Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-10

The chancellor said British, French
and Mohemmedan representatives
were on the way to Jerusalem to safe
guard the holy places
General Allenby reported that on
Saturday he attacked the enen1y's po-
sitions south and west of Jerusalem,
the chancellor said. Welsh and home
county troops, advancing from the d.
rection of Bethlehem, drove back the
enemy and passing Jerusalem on the
east, established themselves on the
Jerusalem Jericho road.
At the same time London infantry
and dismounted yeemanry attacked
the strong enemy positions west and
northwest of Jerusalem and placed
themselves astride the jerusalem
Shechem road The Holy City. being
( thus isolated, surrendered to General
| Allenby.
! The chancellor said General Allen
/ by expected to enter Jerusalem Off
cialiy tomorrow, accompanied by the
commanders of the French and Ital-
1 ian contingents
F! 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-
Imedans. For 673 years the Holy City
has been in undisputed ownership of
the Turks, the last Christian ruler of
Jerusalem being the German emperor
Frederick H., whose short-lived dom
inion lasted from 1929 to 1874
Apart from its connection with the
campaign being waged against Turkey
sby the British in Mesopotamia, the fall
Iof Jerusalem was the definite collapse
of the long protracted efforts of the
Turks to capture the Suez canal and
invade Egypt
Egypt is Made Safe.
!, Almost the first move made by Tur-
key after her entrance into the war
|, was a campaign against Egypt across
the great desert of the Sinai PENN
sula In November, 1914, a Turkish
army, variously estimated at from 75,-
600 to 100000 men. marched on the
Suez canal and succeeded in reaching
| within striking distance of the great
artificial waterway at several points.
After two years of fighting the In
; vaders had been driven out of Egypt
and the British forces crossed the
; border into Palestine
| There has been no hint from either
, official or unofficial sources as to a
: British intention to undertake a def
mite invasion of the Holy Land, and
: 1t was with intense surprise that the
! world learned on March last that
= the British forces had captured FL
: khulil, Is miles south Of Jerusalem
5 Ell Khulil is the modern name of an
cient Hebron. The campaign lapsed
into stagnancy through the heated
period. but was actively renewed with
. the setting in of cooler weather last
) fall.
Cyn0sure Of Christian World.
E In sentimental and romantic aspect
= the capture of Jerusalem far exceeds
: even the fall of the fable crowned
, Bagdad The modern city of Jerusa-
2 lem contains about $4,000 inhabitants
/ and is the home OF pestilence, filth
2 and fevers, but in historic interest Il
naturally surpasses. to the Christian
= world, all other places. Since tbs
] days when David wrested II from tn,
: hands of JebHsites to make 1t the cap
: ital Of the Jewish race. Jerusalem ha.
D been the priced prey of half the race.
: of the world. 1t has passed success
. lively into the hands of the Assyrians
Babylon:ans, Greeks. Romans. Per
SLAMS. Arabs. Turks. the motley crowds
of the crusaders. finally to fail befor.
the descendants OF Richard the Lion
!. hearted. who strove in vain for II,
possession more than seven hundret