The Colorado statesman. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1895-1961, 1919-04-19
TURKISH NO MORE
Whole World Reioices That "the
lnfidel" Has Been Driven
From Holy City.

many centuries, and all the
Christian world will celebrate
with greater fervor and deeper rever-
ence now that the hand of the "infidel
Turk" is removed
1t is exactly 674 years since the
Turk drove out the Christians and took
been taken by Frederick III. March II,
1920, who crowned himself king of the
Latin kingdom. in imitation of that
earlier king of Jerusalem, Godfrey of
Bouillon (1099).
Land Of Pilgrimage.
Palestine had been assigned to the
Emperor of the East in 305 A. D., and
was nominally Christian at that time,
when pilgrimage to the Holy Land be-
came almost cult and the finding of
relics became regular pursuit in all
the places identified with the life OF
Jesus.
This was the period that might al
most be termed the Chrlstianizing of
Palestine, for Christianity had devel-
oped far more vigorously at Rome and
In other parts of the Roman empire
time. Constantine had made II the
state religion and Helena had found
he True Cross" so that there was
great stirring Of interest throughout
the land. Many fine churches were
built, and Justinian erected the Golden
Gate and part of great church. now
he Ell Aksa mosque (527-565).
Christians Prosecuted.
1t was in 614 that Chosroes II, king
of Persia, made his great inroad, per-
scouting the Christians wherever he
found them, especially in what is now
Armenia, and capturing Jerusalem.
The Emperor Heraclius managed to
regain control (629), but he had to
yield before the might of the Caliph
Omar (63O, who erected many great
structures, especially the mosque
called after him, upon the great rock
which had been the site of the temple
of Solomon.
For more than 400 years the Mo-
hammedans held sway, until as a re-
suit of the Crusades Godfrey of Bou-
illon took possession in 1909. The
J,
hold possession, for they were always
fighting among themselves, and so
Saladin, the mighty leader of the Mos
lens, gained permanent hold over
the land of Palestine and Jerusalem
In 1857.
1t was during the next century that
the Christians under the leadership of
oil of l.
estine for the last time, until our own
day. But with dissension among the
Christians of that time 1t was not diff
ficult for the Turks to regain control
in 1914 and retain it ever since, in one
form or another.
Surrender of Jerusalem.
The surrender of Jerusalem to the
British forces last December, and the
subsequent conquest of much of the
rest of the land Low establishes Chris
tan control, at least for the present,
and the doubt has been raised whether
any Christian power, even Germany,
will dare to suggest that the holy
places again be turned over to the
power of the Moslem, no matter what
the terms Of peace may be.
Precisely what local changes in priv
lleges of worship will come out of the
change may not be foretold. For a
long time a strange situation has pre-
vailed In Jerusalem. The holy sepul-
cher, for example, with its relics of
Christian treasure. has been used by
Greeks, Armenians and Western Chris
hans in alienation, the control re-
manning with the Turkish authorities.
Naturally many disputes have arisen
out of so strange situation.
This Easter Significant.
When the city was captured by the
British there was great local anxiety
as to what might result. With the en-
try of General Allenby, with his staff
and certain French and Italian officers.
these anxieties were quickly set at
rest. The Jewish population soon
learned that all was to be well with
them and other sects represented In
the citizenship of the historic place
were equally treasured. A sense of
peace, liberty and security had its i'm
mediate effect and Influenced pro-
foundry the preparations for the new.
unexampled Easter as well as for fu-
ture worship of every sort in the trou-
bled Holy Land. In Jerusalem as
elsewhere began to appear conviction
that, no matter how long world peace
might be delayed, new spirit was
abroad throughout the earth.
This Easter, then. has special sig
nificance, in view of all the centuries
Of struggle for holding the places CON
secrated to Christianity by the activity
Of its Savior.