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Show I! General Allenby s Capture j of the Holy Land Will Prove One of the Great- ' est Events oi the War As It Rescues the World's Most Sacred Spots From J the Moslems Copyright 101S, by The Intcrnatloual Syndicate. HE GERMAN dream of an un-m un-m broken area of dominion from (ft Berlin to Bagdad included con-I con-I trol through the Turks o the J wholo of Asia Minor. In tho terrible i awakening that land, a connecting link to the Orient, has passed under I the Infiuonco of tho powers who bat- tied for Justice and right to all peoples. peo-ples. And thus through tho unholy ambition of a so-called Christian nation na-tion tho Holy Land has been redeemed for all time from the ruthless hand of the Moslem. Early History Tho birthplace of Christianity has j had an eventful experience in the hls- i tory of the world. In tho early days ! It was ruled by the pagan Romans and when theRoman Empire became Christian Palestine for the first time was governed by a Christian king. Soon thereafter In the year 63C the follow- ers of Mahomed seized the Holy City J and Mahomcdans and Christians en- i gaged in deadly contlict for the mas- r "lery of the country. Then came long t " years of struggle and anxiety on the " part of the Christian world. Crusades i for tho rescue of the Holy Land were organized and many attempts made II to retake it. In 1050 Jerusalem came j under the dominion of the Turks and jf then indeed came a reign of terror If 'which shocked all Europe. 1 There are many legends of valiant I knights and soldiers who endured tho unspeakable hardships of crusade after af-ter crusade over hundreds of miles I of desert and unfriendly countries to bring relief to the city and preserve ft from the ravaging hands of the unbeliever. un-believer. In 1099 they succeeded and rebuilt tho Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but their tenure was comparatively com-paratively short lived, for in US7 It again passed under the dominion of ihc Turks. A second time, in 1229. the crusaders were successful and with alternating success and failure were finally driven out in 1243. Sinco then the Crescent has been the symbol of dominions and the proud and cruel Turk dictated the policy of the Hob-City Hob-City until a few months ago, when the Union Jack of England, the emblem em-blem of frcodom and Christianity, sup-planted sup-planted the Turkish flag, thU3 rescuing for all timo the birthplace of Christ from the control of those who are unbelievers. un-believers. General Allcnby's Triumph The honor of the capture of Jerusalem Jeru-salem belongs to General Sir Edmund Allenby, ono of England's great caval-1 ry leaders, whnee army had many scri- ous combats with the Turks. East of the Jordan an Arabian Army acted In conjunction with Allenby. when the Turkish Army faced the British and i a small contingent- of the French It numbered about 125,000. Allenby made a thrust which broke the Turkish Turk-ish line. Pushing north , his men crossed the plains and enveloped tho Turks cutting tho Damascus Railroad, its one line of communication, and in tho next few, dnys-hc captured a great number of guns and prisoners. Some 20.000 Turks ran away. The fate of Mesopotamia, as well as Palestine, was settled in ono battle and communication communica-tion cut between the Turks and their holy cities of Islam. As tho conqueror "of Jerusalom Gen-oral Gen-oral Sir Edmuntl Allenby has become known throughout the world. A little more than fifty-seven years of age ho has had groat military experience. After being educated at Hallenbury he entered the Inniskilling Dragoons and served in tho Bechuanaland Expedition Expedi-tion of 1SS4-5. Again In 1SSS he fought in Zululand and In tho South African War was a successful column commander. comman-der. In 1910 he was promoted to the Fourth Cavalry Brigade and was inspector of Cavalry when war was declared, and cvcrsincc that time this dashing officer has been a very busy man. Ho fought through tho retreat from Mons and the Battle of the Marne, and after the battle of .the Aisne was put In command of the Cavalry Corps. During the first battle bat-tle of Ypres hj held the Mossinos ridge. In May, 1915. he Jook command com-mand of an Infantry corps lor a timo and later was at the head of the new Third Army on tho Somme. In the spring of 191 C ho was engaged on the first day of the battle of tho Somme. During tho winter of 19 JC he did some brilliant trench work,?but one of his i groat chances crime on Easfer Mon-! Mon-! day. 1917. when he commanded tho right wing of the British forces in the great battlo of Arras r-a most successful success-ful action for 11 was his men who carried the Intricate network of trenches cast of Arras, fighting their way along tho valley of the Scarpe. In Juno he was transferred to the command of the British forces in Egypt, where by his wonderful military mili-tary knowledge he gave the Christian world tho Holy Land. He Is regarded as art excellent soldier, patient, tenacious, tena-cious, rosoluto and ho is one of England's Eng-land's great gonerals. His men are fond of him because of his remarkable military knowledgo and his ncver-glve-up qunllties as well as his kindness, to those who arc faithful. J Christian Population At present one half of tho Christian population of the Holy City belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, tho wealthiest and most influential' of all. Next In order tre tho Roman Catholics who number about 3.000 and who, as a ! church, are by no moans poor in this world's