The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-04-12
NEARING JERUSALEM
British Campaign sJsse1ts possio.'i 'ity
Of Erot~e- Race ADDED 20 Long
O. r. Ccrrlrrc-g

Isl q CcrcIerers.
The National Ge0gra phic Society.
with haal4lar'er- IN Washington .n
fs daily statement concerning the ge-
.graphy o. the European var says o.
Jerusalem
The progress Of the British cam
1aIgu DO Syria bringing English
t-llrs close no the walls 0' Jerusalem.
and brings the possibility that anOih-
e- race may write ~ name In the
long Ist OF those who have held pos
session O., the Holy city whose his
tory. covering as authenticated, near.
ly rhirfyNye centuries. has recorded
s0 many changes 0f sovereignty in
which the Israelite the Assyrlan. the
Persian the Egyptian the Roman the
Greek the MJslem and the Frank
have had their place jew. Pagan.
Christian and Ottoman have IN tHrn
played the part Of be-iegel and be-.
lger. and % is now exactly four cen.
turtles since the old walls we're last
threatened. for o. was in 1917 that the
Egyptian sultans were driven out by
the Ottoman Turks. who then captured
the city n Is doubtful II any city o.
Ike 0r even comparative Importance
has pa ed the period since the inyen.
fl0n 0f PunpOwder $3.50 amid such
immunity from the roar 0i hostile
guns
The defenses Of fhe city. designed
0f course f1r earlier methods OF war.
fare. comprise the ancient walls a
series OF three in number and none.
10 BE- evident capable OF re lstance
no modern weapons The last Ot these
defeuses. constructed by Agrippa
about ten years after the CrueifiHion,
is hardly better defined than either
of its predecessors; and none oi them
can afford more than strategic line
10 be strengthened by aarthwOrks for
the emp.acement OF howitzers or other
heavy guns. if IL be assumed that the
Turks possess such weapons and have
them al hand
geographically, however, Jerusa.
lem should be capable Of being put in.
10 condition for prolonged defense.
The city Possesses five notable hills
within its limits, 1t is surrounded on
every hand by fairly deep valleys the
most noteworthy being the Valley Of
Kedron. which lies between the city
precincts and the Mount Of Olives, ly.
ing 10 the east. and from which de-
scends the road 10 Bethany.
The heights OF the Mount Of Olives
only slightly exceed in elevation thoso
Of the five hills within the city, the
| highest OF which is Mount Zion. stand
( ing at 2.529 feet above the sea leye
and oyertOpping the surrounding Val
/ ley Of Hinnom by exactly five hundred
feet while Mount Moriah. little far
/ ther TO the east rises nearly three
| hundred feet above the valley Of Je
| hosiphat
The most practical OF all the en-
deavOrs 10 mOdernize and ameliOrat'
the conditions Of life in Jerusalem ar,
those projected and financed undei
the leadership Of a philanthropic Am
erican. Nathan Straus. whose enter
prises embraced not only the estab
lishment Of beneficent charities bu
also undertook the development of in
dustrial activity suitable to the en-
ylronmcHt
Modern Jerusalem lies substantial
ly within the lines OF the old walls
though an extra.mural community ha
been developed in which are 10 b.
found the homes OF the more affluen
of the citys population, the fOreigl
consulates, the more important OF th
monastcres. schools and hotels Meth
or here nor within the walls. howey
' or. can modern conditions of city tn
be found, due chiefly. OF course 10 th
fact that Jerusalem is without am
natural water supply, the princlpa
dependence IN this regard being upo
the rainfall which Is husbandcd i
3 cislorus. the number Of which for pr
yltc use have increased so greatl
that the public pools are left with bu
scant supply and are used only d
case of necessity boy the poorest d
the people
Railway connection is had with th
, seaport OF luifl but there are nom
but the most primitive means of com
muuialtiuu within the town. Vher
only few streets are suitable 10
wheeled conveyance of auy kind tn
population is about $4,000. the major
. 'ity OF whom are Jews. while the Mo.
lpms and the Christians of variOu
sects number about 5000 Boo eacl
group There is little love lost amon
the Christian scrlarics. % must b
said, and their icalousics. especial
I as regards their privileges at Mo-
church of the Scpulchrc have lun
been % Jest 90 the Nohammcdan ruler
who has seen at the Sayiors tomb
. striking example of the cnyics an
ambitions which so long have enable
. the Turkish conQuoror 10 hold In sul
. lection the masses of Christian PEE,
Plies in the Near East whom he ha
] been able to divide and rule"