Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-10-12
BY CHARLES w. wHITEHAIR.

/ IN. z. A. Special Correspondent 10 the
British Front In Palestlne.)
From early childhood / had thought
! OF Jerusalem as the Holy City, The City
on a Green Hin, and everything that
was beautiful and lovely. What a sur
prise lay in store for me that first
morning when we motored up from
1 Jana.
The journey is about 90 miles, Before
I the war the trip was made over slow,
uncomfortable Turkish railway. There
was but three motor cars In all Pales-
tine before the war.
However, this morning we left jana
by Ford, and started up 10 Jerusalem.
We crossed the fertile and productive
plain OF Sharon. This year Il has
yielded a fine crop OF wheat and maize.
We passed many herds OF cattle and
sheep grazing in the fields.
The villagers succeeded in saving
part Of their flocks by hiding them In
the hills when the Turks retreated, and
fortunately the Turkish retreat was
made so rapidly that they We're unable
to scour through the hills and round
I'D the cattle and sheep. The British
came forward so rapidly that II was all
but turns ooutu w " tps Nuf "a NAN
way.
Coming into the Judean foahnls, we
looked over the plain dOttedVall over
with the little bell tents Of the British
camps.
We could see tied up long lines Of
camels, great herds OF little donkeys, or,
as one soldier referred 60 them. Gen
eral Allenbys white MICE"
The entire plain Is one great seething
military camp; the Jaffa-Jerusalem
road today is fine metal road, which
the British have entirely rebuilt since
the capture Of Jerusalem, although II
Is the same rOadbed over which the
approach TO Jerusalem from the sea
has been made as far back as the time
OF King Solomon, when the timber for
the temple was brought from Lebanon
by sea down TO jana, then by road up
TO Jerusalem.
The road winds in and around the
beautiful hills OF Judea, covered with
olive trees-althOugh the Turks cut
down thousands Of trees for flrewood.
Trees, rocks, hills and all have chalky
white appearance; dry weather traffic
on the roads has raised a continuous
cloud OF dust, which blankets the
whole countryside.
On the footpath along the side OF
the road are the slow moving camel
trains always travelling in single file,
and at times In trains that are well
over five miles in length.
Moving along are hundreds OF little
lonks also in single file with great
Dads. that weigh as mich as the donkey
Himself.
All along the road working like ants !
re men OF the Egyptian labor corps, |
ar the road must constantly be work
4 unon in order to keep IL in con-
ition. Hundreds break large rocks
ITO small pieces; others with little
askefs on their heads carry the stones
D the roads, while others repair ana
vel
AS YOU go up to Jerusalem from
ana you are unable to see the CITY
rom any distance. We were actually
n the environs OF jerusalem before l
ealized we were anywhere near. n
Jerusalem was not at all what had
expected.
II Is, in fact, two cities.
one city lies within great wall, an
other lies without
me outside city is made up Of every
SUI on conceivable building, from great
massive foreign hotels. down ~ shaclrs
made OF wooden boxes and American
tin cans
The inner city Is surrounded nv a
great wide wall, entered by narrow |
gates on foot.
Till 1898 no wheel vehicle could enter
the inner walls.
When the kaiser made his pilgrimage
to Jerusalem, his agents had the Turks |
tear down a part Of the city wall so he
could enter through a passage made 1
entirely for himself This made pos
sibIe entry Of carriages within the city /