ALLENBY ENTERS JERUSALEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 140, 2 March 1918, Page 9

ALLENBY ENTERS JERUSALEM

SIGRY OF A SIMPLE CEREMONY

CROSS SUPPLANTS THE CRESCENT

■ (By W. T. Massey, the British Correspondent in Palestine.) Jerusalem, Tuesday, Dec. 11. Four centuries of Ottoman doniin- ' ion over tho Holy City of Christians and Jews aud "tho sanctuary" of Mohammedans has ouded, and Jerusalem K liberated for Christians aud Moslems, aliko from tho thraldom of the Turk. War has removed the Holy City from .tho sphere of the Turks' blighting influence, but though there was the sound of the bitter clash of ['.••ins around it no British bullet or i-lieJl was directed against its walls. An epoch-making victory Ins been acmeved without a stone being scratched or an inch of soil destroyed, aud the sacred monuments and everything in Jetusalom connected with the (ireat Life and His teaching nro being passed on to future generations untouched by our Army's hand. \ j

In none of her previous seventeen captures has Jerusalem escaped unscathed, aud it is to tho glory of British arms that this most venerated place on earth should come through j the ordeal of battle unharmed by even tho disturbance of a particle of its ancient dust. Tho Turks were forced to withdraw by General Allouby's strategy and the valour of his army. There was no lighting about tho walls. No British guns was sighted tq, "within a , j. considerable distance of the walls. The [ Turkish artillery fired from quite closo i t<, tho Holy City, and thu enemy's j guns thundered from the Mount of : Olives, but of our h'ro the inhabitants criikl mako out nothing more than the distant rumble of guns and bursts of musketry carried on the wings of tho wind. . % . General Allenby put tho sanctity of tho holy sites before every other consideration, and approached tho city only whfti tho pressure of his troops in tho mountains to tho west and north-west forced the enemy to yield to superior strategy. Wβ waited for j this eventful day with patience, for we ■ knew the day would come. Somo or j our warriors—English, Scottish, Irish, '■ Welsh, Australian, and New Zealand-j ers—havo bneii looking on Jerusalem; from tho distant hilltops.for a fort-1 night; they count as -nothing the ardu- i oils conditions of the past six weeks aud the big sacrifices they havo will-, ingly made to achieve a result of momentous import.

Simple Ceremonial. I write this after witnessing tho official entry of General Allenby and his etaff and the commanders of detachments of French, and Italian troops. There was no great pageantry of arms, no display of the pomp and circumstances of a victorious army. The Coni-mander-in-Cliief and a- small staff, a guard of less than 150 all told of tho Allied troops, a quiet ceremonial of reading a proclamation of military law and of meeting the notables of tho city and the heads of the religious bodies, and tho official entry was over. There were no thimderous salutes to acclaim a world-stirring victory which will have its place in the .chronicles of all time'. There were no flags hoisted and thcro was no enemy flag to haul down. There were no soldier shouts of triumph over a defeated foe, but just this short military procession into the Mount Zion portion of the city, 200 yards from the walls, and out of it. The ceremony was simple but_ full of meaning. It was a purely military act with a minimum of military display, but its-siguificancc was not lost on tho population. No bolls in tho ancient belfries rang, no To Deums were sung, no preacher came forth to point tho moral to the , multitude-, but right, down in the hearts of the people who cling 'to Jerusalem with the deepest revorenco and piety there was unfeigned delight that tho old order had given place to a new. It needed no great parado of troops to tell tho people that the new system of government. was. backed by strength. The fighting on the hills and in the deep-cut valleys near by tho Holy City was proof of that, but the absence of any triumphant display and the strict observance of the susceptibilities of all creeds were more eloquent than any words or outwr.rd show that government by tyranny and opprwsinn had passed with tho retreating Turks.

Turks' Last Stand. I shall presently tell what I saw and heard in the streets of Jerusalem, but let me first describe what happened at the eurrender of the city and at General Allenby's official entry. On the night .of the Bth our troops had made such progress against the Turk-

isiiieiiFreiiblie'tl positions that it was manifest that {'iio enemy would soon have to rctii'o to tho north and cast of tlio city notwithstanding tli.it ho was moving reinforcements up the joriolio road in a <lespomto attompfc to save tha city. Our prosuure was not relaxed for Ji moment, and early ou the !)th oiu , generals believed, tho liberation of Jerusalem' was at hand. The people also thought thoir deliverance was near, mid prayers were offered up in almost every house that our arms would bo successful. At. 8 o'clock' in the morning the Mayor of tho city, and tho chief of polfcl) ennio out under a flag or tnic». 'i'lio Jlayor, wiio holds his high civic position as a member of the Hussuiuy family, which, possesses documentary pi oof of its direct descent from Ma'lornmcd through die prophet's daughter, offered to surrender the city. The formal surrender was arranged at noon on the Bth.. Through the suburbs people flocked into the highway and welcomed tho (Jommandor-in-ChiePs representative by .clapping hands, while old women ami girls threw flowers and nalm leaves ou the road, The ceremony of surrendering the city was very brief. Tho general gave the Mayor instructions for tho mam- !

