The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-12-11
Holy City Surrounded, is Aban.
doned by 0ttomans-Held
Good Omen.
LONG UNDER TURK RULE
Christianity's Most Hallowed Spot In
Possession of Mohammedans, With
Two Brief lnteriudes, for 200
Years - England Halls Al
'enby's Victory.

london, Dec. 11.-Andrew Bonar
Law, chancellor of the exchecquer,
has just announced in the house of
surrounded on all sides by British
troops, 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
1900 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
tho 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
of the Turks to capture the Sue2
canal and invade Egypt Almost the
first move made by Turkey after her
entrance into the war was a cam
paign 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 So miles east of the Suez canal
n December, 1916, the British stormed
n - 60 10 -,
ly defeated the Turks at Maghdabeh,
about 60 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.
AIenby Works Near Coast.
On March last the British forces
captured El Khulil, Is miles south OF
Jerusalem. El Khulil is the modern
name of ancient Hebron The cam
paign lapsed into stagnancy through
the heated period.
Early in November the British cap
tured Beersheba, 40 miles south of
Jerusalem. Similarly a coastal col.
umn became active. BY the seventh
Of the month the city of GAIA was in
their hands and the British were
pursuing the Turks northward after
having inflicted casualties estimated
as in excess of 10000 General AL
lenDy, the British commander, kept
his forces near the coast in rapid mo-
ton and pushed on to Jaqa, the port
of Jerusalem. in mid-November.
BY November % the British had
pushed within five miles of Jerusa
lem on the northwest and on Decem.
ber General Allenby announced
that he had definite possession of He
bron. 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
lad. The modern city of Jerusalem
! contains about $4,000 inhabitants and
| Is the home of pestilence, filth and
| fevcrs, but in historic interest it
naturally surpasses to the Christian
world all other places in the world.
Since the days when Joshua wrested
1t from the hands of the Jebusites.
20 make it the capital of the Jewish
race, Jerusalem has been priced prey
IF half of the races of the world. 1t has
passed successfully into the hands
If Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks,
Romans, Persians. Arabs, Turks, the
motley crowds of The Crusaders, fin
ally to fall before the descendants of
| that Richard, the Lionhearted, VINO
strove in vain for its 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 good omen. The most
cherished Christmas gift which could
be given the world of democracy and
the hosts fighting for Christian justice
and peace and freedom is this gift of
he Holy City to world Christians
again after having been held by in
| fdel hordes for centuries.