The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-23
MODERN|zE
!. CITY OF PALESTINE
BY cHAS. w. WHiTEHAIR.
IN. (. A. Special Correspondent to
the British Eornt in Palestine.)

I'm. (. A. Special Correspondent TO
- the British Fornt in Palestine)
Although the British have occupied
3Jaffa since last November, the last
of the Germans were not out of the
city until early August.
! Il watched them packing and getting
ready to leave. They were laughing
: and having a great time.
i thought of the thousands who had
I been driven out of northern France
& and Belgium like cattle, and here the
British were treating the Germans as
guests who must be shown every pos
sible consideration and kindness.
One German woman said, I'VE don't
mind going because we know the
British will take care of all our
things" and she certainly was right,
for officers were going through all
their houses and invoicing every
thing so as to make certain every
thing could be kept intact.
When a 'Y'' secretary went to see
a German woman whose house is to be
used by the association. shs said: IT
am glad you are taking over my
house, for 1 will now be able to leave
my canaries and goldfish. as you will
look after them. 1 won't need to dis
turb anything because L will soon be
coming back
The Army Of Occupation has avoid
ed a famine by shipping in large guam
titles Of food supplies for natives of
the country. In many places it has
been necessary to furnish a water
ration brought all the way from the
Nile. Hundreds of destitute Arme emf
ans and Syrians are constantly Slip
ping through the Turkish lines. These
have been looked after by the Syrian
Palestine Relief Committee, but are |
now being cared for by the American !
Red Cross.
Jew, Christian and Moslem are |
treated exactly the same. This is the ,
first time in hundreds of years that (
the country has experienced a just /
and honest administration
Gen. AlIenby states emphatically !
that he has no thought of what will
be done with Palestine after the war,
but that it is his business to so ad
minister affairs that it can be turned
over in a prosperous condition when
peace comes. At the front no SOL
diers are allowed to eat the fruit in
the orchards, even where the big guns
are hiding among the olive, fig and
orange trees, for even there all the
fruit is picked under direction, all of
it being carefully measured and paid
for at the current prices.
Agricultural experts engage by the /
to the work of reconstruction and re-
Mobilization Of the farms
When the British captured Jerusa-
lem there was not a public lavatory
and very few private ones in all the
city, and the narrow streets were used
in way that was unsanitary and
revolving. The city beggared descrip-
ton, disease had broken out and filth
and trash had so accumulated that the
air was vile and poisonous. There was
imminent danser of an epidemic
Within 4S hours of the British oc-
cupation three civil hospitals were
started. Il
A complete Sanitary equipment has
been installed; public lavatories are
being built, and the streets are clean
ed daily. Fifteen miles toward He :
bron is great cement tank which
was built by Pontius plate for wa
ter supply for the city The work
was never finished After 1000 wears
the British have finished his work and
oy means Of a six-inch pipe over 300,-
POO gallons of water a day are carried
20 the city. The tank is fed from
what is believed TO be an inexhaustible
spring.
The old city is not a commercial. in
1ustrial or educational center. but if
IS religious center sacred to three
great religions, and as such a center
IL is being cared for. About all of the
historical places are stationed guards.