Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-23
BY WILTON WYNN

olive trees Of Palestine are age
old symbols of peace. But as
Christmas approaches in 1856, olive
trees on the road to Bethlehem
camouflage anti-aircraft guns and
munitions dumps.
All along the route the Holy Fam
lily took from Jerusalem to Beth
lehem are sites connected with the
birth Of the Prince Of Peace. But
there are the unmistakable signs Of
war.
The road from Jerusalem forms a
bastion for modern army. Sol
diers of Jordan's Arab Legion trod
the stones where Roman legions
stood guard in the time Of Christ.
The vauited roofs Of age-old
monasteries, converts and churches,
form convenient bomb-shelters for
a population almost nightly wait
ing for an attack.
On the slopes Of the Judean hills
shepherds still tend their fiocks and
bed them down at night in lime
stone caves as they did the night
Jesus was born. But many Of their
erstwhile sheepfolds have been
transformed into munitions dumps.
And the shepherd boys tread care
fully lest they touch on land mines.
Arabs and Israelis have been at
war in this area since 1913. An
uneasy truce has kept the guns
silenced most Of the time. But this
year savage fighting has broken out
along the Jordan frontier. and
Israel invaded Egypt to the south.
This outbreak brought the main
force of Jordan's army to the heart
Of the Holy Land. Sites recalling
the birth and life of Christ have
become q background for heavy
army trucks and transport. gun en-
placements, pillhoxes and trench
mortars.
War Fever Dompening
The war fever this year has
dealt a heavy blow to the people
of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, IS per
cent of whom hive. in one way or
another, from the tourist and pill
grim trade. The hotels Of Arab
Jerusalem one of the worlds great
tourist attractions, are almost
empty. Some Of them are consider
ing closing until the crisis passes.
mo only tourists but most foreign
residents will be absent from the
Holy Land this Christmas. British.
French and Americans have been
evacuated from Jordan and Israel
as a precautionary measure. Few
other nationalities care to- remain
in what is a continuing crisis spot.
The rare traveller landing at
Jerusalem airport will quickly see
the signs of tension. Driving into
town from the airport on the Arab
side OF the military armistice line.
he will see rolls Of barbed wire on
his right and Jordanian troops dig
ging trenches on his left,
Inside Arab Jerusalem, the
traveller can see on the edge Of the
road a no mans land. less than a
hundred yards wide. West Of the
line is the modern Arab city lying
outside the crenelated walls Of Old
Jerusalem.
On top Of the wall. silhouetted
against the sky, can be seen Arab
sentries, their eolorful headdress
flowing in the wind. modern heirs
to Roman legions.
The Potriorch's Trip
Inside the walls Of the old city
near the tower of David is the Latin
convent, where resides the aged,
white bearded Latin patriarch Of
Jerusalem. Alberto Corr. On Christ
mas eve the patriarch will leave his
seat and travel to Bethlehem to Of
ficiate at Christmas Mass at the
Church OF the Nativity. built on the
site OF Jesus birth.
Ordinarily the patriarch would
leave through the Jaffa Gate on the
western wall Of the city. Since
1888. however. the gate has been
closed because the wall on that
side now runs almost on the line
Of no mans land.
Because Of war conditions the