New-York tribune., 1917-12-11
The Capture of Jerusalem


The capture Of Jerusalem by the British
forces makes a stirring appeal to the his
toric imagination. No other city in the
world is so inwrought into the traditions
and emotions of the nations as is the an
cient capital of the Jews. 1t is the shrine
Of all Christianity, and since the custody
of the Holy Sepulchre was committed CEN
turies ago to Moslem hands it has become
in a secondary way sacred city for the
Nahometan world as well. II is, moreover,
the cornerstone of that Zion which ardent
Hebrews everywhere are working to re-
establish.
When Bagdad fell to the British one of
the historical centres of Moslem dominion
passed out Of the clutch of the receding
Turk Bagdad was only political capi-
tai. The Turkish hold on it affronted no
pious instinct of the non-Moslem world.
But Christian and Jew alike have been i'm
patient at the thought Of alien and infidel
occupation of the Holy Land-the land Of
Gethsemane and the Mount Of Olives, the
heritage of the House of David.
The Western nations shed their blood
freely in the Middle Ages to recover the
Christian sanctuaries. They did recover
them for time from the Saracens. But
the crusading spirit died down and the
military difficulties of the Christian re-
gime in Palestine-a distant outpost in
the Moslem word-became insuperable.
Now the Christian West is striking hard
at the rotting fabric of Mahometanism.
The expulsion of the Turk from Europe
has been decreed ever since the days of
Plevna and the Treaty of San Stefano.
Constantinople would have been redeemed
years ago had it not been for the in
ability Of the European powers to agree
on new title holder. Yet so uncertain
is the course Of history that Constanti-
nople still faunts the Crescent while Bag
dad and Jerusalem have slipped out of
the weakening grip Of the Osmanli.
Jerusalem's fall has little military sig
nificance. It's evacuation was forecast
some weeks ago by German military
critics, who then belittled its strategic
value, but were frank enough to recognize
the moral effect on Turkish prestige of
an abandonment of the Holy City. The
railroad which connects Mecca and Me-
dina-the holy cities of the Mahometans--
with the main parts of the Turkish EN-
pire runs some distance east of Jerusalem.
When General Allenby cuts that line he
viii have accomplished his main task Of
securing the Suez Canal and Egypt from
further German-Turkish attacks. He will
also have detached Arabia from the Turk
ish Empire and assured the Arabian
rebels a free hand in setting up local gov
ernments which repudiate CONSTANT
nople's claims to religious primacy as we'll
as TO political suzerainty.
1ndecisive as it may be from the mill
tary point Of view, the loss of Jerusalem,
with its garrison, is still an unmistakable
sign Of Turkish collapse. All the world
will thus interpret it. For by Mahometan,
Christian and Jew alike the passing of
Turkish control in Palestine will be ac-
cepted as final and irrevocable. A restora-
ton Of blighting Mosem rule will seem
from now on inconceivable. The depths of
religious sentiment in all Christendom
would be moved in protest against such a
proclamation. Here, then, is one accom-
plished political readjustment of the war.
The world is right in assuming that, what
ever else happens, Turkish rule in Jeru-
salem is ended. After seven centuries a
new crusade has been crowned with VIC
tory. and the purpose in which medieval
Europe failed has been definitely accom-
plishedH