Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-15

demand Tor the complete neutrali
cation OF the Holy Land, which has
been growing in strength since Turkey
entered the war. which would remove
Palestine from the domination Of the
ottoman, gives interest 10 the observa-
tons recently prepared by Viscount
James Bryce. former British ambassa :
dor to the United States, for the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
Palestine" the former ambassador
says. rs tiny little country. Though
the travellers handbooks prepare him
TO md IL small, IL surprises him nv
being smaller than he expected TAX
Ing 1t as the region between the Mcdi-
tcrranean on the west and the Jordan
and the Dead Sea on the east. from tn .
SPURS OF Lebanon and Hermon on the
north to the desert AZ Becrsheba on
the south. il is only 10 miles long and
from htty TO sixty hroad--that Is 10
say. II Is smaller than New Jersey,
whose area is $500 square miles
VI this region large parts did not
really belong to Israel Israel had. in
tact. little more than tho hill country
which lay between the Jordan on the
east and tho Maritime Plain on the
west King David in the days OF his
power looked down from the hill cities
or Benjamin. just north of Jerusalem
upon Philistine enemies only twenty
1--WE miles off. on the ono side. and
looked across the Jordan TO Monbitc
enemies about as far off. on the other
Nearly all the events in the history
o! israel that are recorded in the Old
testament happened within territory
no bigger than the state Of Connecti-
cut. whose area is $500 square miles
and into hardly any other country has
there been crowded from tho days Of
Abraham till our own time so 1uch
history-that is to say. so many events
mat have been recorded and deserve to
be recorded in the annals Of mankind"
Nor is the Palestine OF to-day. ac-
cordinE to Lord Bryce. so beautiful or
so rich country as it was painted by
the Jews just emerging from the bar
rem. comfortless desert. It's centuries
or misgovernment and warfare have
assisted nature in crushing our de-
velopment. Palestine Is land of an
cient strife. Lord Bryce explains, and
more than fourteen centuries of sad
misrule have had effect upon its physi-
cal appearance.
Palestine is A country poor in any
natural resources" he continues
There are practically no minerals no
coal. no iron. no copper. no silver
though recently some oil wells have
been discovered in the Jordan VALLEY
Neither are there any large forests. and
though the land may have been better
wooded in the days of Joshua than it is
now. there is little reason to think that
the woods are OF trees sum GENTLY large
to constitute source Of wealth. \
comparatively small area is nj for til
laEe.
Such wealth as the country has
consists in its pastures. and the ex-
preston a land flowing in milk and
money appropriately describes the best
it has to offer. for sheep and goats
can thrive on the thin heritage that
covers the hills. and the numerous
aromatic plants furnish plenty of en-
cellent food for the bees: but it is
nearly all thin pasture. for the land is
dry and the soil mostly shallow. The
sheep and goats vastly outnumber the
oxen"
Lord Bryce contrasts the beauty of
Greece and Palestine. In both lands,
he says. the traveller finds charm every
where because Of the traditions and
history that hallow them. In practical
is painfully dry and bare. and there is
little striking beauty, he says, to be
found in the Holy Land The reverence
and piety for spots hallowed by re-
lisious associations which the pilgrim
brings to the places through which
he wanders i'm Palestine, Lord Bryce
says. cause him to see the land through
a golden haze that makes it appear
lovely.
But" he continues, "the scenery of
the Holy Lana, taken rs WnOle t1or
there are eXceptions), is inferior. both
in form and color. to that of Northern
and Middle italy. to that of Norway
and Scotland, to that OF the coasts of
Asia Minor, to that Of many parts of
California and Washing tom
In summing up Lord Bryce says:
"If Palestine Is not a land of natural
wealth nor land OF natural beauty,
what Is It? What are the impressions
which the traveller who tries to see it
exactly as il is carries away with him?
Roughly summed up. they are these:
stones. caves, tombs. ruins. battle fields
sites hallowed by traditions-ali bathed
in an atmosphere OF legend and marvel.
In no other country are there so many
spots held sacred-some sacred to Jews.
some to Christians. some to Mussul-
mans Neither has any other country
spots that still draw multitude Of
pilgrims, not even Belgium and Lom-
hardy. each a profusion of battle
fields"
From the moment that the trav eler
steps ashore at Jaffa, where he sees
tho tabled rock to which Andromeda