goods. About 500 Profestants r various churches are to be found, j I In" their hospitals and houses of in-I in-I dustry under tho direction of the I churches not a little mission work goes I Tho whole place Js .associated with j ' the acts of Christ, tho blttoftrlals and1 cruel pr-rs-rrutlons which the apostle?; endured for their faith, the organization organiza-tion of the first missionary band and its starting out into the world with Its gospel of love and salvation are reasons rea-sons for this sentiment. Southwest of the city is a German colony of about threo hundred people, whose object before the war was sup-1 posed to be the regeneration of the ' Turks, although one doubts it at present pres-ent as a largo number of Turkish soldiers sol-diers under German training wore turned out from this place at the beginning be-ginning of the war. The Jews love Jerusalem as do the Christians, but with a different kind of affection. In the days of Ferdinand and Isabella the Jews were driven from Spain and some of the refugees never rested until they found protection protec-tion under the Sultan and made hornet for themselves in the little city that occupied part of the site of the once glorious capital of their nation. There are families there at present who can Irace their descent in unbroken line from these victims of Spanish oppression. oppres-sion. Touring Made Pleasant Christians and Jews have lived long under Moslem laws that they simply go on obeying the law of thr ( '.and without question, making the besi -of'thclr bad 'condition hoping for -what ' I just happened. Thopands of tourists from every land have visited these sacred scenes of that country and suffered suf-fered the insults of the Turks and the unsanitary condition of the country in seeing these holy places. That day lias passed for as in every colony under un-der the British flag, the place will, be made sanitary, good roads will bo built without the least lack of veneration venera-tion to tho holy places. English hotels will be built and the place put under the control of British police. The traveler may go to the remotest parts of the Holy Land in safety for wherever wher-ever the British flag flies there is freedom free-dom and safety and the whole Christian Chris-tian world is rejoiced to know that tho British will straighten out matters sn this part of the world as it has done in others Already a railroad has been completed connecting Cairo with Jerusalem, Jeru-salem, thus connecting the system of Egyptian and Turkish Railways.1 This Is but a beginning and before long we rhall be able to visit the wonderful scene of the Holy Land in comparative com fort. It is said that when the Kaiser learned that defeat at this point was likely he denuded the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Its ornaments and had them sent to Berlin and It is hoped that if this is true that he will be forced to return them as well as many other stolen treasures. Sacred Spots t Naturally at Bethlehem, the church built on the site of the stable in which Christ was born, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre erected crn the site of the tomb are the most sacred spots to ihe Christian world. While neither have any art or beauty to recommend rec-ommend thorn, their attraction is in what they represent. An Armenian, I a Christian, is usually permitted to act as a guide to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and he Is particular in show. Ing you a round hole lined with sliver i which, according to tradition was the actual spot in which the cross was In. , sorted. . A few feet from tho opening I is a crevice covered with a brass slide ' which is said to be the cleft In the j rock mentioned in tho Gospel of Sr" -Matthew. - These are the most sacred f spots shown except some siuaP j chapels. The hlsjory of this church J n "uv urn nin. i; as it nas oeen dc- , stroyed and rebuilt several times. In ' 3 868 Russia, Turkey and France un I dertook its restoration and the present i! iron dome was set in place of a wooden one. The Turks knew it was a draw- ing card to the country and wcro will. ; Ing to help with the expense While many tourists arc skeptical about the J. location, Dr. Schick, the well-knotra l archaeologist, declares that place U I correct. The supreme Interest at Bethleherc is the Church of the Nativity. Thw has more the appearance of a fortren 1 than a church. It is said to have been v built on the exact sp4ot of the stable In j which Christ was born. It Is simple ' with little decoration which seems to add to Its grandeur. Like tho Church 1 of the Holy Sepulchre it has been do- ' stroyed and rebuilt several times bul ' each time much of tho older work hai been retained. For Instance, the cedar wood used came from Lebanon. 0a the walls are found mosaic of the 12'b Century. Tho entrance to the caveo' ( the Nativity is through a chancel. 3 flight of thirteen steps loading to th chapel containing the shrine. This U marked with a silver star In the pave ; ment and words in Latin, which translated trans-lated reads. "Hero Josus Christ born to the Virgin Mary." Fifteen lamps supplied by various nations and sects shod a softened light on the recess re-cess containing the altar above the star and these are always kept burn- ing Just opposite Is the chapel or ' ; the Nativity, where an artificial j j manger of marble is shown. Doz'n- , of other sacred spots might be rc- fcrred to but the greatest arc the two - , mentioned and this Christmas forth, r first time in hundreds of yean; ther are in tho hands of the Christians . |
