Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-10
Jerusalem Falls;
Turks DriUen Out

Continued from rage One
man domination of Turkey-the same
domination which President Wilson in
his speech before the American Fedora
ton Of Labor last month declared must
be broken before there can be peace.
When Turkey Joined the Central Pow
ers at the outbreak of the war II was
after long and insidious propaganda by
Germans attempting to make the Kaiser
out rs defender of the Moslems--the ac-
tual spiritual descendant, of Mahomet.
with the Holy City In British hands,
L appears certain that one of the major
peace terms which the Allies will now
insist upon when the time comes for dis
cusson of peace Is that Jerusalem re-
main forever IN Christian control.
The fall of Jerusalem is one more bit
ter reminder to Turkey Of the useless
ness of an alliance with Germany and
OF TIE utter lack of value of any of the
Kaiser's promises.
Jerusalem. the holy city OF the
Christian world Is the most fought for
# all towns. Down through the agce
- has been battled for by Jew. Mohanl.
'nedan Pagan and Christian. The hills
IT Palestine have been drenched wit
Chr stian blood in mighty battles fought
by fanatic Christian invaders. The hi'.
toric city has been DESTROYED and re-.
built times without number. only y
finally fall for the second time into the
hands of Christian British.
The gigantic British encircling strah
egy took in. on the ,south. the little
town cf Bethlehem, where Christ was
born. 1917 years ago. There seems to be
no doubt that the capture of Jerusalem
is one of the most stupendous moral VIC
tories of the war.
II is "A unique fact that British leaders
and British armies now. as in the CEN
turics past, are stil the tenacious. sue
cessful foes of Mohammed's people. IN
the twelfth century Richard Coeur de
Lion. I'm penitence for fancied sins, de-
cided t. absolve himself of mundarc
.ants by engaging in an altruistic cam
raign for the deliverance OF Jerusalem
to Christian control. In series OF
campaigns he fought the mighty Saladin
through many sanguinary battles to a
truce. He found It impossible to main
tain maximum fighting strength
through the extensive line OF communi-
cations. Disease and misfortune re-
duced his armies to nomadic bands
which were. some of them. taken as
slaves by the Mussalmans. Others
roamed the continent for years or en-
gagged In mercenary wars wherever they
found chieftans willing to employ them.
Richard himself became a fugitive.
was arrested by enemies while strug-
Cling his way through Austria. and only
released when friends IN Britain raised
enormous ransoms.
Briefly, Jerusalem was subject to
Egypt about 14OO B. G. Later II passed
into the possession of the Jebusites.
Davtl was the next conqueror. Its rise
to great city caused much jealousy
among neighhoring potentates.
The Egyptians and Assyrians ana
finally the Babylonians, under Nebuchad-
nezzar, employed the tactics the ter
mans have practiced on Belgium in the
present war Art treasures were re-
moved. magnificent buildings burned and
men and women deported to Babylon.
After seventy years, Cyrus permitted
the Jews to return. They restored the
city, and 5SS Il. G. rebuilt the ruins OF
So omonS temple. a period or peace
was enjoyed until AleXander's Mace
DOMAIN Empire collapsed. Then Jeru-
salem was sacked by Ptolemy Softer WHO
deported most of the populace to Alex.
andria. The Maccabees finally cast of
the Macedonian yoke, and in l65 i. &
Jerusalem became independent.
Another period of comparative peace
was uninterrupted until forty years afte
the Crucifixion. Tyranny of the Romans
then drove some of the Jews to revolt
Jerusalem was taken by insurgents IL
| Sc a u. and Titus, regained 1t in 20 A. d
! after one of the most terrific sieges anC
battles in history.
A rebellion of the Jews against feared
| idolatry came next Rome regained con
troll in the fourth century and there Wa
a succession Of Christian emperors unit