ARABIA PROCLAIMS INDEPENDENCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 9

ARABIA PROCLAIMS INDEPENDENCE

TURKISH GARRISONS SURRENDER . ' GRAND SHEREF CAPTURES PRINCIPAL TOWNS ' (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright). • _ , , ~ , ' , New York, June 2.'. Reuters Agency .reports that news lias reached London of a successful ri» ing of Arabs against Turkey. Mecca has been taken. London, June 22. Arabia has proclaimed her independence. The Grand Slieref has captured Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif. The Turkish garrisons surrendered. Tho rising, although only tho last of a series of rebellions against Turkish rule, was greatly stimulated by the bitter resentment of German dominion in Turkey. The newspapers in London are giving prominence to the declaration by the Government of India in.Novembrf-, 1914, regarding the safety of holy palaces, and the Aga Khan's emphatic pronouncement in November, 191-1, concerning Turkey's betrayal of her trusteeship of Islam. MEDINA BEING CLOSELY BESIEGED. , Cairo, June 22. The Grand Slieref was supported by the tribes of West and Central Arabia. Tho operations were begun on the 9th. Tho Sheref's forces captured Jeddah. Mecca, and Taif, and tho garrisons, with the exception of those in two small forts at Taif, surrendered. Forty-five officers. W\ men, and six guns were captured at Jeddah. The Slieref is closely besieging Medina, and. holds tho communications to Hedjaz. THE DECLARATIONS OF NOVEMBER, 1914. The following notification was issued by tho Government of India on November 2, 1911: "In view of tho outbreak of war between Great Britain and Turkey, which to the regret of Great Britain has been brought about by the ill-advised, unprovoked, and-deliberate action of the Ottoman Government, His Excellency the Viceroy i s authorised by His Majesty's Government to make the following public ann ouncement in regard to the Holy Places of Arabia, inclnding the Holy Shrines-of Mesopotamia, and the Port of Jeddah,

in order that there may bo no misunderstanding oh the par.t of His Majesty's most loyal Moslem subjects! as to tho attitude of His 'Majesty's Government in this war, in which no question of a religious character is involved. These holy places and Jeddalv w}U bo immu.no from attack or molestation bv flio British Naval and Military Poirccs so long as there is 110 interference wiffi pilgrims from India to . tho holy places and 6lirinca in question. At the request of His Majesty's Government tho Governments of France and Russia have given them similar assurances." The Aga Khan's spirited declaration of Indian Moslem loyalty was still more emphatically proclaimed by the Hon. Monlvie Eafiuddin Ahmad, who, speakin" at Ahmodnagar in October, 1914, said: "Assuming' that tho war party 111 Turkey hail acquired ascondancy, I would say that the duty of all Indian Moslems at such a crisis is quite clear. Without mincing mutter*, and in the plainest language) possible, lVe should tell the statesmen of Turkey that they would entirely forfeit the sympathies of their co-religionists in India did they decide to commencn hostilities against Great Britain, the greatest Mos lem Power in the world. Ayain, we owe it to our gracious Sovereign to declaru at the present time, when our silence is likely to be misinterpreted I>v our enemies, that our attachment! and devotion to him is staunch and ■unalterable, and shall in no way be affected by the policies which Turkish statesmen might adopt in furtherance of their; interests at tho present juncture."