Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-12
CHESTERTON ON
JEWISH PROBLEM
He Has Put in a Book His Re.
Elections While in
Jerusalem

The return Of the Jews to Palestine
IS a subject so deeply involved in con
troversy that it is impossible for any
one to discuss it without stirring up
some one. The Jews themselves nrc
not agreed on IL, so how could the
rest Of us be, expected to be of one
mindT Gilbert X. Chcsterton, who went
70 Jerusalem n little more than year
ago to study the question on the ground,
q book. "Thc New Jerusalem" which
has already been attacked by two jew
ish rabbis. Yet Mr.. Chestcrton pro-
fesscs desire TO be fair, not only to
the Jews, but to every one else.
The book is very much like the man
himself. There is a slender skeleton
OF discussion Of the main point at issue
generously upholstered with running
commentary on almost everything under
the sun. Yet it is all entertaining in
varying degrees. and in places 1t is most
stimulating. Mr.. Chcsterton has really
| reviewed the progress of Christian civil
i2ation from the beginning. He writes
Of the invasion of Europe by the Moors.
lie goes into long discussion OF the
crusadcs and in passing he pays his
respects TO the German theory that these
mighty campaigns were merely tho man
| Hesitation Of the wanderlust in restless
! people and had no definite purpose. He
! deeply sympathizcs with the spiritual
motive back of the plans to recAcr
the Holy SCpulchrc, and he has reached
very definite conclusions about the
! proper custody of that sacred place now
! that the Christians are once more III
control Of Jerusalem. It would be a
mistake to put the Jews in charge, he
says. because they arc hated by both
| the Mussulmans and the Christians who
! live in Palestine. The simplest way
ont, in his opinion. would be to put
! Palestine under the suzerainty OF
! lthriStian power which should do its best
, 10 keep the peace between the MuSsul
mans, who are in the majority. ant
the Jews who are there now and thos'
who may take up their residence ther'
in the future.
Incidentally Mr.. Chesterton has de-
| sCribcd Jerusalem and Palestine mort
wildly than it has been done before
lie makes the reader see the contour
the color and the textures Of the coun'
try, and he represents Jerusalem itsel
as mild riot of color, not only in th'
costumes of the people, but inl the hue
Of the stone used in the buildings. Ant
while there he discovered that tn
Christmas cards with snow scenes com
mon in this part of the world are no
80 far out Of the way rs might be sup
posed, for on Christmas Eve while h,
was in the city there was n snowstorn
covering it with blanket two fee
thick. He finds in the conduct Of tn
people an excellent illustration of tn
difference between the East and tn
West. The English soldiers began t
shovel the snow away from the bar
racks the next morning. Tho nativ
Jews and MuSsulmans accepted it n
one OF the inconvenienceS of life an
made no attempt TO shovel their wa
out.
1t is doubtful il what Mr.. Chesterto
has to say about the fate Of Palcstin
will have any influence on the states
men. He probably would be more, sur
prised than any one else if it shOul
affect their policy. His ends were ac
complished when he had written dow
an account OF his reactions to visit I
the great city from which our modcr
Civilizati received its inspiration.
THE NEW JERUSALEM. BY Gilbert /
Chcsterton. Nov York: George II. Dora
( co. s3