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Show r SECTION 13 SATl'RD.W DECKMHKK THREE SALT 1R1!) LAKE CITV UTAH TEN PAGES V The City Where Christ Was Born at Last, During This Year's Christmas Time, and Preserves From Infidels the Holy Birthplace Site of the Manger in Which the Holy Child Wa Laid Is Safe Against Dese cra(ion Shepherds Still Guard Flocks on Plains, Some of Them IV ell May he Descendants of Those Who Heard Exultant Chorus of Heavenly Choir Hou) " Church of the Nativity Is Man aged by British Army Guardians New Rulers Preserve Appearance of Ancient Town Where Soft Feet of Wise Men's Camels Plodded Over Sand, Fine Macadam Roads Exist Today, A Christian People Rules v- - i p E rirtaiaa Daf ! Ike arkHflaf ('karri f Belktekeaa. fnartaraa ( Ike Half Bfidiitf ETIILEHEM, December 1. Today I stood in that very Holy Place k 1 of toward which the thought Christendom will turn with a peculiar significance and joyous-nes- s this Christmas. It was a strange, impressive moment and sent my mind back to the simple story which, in the far day of my boyhood, before I came into the tone of, or the world had dreamed about the horrors of, the great World War, I learned in an American Sunday school a simple little Sunin a day school in a simple little American church American western village to simple little middle and where, which wars alarms never have reached, heard. be will never God, they pray Last night I looked up at the sky wherein that Star appeared and traveled, guiding those Wise Men, silent and sedate upon their plodding camels, while the jewelled harness clinked, clinked, as they followed the Divine guidance. The soft thud of camel hoofs upon these Eastern sands is now familiar to my ears, and is not so very different from the sound made by the old horse that I used to ride along the sandy roads of my own American state; but the longer reach of the beasts less frequent, awkward legs makes the footfallls of any horse. that than be the greater speed though The Wise Men traveled swiftly. And the sky which arches over old Judea, the sky in which the moving Star appeared, is very deep and velvety and rich and spangled splendidly, tonight, a op that night. I drew a long and marveling bratli as I looked up into it. The silent Wise Men on the jeweled camels thudding ovei the soft sands were taken by the Star to just the spot which I have left within the hour, today. What did I learn in that old Sunday school in the far off little middle western town in the United States it seems very far away tonight: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Hi rod, the king, behold, there came Wise Men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his Star in the East and we are come to worship him. That Kgins the simple, splendid story as St. Matthew tells it. And when Herod, the king, gave orders that a great search should be made for the child to him so utterly unwelcome, so that he might go and worship him also the Wise Men (being wise) suspected the! kings motives and quickly went upon their way, again guided by the Star. And doubtless in their' hearts was worry. Probably there had been something in the face of the great king of that time which had warned them of an impulse in his heart not different from that which stirred the selfish soul of a certain emperor of our own time-r- an impulse which would thrust through others grief to all the world besides in order that i& own lust for ambition might be protected and advanced. The child, Herod had been told, was born King of the Jews. Herod, wished no king other than himself. The Bible does not say the Wise Men fled, but probably their journey after they had seen the kings face when they bld him whom they sought, was a cautious, furtive progress; doubtless they were apprehensive that it had been an error to approach this king, and, in fact as they departed, he was searching in his devious mind for some efficient strategem which would" 'destroy this dangerous child, ft . strategem which he hoped, later, he had found, when exceeding wroth, he,ksent forth and slew all thd children that were in Bethlehem and friN alai all the coasts thereof from two years old and under. ON HOLY GROUND. am, today, as the thoughts of my turn toward the celebration of the festival of Christmas, as preparations are progressing in the little church of my remembered middle western Sunday School her I am, where all these wonderful sublimely storied things took place. These are the lands Ind these around me the descendants of the people which Caesar Augustus had decreed must be taxed. And among those Co be taxed was the carpenter Joseph, of the city of Nazareth, in Galilee, and thence he journeyed for the purpose of his payment, into the city where I sit and write Bethlehem, of David, in Judea. His wifes hour approached, yet the journey had been necessary, and because multitudes of others had come up, compelled as he had been, there was no room in the inns where he might make her comfortable for her ordeal. He searched, therefore, probably almost in desperation, for such a place as might be found, but only the seclusion of a stable was available for her in her mighty hour. And in that hour the Christ was bom and laid to rest within the Manger. And outside of the city, upon the plains which I have seen today, Che Angel of the Lord, appearing to theh shepherds, simple folk and kindly, (and there are other shepherds on those plains as I am writing, some of them beyond a question descendants of those favored men of old, for these poeple do not migrate) said: Fear not; for behold I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day a Savior which is Christ, the And here I old town begin to Lord. Then across the heavens stretched the glowing chanting the imthrong, angelic, mortal message : Glory to God in the highest, and on earCh peace, good will to men. It was Chen that the Wise Men who had ridden on the thudding camels, found the stable wherein Joseph had been forced to seclude Mary, and in that stable y?as an light which emanChild. At the feet of ated from the new-bor- n babe, born