throughout Syria; and its work of uplift has been analogous to that done by the Congrcgationalists in Asia Minor. "Without "With-out premeditation or polit ical bias, these American forces have unconsciously laid a foundation of good will toward the United States, upon which it will be easy to build, should America be called upon to accept responsibility for the assistance of Syria. There has been a heavy emigration to America from Syria, and, as always, this constitutes a tie of strength. Of great importance also is the fact that America is a land of religious liberty, and represents rep-resents no particular church or faith. She would administer Syria without showing show-ing favor to any creed, while protecting the rights of all. Tt will bo a high day in history when religious freedom really comes to .Syria. Help Zionists Realize Dream. An American protectora'e of Syria would include Palestine. This would lay upon America the responsibility for helping the Zionists to realise- their dream. Fven after some form of Zionist govern-mpiit govern-mpiit has been achieved a slower a nd more difficult matter than the general public has been led to believe there will be need, all Zionists over, of a protectorate, protec-torate, such as it is proposed America Ehould exercise. Two things are sure In this connection. As suzerain of Syria, America would see that full justice is done to the present population of Palestine, who at the moment mo-ment largely outnumber the Jewish inhabitants. in-habitants. Tn the second place, America would extend such sympathetic co-operation and facilities to the Zionists that their plans would be aided in ev"i:i-y proper way. The simple fact of the guardianship guar-dianship of America, insuring stability for life and property, would encourage immigration im-migration to Zion. The presence of the American flag in Jerusalem would divert to Palestine many of the Jews from pastern 1'uropc who would otherwise seek to migrate to the United States. America's Jewish popula tion is large, toworfu1. enterprising and Patriotic. The relationship of their country to the scene of t:io Zionism, aitie from Its political as-reets. as-reets. has pre it educational and religious objects In view which will call for vast sums money. "Whether or not one outcome of the rc;uo conference be the allocation to A merira of responsibility tor the oversight over-sight ami taf-'gnarding of .'in?;antin 'P'e and Sria, the prr.j-pect is an interesting and rather startling one for the Amcnt.an public to conten p:atft. Prc.-ent indications indica-tions are that this is a part icular tasl; that the Uauuc of nations will set the I United States to doing. j |