Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-11
TURKEYS DREAM IS BLASTED
Effort to Capture Suez Canal
and Egypt Meets Com
plete Failure.
HOLY RELICS NOT DAMAGED
British, French, Italian Troops
Take Part in Victorious
Campaign.

LONDON. Dec. 10.-For practin,hy
the first time In more than one lhou-
sand years Jerusalem, birthplace OF
Christ, is In the hands of Christians
The Holy city OF the Christian reli-
gion capitulated to General Allenby's
forces. consisting OF British. French
and Italian troops. after IL had peen
entirely surrounded. and with its fall
seemingly swept away the dream OF
the Germans and the Turks of driv-
ring southward. thru Palestine, cap
turing the Suez canal and invading
Egypt.
Dcliverancc Long Anticipated.
Since the recent taking of the town
of Jaffa on the Mediterranean sea
and the gradual closing in on Jeru-
salem by the allied forces, the fall of
ancient city daily had been antici-
pated II was not the lack of strength
that prevented its capture, but rather
the desire of General Allenby to carry
out his plan of enveloping the city
and forcing its capitulation, as a from
tai attack would have enda sgered the
numerous sacred places inside the city
and In its environs.
The capture of Jerusalem by the
British forces marks the end, with
two brief interludes. OF more than
1,200 years possession OF the seat of
the Christian religion by the Moham-
medans For 673 years the Holy City
has been in undisputed ownership Of
the Turks, the last Christian ruler Of
Jerusalem being the German emper-
or. Frederick ii, whose short-lived
domination lasted from 1929 to 1244.
Dashcs Whole Turkish Dream.
Apart from its connection with the
campaign being waged against Tur-
key by the british In mesopotamia,
the fall Of Jerusalem was the definite
collapse of the Turks to capture the
Suez canal and invade Egypt. Almost
the first move made by Turkey after
her entrance into the war was n cam
paign on the Sinai peninsula. In
November. 1914, a Turkish army. va
riously estimated at from $4,000 to
250,000 men marched on the Suez
canal and succeeded in reaching
within striking distance of the great
artificial waterway at several points.
For several months bitter fighting
took place, the canal being defended
by an Anglo Egyptian army aided by
Australians and New Zealanders and
French and British forces.
For the greater part of 1915 con-
flicting reports of the situation were
received from the belligerents but In
December OF that year definite in
formation showed that the Turks had
been driven back as far as El Arish.
about So miles east of the canal. A
lull occurred which lasted for SIX
months and in January. 1915. the
Turks again advanced as far as ka-
tish, about Is miles east OF the canal.
Here they were decisiyely defeated.
losing more than 5000 prisoners and
a great quantity of equipment. An
other period followed in which the
situation was greatly confused thru
the vagueness and contradictory char
acter of the official statements. but in
December, 1916, the British stormed
El Arish and few days later Sc
verely defeated the Turks at Magh-
daba, sixty 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. There had been
no h.ni from either official or un-
Official sources as to the British IN
tcntion 20 undertake a definite inva-
sion of the Holy Land, and II was with
intense surprise that the world learned
on March T. last, that British forces
had captured El Khulil, is miles south
of Jerusalem The campaign lapsed
into stagnancy thru the heated period
but was actively renewed with the
setting in OF cooler weather last fall
FINAL Effort Launched I'm November
Early IN November British activity
resulted in the capture of Beersheba,
forty miles south of Jerusalem. Stmul-
taneousy coastal column became
active. BY November the city of GAIA
was in their hands and the British
were pursuing the Turks northward
after having inflicted casualties esti-
mated as In excess of ten thousand.
Ill. ha al
forces was again up in the neighbor-
hood of Hebron, where the Turks were
reported organizing for the defense
of Jerusalem. General Allenby. Brit
ish commander, meanwhile kept his
forces near the coast in rapid notion
and pushed on to Jaffa, the port on
Jerusalem, In midNovember.
BY November 22 the British had
pushed within a few miles of Jeru
cember General Allenby announced
that he had definite possession of
Hebron. Jerusalem thus was virtually
cut off on all sides but the east.
In sentimental and romantic aspect
the capture of Jerusalem far exceeds
eve the fall of fable-crowncd Bagdad.
The modern city OF Jerusalem con-
tains about sixty thousand inhabitants
and is the home of pestilence. filth
and fevers. but in historic interest /,
naturally surpasses, to the Christian
world. all other places in the world.
Since the days when Joshua wrested
II from tie hands of the Jebusites to
make II the capital of the Jewish race,
Jerusalem has been the prized prey
of half the races of the world. II
passed consecutively into the hands
of the Assyrians, Babylonians. Greeks.
Romans, Persians. Arabs. Turks. the
motley crowds of the Crusaders. finally
to fall before the descendants OF that
Richard the Lion Hearted, who strove