The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-12-14
JERUSALEM is
Won BY BRITISH
Holy City Surrounded, is Adam
doned by 0ttomans-Held
Good Omen.
LONG UNDER TURK RULE
christianity's Most HalIoWed Spot In
Possession of Mohammedans, With
Two Brief lnterludes, for 1000
Years - England Halls Al
lenby's Victory.

London, Dec. 12.-After being sur
rounded on all sides by the British
troops, Jerusalem. has surrendered.
Andrew Bonar Law, chancellor of the
exchequer, has announced in the house
Of commons.
Held by Turks for Centuries.
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 en-
peror Frederick H., whose short lived
domination lasted from 1929 to 1244.
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 Suez
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.
In December, 1916, the British stormed
Ell Anish and few days later severe.
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.
Allenby Works Near Coast.
On March Z last the British forces
captured Ell Khulil, Is miles south OF
Jerusalem. Ell 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.
lenby, the British commander, kept
his forces near the coast in rapid mo-
tion 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 Deem
Der 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
dad. The modern city of Jerusalem
contains about $4,000 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,
to make it the capital of the Jewish
race, Jerusalem has been priced prey
of half of the races of the world. 1t has
passed successfully into the hands
of 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, who
strove in vain for its possession more
than 700 years ago.
Good Omen for Triumph of Right.
The news spread like wildfire
throughout London. It's fall was her.
aided as a 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
the Holy City to world Christians
again after having been held by in
6do1 hnrdoc for oopt,,riac