Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-12-13
Holy City Surrounded, is Aban.
doned by 0ttomans-HeId
Good Omen.
LONG UNDER TURK RULE
Christianity's Most HaIIowed Spot In
Possession of Mohammedans, With
Two Brief InterIudes, for 1900
Years - England Halls Al
Ienby's Victory.

London, Dec. 11.-AndreW Bonar
Eaw, chancellor of the exchecquer,
mas just announced in the house of
commons that Jerusalem, after being
surrounded on all sides by British
gToops, has surrendered.
Held by Turks for Centuries.
The capture of Jerusalem by the
British forces marks the end, with
Two brief interludes, of more than
1.2O0 years possession of the seat Of
the Christian religion by the NOLAN.
medans. For 673 years the Holy City
has been in Slndisputed ownership of
the Turks, the last Christian ruler
,of Jerusalem being the German en-
peror Frederick H., whose short lived
domination lasted from 1929 to 1914.
Ottoman Efforts Collapse.
Apart from it's connection with the
campaign being waged against Tur-
key by the British in Mesopotamia the
fall of Jerusalem was the definite
collapse of the long protracted efforts
sof the Turks to capture the ,Suez
canal and invade Egypt. Almost the
first move made by Turkey after her
entrance into the wal was a cam
zpaign against Egypt across the great
desert Of the Sinai peninsula.
Retreat Began in 1915.
In December, 1915, the Turks had
been driven back as far as Ell Anish,
about IS miles east of the Suez canal.
In December, 1916, the British stormed
Ell Anish and a few days later severe.
~ defeated the Turks at Maghdabeh,
about GO miles to the south on the
same front. Two weeks later the in
vaders had been driven out of Egypt
and the British forces crossed the
border into Palestine.
AlIenby Works Near Coast.
On March Z last the British forces
captured El- Khulil, Is miles south of
Jerusalem. lei Khulil is the modern
name of ancient Hebron. The cam
-paign lapsed into %stagnancy through
the heated period.
4 Early in November the British can.
dured Beersheba, 40 miles south of
Jerusalem. Similarly a coastal col
umn became active. by the seventh
sof the month the city of GAIA was in
their hands and the British. were
pursuing the Turks northward after
haying Inflicted casualties estimated
as in excess of 10000. General All. !
$jteh&:E. the British commander. kept
ms forces near the coast in rapid mo- |
ton and pushed Oh to Jaqa, the port
faof Jerusalem, in mid November.
by November % the British> had
pushed within five miles of Jerusa-
lem on the northwest and on Decem- |
DER { General Allenby announced
that he had definite possession of He
nron. Jerusalem thus was virtually
cut off on all sides but the east.
, objective of Crusaders.
In sentimental and romantic aspect
the capture Of Jerusalem far exceeds
even the fall of fable-crowned Bag
dad. The modern city of Jerusalem
contains about 10000 inhabitants and
is the home of pestilence, filth and
fevers, but in historic interest it
naturally surpasses to the Christian
world all other places in the world.
Since the days when Joshua Wrested
it from the hands of the Jebusites,
ao make it the capital of the Jewish
.1acs, Jerusalem has been priced prey
SDf half of the races of the world. 1t has
passed successfully into the hands.
of A%ssyrians, ~Babylonians, Greeks,
Romans, Persians, Arabs, Turks, the
motley crowds of The Crusaders, fin
ally to fall before the descendants of
that Richard, the Lionhearted, who
:stroFe in vain for it's possession more
than 700 years ago.
Good Omen for Triumph of Right.
The news spread like wildfire
throughout london. Its fall was her.
aided as a good omen. The most
cherished Christmas gift which could
7be given the world of democracy and,
the hosts fighting for Christian Justice
and peace and freedom is this gift of
khe Holy City to world Christians
again after having been held by In.
fidel hordes for centuries.