to bear the burdens that thrice-blesse- d of the world, the Wise, Men knelt, and worshiping, laid their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And that glow which spread and spread became the world's great light, and the city which the Wise Men visited became the worlds most holy city, and the stable where they knelt became the world's great shrine. Today, when reverently I went to see the very spot which was the birthplace of the Christian era, I found the Church of the Nativity, officially called the Church of St. Maty. From its crypt under the great choir, I went ihCo the Holy of Holies by descending sixteen steps. There, dimly lighted by thirty-tw- o oil, lamps lamps fed with fragrant which have held their places during many centuries, I found the very site of the sanctified Manger. Set into the floor before it is a silver star typi- fying the holy Star of Bethlehem that led the Wise Men, and beneath that, the inscription: Hie de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est or, Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. Around the recess itself fifteen lamps were burning, of which six belong to the Greeks, five to the Armenians and four to the Latins. g, TRE vSOLDIER ON GUARD. r ' And close at hand; when I made my visit Co the holy spot, stood a firm guardian, symbol of a mighty fact that now, at length, the birthplace of . I Creek Ckael af f CitkrHaa f Alaiaalrta, ta Ike It llelj .adrUf, Belklekem k the Savior has been rescued from the hands of held by Christiana who revere Turkish infidels and it and protect it. The aatchman standing at attention with fixed bayonet against some possible attempt at desecration always, in these days is a sturdy British soldier. He seems an Incongruity among the rich old hanging. But also, as 1 watched him he seemed the tremendous symbol of a mighty fact wjifrh many may forget the fact that th great war ha been not only the worlds triumph over autocracy but has been that triumph of Christianity which all have hoped and prayed for, has been the Crusade Victorious to rescue Jesus birthplace from infidel and polluting hands. Today, after many, many centuries, the birthplace of tho Savior is entirely possessed and ruled by Christians! That is a fine something for the folks at home, in all the little churches and the big ones, everywhere in the United States, to think about, to sing about, to pray about, this Christmas! The Tuikish . . . ally of that modern Herod who sent out his neroplanes and submarines to murder babes, lest rightousness should triumph, no longer rules the Holy Place of the Nativity! What if, on this Christmas morn, another chorus of glad angels should be heard above that plain near Bethlehem! It seems as if there is sufficient reason for the heavenly rejoicing. The Church of the Nativity, officially called the Church of the St. Mary, wherein this most significant shrine is hidden, is also important to Moslems and Jews as the birthplace of King David. Actually it is a vast' fortress of churches and monasteries, and tho basilica is used by the Greek Orthodox community, the Latins and Armenians. It has been tho center of the bitterest rivalry between Greeks and Latins, and, since the British have occupied Palestine, they have supervised the annual cleaning of the church just before Christmas. Centuries of precedent have determined just what portions of the church the Greeks and the Armenians each have the right" to clean, and so jealous are they of their rights that at last year's cleaning, in the case of a certain pillar, the Greeks were permitted to clean a part of it and the Armenians another part, and because neither would concede to the others the right to clean the rest of it, the British finished jff the task. MUST BEND TO ENTER. The exterior of the church is not beautiful, but there is a stark simplicity about! it that i overwhelming. Its entrance is a door so small that one must stoop to pass through it. Some say that this is symbolism intended ti teach the worshiper the virtue of humility, but probably the door was made thus small in order that the Turks might be prevented from stabling their beasts in the saerfed edifice. Inscribed upon the large stone front are these words: Given as a memorial before God, and for the peace and forgiveness of the sinners of whom the Lord knows the names. Without the church is the market-placof Bethlehem, with, on one side, the Serai, or government building, now the office of the British deputy military governor. During the early hours f the is filled with a many-colore-d morning the market-plac- e crowd of Beduin and others who have come in from the country, and with Bethlehem townspeople, who are put to do their shopping. for which the ' Here one sees the tall married women of Bethlehem are famous.- - - Their d skull cap) stiffoundation is a fey, fa fened and covered with cotton. Chains ef silver, on which strings of coins are- beaded,' ornament tho e head-dress- -- flat-toppe- - es Cktirk kHUrkm'a ef Tke Hellee. tier (Uw bane of the head-dres- s and, at tho back, a long whit cotton veil hangs almost to the ground. In this native dresa ia seen the origin of the long peaked aleevea of the and the ladiea of the European early Middle Agee. No doubt it was suggested to them by returning Crushead-dress- es long-pointe- d ader. The district of Bethlehem cover 150 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Jerusalem, on the south and west by the province of Hebron, and on the east by the Dead Sea. It ia one of the districts of the province of Jerusalem, the most important of the ten provinces into which the occupied enemy Territory Administration (South) of tho British army, has divided Palestine. Captain R. F. Gladstone is the deputy military governor of Bethlehem. The Bethlehem district contains five villages and six Beduin tribes. Beit-Lah(Bethlehem,) itself, has a population of 7,000 Christians, 500 Moslems and 1 Jew. The presence of Bethlehems lone Jew is explained by the fact that he is a doctor. Nazareth and Bethlehem are known throughout Palestine as towns which will not tolerate the presence of Jews. The Beduin of the district are all Moslems, but are less' interested in their religion than their flocks. Nobody knows their number. In their minds years of Turkish rule have associated any attempt at a census with a scheme for military conscription. The Turkish rulers of Bethlehem never visited them or sent their agents to them save for the purposes of gouging taxes from them or forcing them into unwilling military service.