Weekly journal-miner., 1917-12-12

Cl2llF announced m lne mousse or COlll- mons today that the British army, which has had the city of Jerusalem surrounded for some weeks, captured the city on Saturday, and is now in complete control
 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 the Turks, the last Christian ruler of Jerusalem being the German emper- or, Frederick II, whose domination lasted from 1929 to l244.
 Apart from its connection with the campaign being waged against Tur, key by the British in Mesopotamia, the fall of Jerusalem was tine definite collapse of the long-protracted efforts 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 a campaign against Egypt across the great de- sert of the Sinai peninsula.
 In November, 1914, Turkish army variously estimated at from 75,OOO to 750,000 men, marched on the Sucz canal and succeeded in reaching strik- ing distance of the great artificial waterway at several points. For sev- eral 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.
 On March 7 last, the British cap tured Fl Khulit, Is miles south oi Jerusalem. Fl Khulit is the modern name of ancient Hebron.
 Early in November they took Beer sheba, 40 miles south of Jerusalem Simultaneously a coastal column be- came active. By November 7 the city of Gaza was in their hands and the British were pursuing the Turk: northward after having inflicted cas. ualties estimated as in excess oi 10000
 By this time the British inland force was again up in the neighbor' hood of Hebron, where the Turk: were reported organizing for the de fense of Jerusalem. Gen. Allenby the British commander, meanwhile kept his forces near the coast in rapiC motion and pushed on to Jaffa, tht port of Jerusalem. in mid-November
 By November 2 the British haC pushed within five miles of Jerusalem on the northwest, and on Decembe' 7 Gen. Allenby announced that h' had definite possession of Hebron Jerusalem thus was cut of on al sides but the east
 Few details have come througl since that date, but the encirclinl movement must have been carried ou with considerable rapidity, culminat ing in the surrender of the city.
 In sentimental and romantic aspec the capture of Jerusalem far exceed even the fall of fable-crowned Bag dad. The modern city of Jerusalen contains about 6O,OO0 inhabitants am is the home of pestilence, filth an levers, but in historic interest it nat urally surpasses, to the Christia world. all other places in the world.
 Since the days when Joshua wres, ed it from the hands of Jebusitcs [ make t the capital of the Jewish rac' Jerusalem has been the prized pre- of half the races of the world. It ha passed successively into the hand . of the Asyrians, Babylonians, Creek Romans. Persians. Arabs, Turks, tn motley crowds of the crusaders, fr ally to fall before the descendants C Richard the Lion Hearted, who strov in vain for its possession more tha seven hundred years ago.