The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-11
Sacred Scenes Are Spared
Bombardment. Due to Al
lsnby's Generalship
KALEDINE, KORNILOFF
AND DUTOFF MOVING
Prepare to Rout Bolsheviki
From Power by Force of
Arms Japan Lands Troops
at'Vladivostok

been In umdispated possession Of
the Turks, has surrendered. Over
sh@ city whose histoFy. mystic and
terrible, dates hack to the Egyptian
records Of 400 n c. tonight dut-
sers the white aag of snrrenAer-
Tomorrow II will be replaced by the
Union Jack. the tricoior, and the
Italian emblem. Fer tomorrow
General Alenby's Christian army
will enter the city where Aohayn-
medanm have held sway for hur-
Areds of years.
Bethlehem. the cradle of Chris
tfsntty. will also he In Chrfstaan
hands this coming Chri~tnaas.
.syerusmIem, after being sur
rcunded on all sides, has @urreu-
dered.-
A shout that thmndered n joy
sus amen" straight from tine
heart Of etvtlfxed mankind went ur
In the house of commons as BonHr
Law made this announcement to-
day.
with a swiftness of execution and
genius OF ssneralship that puts into
shade the greatest feats Of this war
from Tannenberg to Bagdad. Allenoy,
The Bull" as the army knows MIN,
has completed mis- brilliant campaign.
Britain and her allies hall him tonight
as the Twentieth Century crusader
Except for two brief intervals Je-
rusalem has been Ia Mohammedan
hands for more than twelve hundred
wears. Through three thousand years
it has been almost continually
bloody battle-ground. It has been more
often captured and ,recaptured. de-
sfroyed. ana rebuilt than any ofnar
place on earth.
spared Bomhardmemt.
Greater even than the universal JOY
over the ca pture la that over the fact
that tho Holy City has been spared
from boubardment and possible rev
destruction. A decisive battle Ter 1e-
rusalem had been looked here for ~
certainty General Maurice. spo kes-
man Of the war office. recently oeciaf~
ed II seemed inevitable.
Chancellor Law told the commals
that the holy places would be safe
g,arded by British. French and Mo-
hammedsn officials who are now on
the way TO Jerusalem. General Alien
by. he said is- expected to make for
mai entry tomorrow. together with
the commanders OF the French ana
Italian contingents fighting with his
army.
The enlightenment OF the city was
effected when one portion of Allenpy
army. advancing from the direction o.
Bethlehem, attacked and drove back
from Jerusalem TO Jericho. While
this operation was under way to ths
east of the city, another part OF GEN
eral Allenby's force launched con-
certed attack upon the Turkish posi-
tons to the west and northwest or
Jerusalem The Ottomans hit back
furiously Their positions were
strong. But their lines soon crumbied
and the British gained and held
I t. q q
Shechem road That was the end OF
| all chances for the Turks TO hold the
city.
OF Trnnscendant Importance.
| The victory liz hailed by the British
I tonight as one OF the greatest feats OF
/ British arms in this war, for It's con-
sequence. both military and moral. are
/ of transcendant Importance. The fan
fof Jerusalem, from a military stand
i point, means;
/. The initial steps toward the pro-
i tee.ion of the susz canal and EgypE
against the oft-heralded Turco-Ger'
man drive.
/ 2. A vital threat against the Turk
/ ish forces In Mesopotaniia.
! 5. An opening for an offensive
against Aleppo, the Turco-Germaf'
base and intersection OF the Jerusalem
| and Bagdad railways,
| 4. A strong menace to the BaGdad
railway.
From a moral standpoint:
! l. Admiration and gratitude OF the
world.
.. A tremendous blow to the pres
itixe OF both the sultan and the kaiser
with the Mohammedsus and CORE
spending increase OF British prestige
with the Islam,
] Jerusalem Is = military center sec
ond In Importance in this part OF TN
Turkish empire only to Damascus
From the Holy City the British art
NOW In a position to cross the Jordan
cut the Redtese railway, and tina
sever all Turkish communication viii
Arabia.