-- . The great task of the British has teen to win their confidence. BEDUIN HOSPITALITY. m The hospitality of the Beduin-Arab- s is known throughout the world to those who read the books of travelers. Immediately upon the arrival of a guest among them. a sheep is killed for him. In the sheikhs tent, usually the first to the right of the entrance to the encampment, coffee is served. If ihe little cup is served full, that is a cue for the guest to depart quickly, for it means that he is unwelcome If but a drop is found aC the bottom of the cup his welcome and the fact that more will follow is indicated. In all, three cups of coffee are served; one to be drunk to the guest, the second to his sword and the third to his enjoyment. When dressed, the newly-kille- d sheep is stewed in a large brass or copper bowl, and the flesh is served over layers of bread with rice and yellow gravy. After this is eaten, the guest picks his further portions out of the bowl with his fingers, offering his tint cat'h to his host, the sheikh, and a second to the sheikhs son, who usually waits upon the guest. By their invitation Captain Gladstone frequently is the guest of the Beduin, but he scrupulously avoids mention either of flocks or men. so that no Lint of conscription or taxation may be assumed to have been given. Instead he talks of horse-racinof the price of gtain at Maidaba, and the caravan to Gaza. As a result the Jritish have succeeded already In winning that which th Turks never gained the favor and friendship of these. Important tribesmen. The curse of the regions past has been the Mood feuds among tie six fribes which Inhat ii it. in the course of which locks imme norialy have been driven off and minor disorders constantly have occurred. It has been the task of the British .authorities te convince the sheikhs .thatUhelr feuds will be dealt with sympathetically. So successfully has this been done that now when the police want a Beduin, rrea on a murder charge, It is necessary merely to g, - " I rwatrml) to Ike CreHe e Ike SUttvtt send out a gendarma and tha man will be given up at ' once by the sheikh of his tribe. This, achieved hi the few months during which a British officer has . been deputy military governor of Bethlehem, marks -th beginning of a new epoch In tho country. Long t after the Turk had taken Jerusalem, the Beduin of j Bethlehem district fought them. No Turkish official I in uniform ever entered Bethlehem without a heavy K - guard. - - ' BETHLEHEMS INDUSTRIES. For t Bethlehem Is the most vithl town In Pales- tine. Its people are vigorous colonizers and their settlements are to be found in West Indian and South American countries. In peace-tim- e it produces much mother-of-pearEvery other bouse is a shop for the sale of souvenirs, among which ona finds crosses, crucifixes, over fifty distinct kinds of res- - ! sries, (snd all sorts of lay ornaments of mother-of-peaolive-woo- d i and atlnkstone. The city of sacred associations has its own municipal organization, with Sail Effendi Jakaman, a merchant who has lived in South America, as its . mayor or president. It haa its own charity commission, with Khalil Effendi Decarot as president. It ia the Charity Commission which faces Bethlehems biggest problem. In common with all the rest of i' Palestine, Bethlehem was left to starve to death when the Turks evacuated it. Aa soon as the Bethle-hemit- es of Hayti and South America, after four of no news whatever from their old home, " years heard of it, they raised money for the relief of the . starvation, sending to Bethlehem not less than r $12,500 a large 'find when one considers the usual ;; poverty of those who contributed to it. To handle V this money and funds subscribed by the richer among themselves, Bethlbhemites organized, in March 1918, ' the Bethlehem Charity Commission, composed exclusively of Palestinians, but working under the When it had. oversight of the military authorities. relieved the towns immediate distress this organization was faced by the problem presented by hundreds i of orphans and the task of giving them a start In life outside the streets and the local mother-of-pea- rl factory. The problem still exists. It Is. a grave one. It is not confined to Bethlehem. It exists all over Palestine. In Bethlehemr however, the natives are working hard to solve it for themselves and deserve all credit for their energy. At present they are caring for 250 orphans, her in the birth city of the Savior. The Sisters of St, . Joseph (French) look after twenty, the native Sisters ( -of the Rosary have eleven and the remainder are farmed out in' private houses, an unsatisfactory but, in the painful circumstances, necessary arrangement. The thirty-on- e orphans in the convents are costing the Charity Commission $3 each per month and are getting a good start in life. The rest are costing $2.50 per month each and are getting as good s Carts as can be expected. Just now, however, the' flow of money into Bethlehem is much decreased. It is feared that it is ceas- ing. Enough was on hand a short time ago to le the Charity Commission to carry on its work for one month only. After that it may he forced ' greatly to restrict its activities. Of the 7,000 Christiana in Bethlehem 3,000 are of the Greek Orthodox church and it is extremely desirable that Greek Orthodox orphans should be fcroughtttp in the Greek Orthodox orphanage. To rear them in another faith almost certainly would , lead to charges of proselytizing or of allowing them to become unbelievers. Unfortunately Che funds of ' the Greek Orthodox church do not permit of the t l. rl, . ' , en-ab- 1 (Continued en para t we.) |