The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-12
TURKISH NO MORE
Whole World Rejoices That "the InfideP' Has Been Driven
 From Holy City.

From Holy City.
 | ASTER will be celebrated in Palestine as never before this / many centuries, and all the Christian world will celebrate with greater fervor and deeper rever- ence now that the hand of the "inf1del Turk" Is removed.
 1 It Is exactly 674 years since the Turk drove out the Christians and took possession of Jerusalem, after 1t had been taken by Frederick II, March 17, 1229. who crowned himself king of the Latin kingdom. in imitation of that earlier king of Jerusalem, Godfrey of Bouillon (1O99).
 Land of Pilgrimage. Palestine had been assigned to the Emperor of the East in 3O5 A. D., aud was nomlnally 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 Christianizing of Palestine, for Christianity had devel- oped far more vigorously at Rome and in other parts of the Roman empire than in the Holy Land itself, up to this time. Constantine had made it the state religion and Helena had found the "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 the El Aksa mosque (527-565). Christians Prosecuted. It was in GA 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 Christian powers could not, however, hold possession, for they were always fighting among themselves, and so Saladin, the mighty leader of the Mos lems, gained a permanent hold over the land of Palestine and Jerusalem in 1187.
 It was during the next century that the Christians under the leadership of Frederick II gained possession of Pal estine for the last time, until our own day. But with dissension among the Christians of that time it was not diff ficult for the Turks to regain control in 1244 and retain 1t 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 now establishes Chris tian 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, ileges of worship will come out of the change may not be foretold. For a long time strange situation has pre- vailed In Jerusalem. The holy sepul. cher, for example, with its relics of Christian treasure, has been used by Creeks Armenians and Western Chris tians in alienation, the control re- mainirg 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- l try of General Allenby, with his staff | and ceftain French and Italian officers, these yanxieties were quickly set at rest. The Jewish population soon learJed that all was to be well with 1 the4 and other sects represented in | th9citizenship of the historic place | we equally reassured A sense of pfce, liberty and security had It's im- 1fdiate effect and influenced pro- fdndly the preparations for the new, hexampled Easter as well as for fu- )ure 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, q new spirit was abroad throughout the earth. ''seA
 This Easter, then, has a special sig- niacance. in view of all the centuries of struggle for holding the places con. secrated to Christianity by the activity I of its Savior.