Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-25
ECHOES FROM THE PAST

1He CITY OF Acre mas been captured by the British
FORCES operating in Palestine under the command Of
General Alenby. From the standpoint of the reader who
is interested chiefly in following the events of the war in
order that ne may estimate the bearing which they may
have on each other the statement has some military sig
nifcance. for. while the neighboring town. Haifa. has
taken the place once occupied by Acre as a center, the
occupation OF that general territory by the British marks
a N important step in their rapid advance through north
ern Palestine, and clinches more firmly their hold on the
district east Of the Mediterranean.
But the advance Of the British through Palestine
brings to attention each day the names Of places which.
almost unheard in modern times, have been the centers
around which some Of the most thrilling and impressive
human history has been written. We have watched the
march OF the western armies up the valley OF the Jordan
along which 80 much of vital drama has been ,enacted;
the capture of Jericho. whose walls once fell before the
blast of Joshua's trumpets; Of Jerusalem, which reached
the pinnacle Of its glory under King Solomon: the occu-
patton by Christian hosts Of Bethlehem, the birthplace
OF the founder of their faith. And now these armies
approach the little town Of Nazareth. for many years
the nome OF the holy family; the sea of Galilee, along
whose shores fishermen dry their nets just as they. did
when impetuous Peter declared II 60 a-hshing."
And we know that in Acre these western forces
have reached a city hoary with age, and which has
figured in many a great event. Acre, under a slightly
different name. was a great city when the 1sraelites in
so 10y VI III JUICES COmpleteQ their OCCUPATION OF
Canaan. and it was one of the few canaanitish cities
which did not pass under the rule of Israel. In the COM
paratively modern period Of the crusades Acre was a
thriving seaport, and, Of such military Importance that
the crusaders used their best effort to capture and the
Moslems their supreme energy to defend 1t. During the
early crusades it changed hands several times. 1t was
during the third crusade that Richard the Lion-hearted
effected its capture, and in that connection an amusing
story has been handed down.
According to the story the walls Of Acre suffered
severely during the operations against 1t, and the cru
saders set themselves to the work of repairing the dam
age with all speed. The three main forces were those
of the English under Richard, the French under Philip
Augustus. and the ,Austrians under the Archduke Leo
pold. Leopold is described as a big, burly man, leth-
argic in his movements, and Of surly disposition. Rich
ard was active and full Of enthusiasm. Leopold did not
bestir himself about the work of repair as Richard
thought he should, and he undertook to stimulate the
lazy Austrian to activity by kicking him soundly.
If one is seeking a moral he can find it in the his
tory Of Acre. A few years before the kicking episode
Guy de Lusignan, king of Jerusalem. A spirited battle
was fought just to the east of the city, and Saladin's
forces were worsted. King Guys men took it for granted
that all the fighting was over. and, after the fashion of
the day, which still prevails among the modern Huns,
proceeded to the business OF footing. saladin, shrewd
and resourceful, collected a force and fell upon the scat
tered crusaders and inflicted severe losses on them, be-
sides compelling them to abandon the town which they
had virtually captured. In spite of that object lesson,
and thousands of others with which history teens, there
are still people who believe it to be sound policy to
abandon a fight before it is finished.