tenauoe of order .ind bad guards i placed over the public buildings out- i I side the Holy City. But no soidier of j ! tho'Kin^ , passed within' tno walls that! I day. Though .the sound of tlio guns ! i hardly ceased the people wore, left so- j 1 cure and happj , . The Turk was driven i farther northwards and' eastwards on | the liltli. Otliorwiso the situation was : unchanged to-day when 'at high noon i the Commander-in-Ciiicf entered. No : Briton could remain unmoved at the i remarkably spontaneous expression of j joy of people who, at tho end of throe . years of war, have such strong faith | in our fight for freedom that they re- i cognise that freodom is permanently 1 won-for all races and creeds uv our victory -'it Jerusalem That it was

which accounted for'tho hoart-stirring welcome to tho Commander-in-Chief. It was a picturesque throng. From tlie outskirts of Jerusalem the Joppa road was crowded with people, who Hocked westward to greet tho conquering general. Sombre-clad -youths ; of all nationalities, Armonians, and ; Greeks stood side by-side ..with Mo> i lems dressed in the brighter raiment of the East. Tho predominance of the : fez in' the streets added to the brightness of the scene. It was obvious that they regarded the day as an import-

anfc occasion, for they wore their best tobefi, and I saw many of them abandon their natural ■ reserve and join in tJio vocal' expression of welcome. Their faces, too, lighted up with pleasure at tlib ' general's approach. This, relaxation Of the Arab's usually stolid and immobile expression was significant. Flat-topped roofs and balconies held many crying aloud a genuine welcome, but it was in the. streets, where a cosmopolitan crowd assembled, that one looked for and obtained the real feeling of all the peoples. What astonished mo were the cries of "Bravo 1 and "Hurrah!" uttered by men who could have- hardly spoken tho words before, That welcome wa,s not artificial or manufactured, lean testify, for quite close to tho Joppa Gate I saw three old Mnhommeclans with tears of joy coursing down their cheeks. Thoy clapped their hands; Their hearts were too full to -utter words. General Allenby on Foot.

General Allenby entered the town on foot. Outside the Joppa Gate ho was received by tho military governor and a guard of honour formed of mon who have done their full share in the campaign. Drawn un ob tho right of tho gate were a few English, Scottish, • Irish, a«d Welsh troops, who were lighting yesterday. , Opposite them were iilty men afoot representing the (Australian and' New Zealand horsemen, who have been engaged in the Empire's work in tho Sinai desert aud Palestine almost since tho war burst upon the world. Inside- tho walls were 20 French and 20 Italian soldiers from detachments sent, by their countries to take part in the Palestine operations. Close by tho Joppa Gate, whoso iron doors are rarely opened, is the wide breach made in tho old walls to permit tho Kaiser to enter when he visited Jerusalem iu 1898. This was not used for to-day's historic procession, General Allenby entering by the ancient gate which is known to the Arabs as "The Friend." Insido the walls was a crowd more densely packed in tho narrow streets than outside and equally enthusiastic. The Commatidor-in-Ohief, preceded by his aides-de-camp, had on his right the commander of the French detachment and on his left that of tho Italian detachment. Italian, French, and American military attaches and a few members of the General Staff followed. Guards of honour marched in the roar. The procession turned to the right into Mount Zion and halted at El Kala, the citadel. On tbe stops at the base of tho Tower of David, which was standing when Christ was in Jerusalem, a proclamation of military law was read in four languages. It promised- that every person could pursue his lawful business and that overy sacred building, monument, holy spot, nhrrne, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayer of whatsoever form of the great religions of mankind would be maintained and protected according to the existing customs aud beliefs of thoso j to whose faiths thoy arc sacred.. This | clearly mado a deep impression on tho j populace. . 1

Reception of Notables. While the proclamation was being read guns were booming to the east tind north and the droning of aeroplane engines in the deep blue overhead told of our Flying Corps denying a passage to observers in enemy machines to witness an event which gladdened tho hearts of all Jerusalem, lte-form-ing, tho procession lhprecl up Zion Street to tho barrack square, where General Allenby received tlio notables and heads of religions committees. The Mayor and tho mnlti (priest), the latter slso a member of tbo Hnsseiny fam- ' ily, wore presented, and likewise tho fiiiekhs in charge of tho mosques, of Mesjid el Aksa, and Moslems belonging to the Kbaldieli and Alamieeli famii-' ies, who trace thoir descents through | many centuries. The patriarchs of the Latin, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Cimrehes and the Coptic bishop hnd been. directed to leave. Jerusalem by the .Tiirks, but their representatives were introduced to the. general, as wero also the heads of tho Jewish committees, the Syriae Church, the Greek Catholic Church, tho Abyssinian bishop, mid the representative of the Anglican Church. Tho Inst presentation was that of the Spanish Consul, who has in charge, the interests of almost all the countries at war and is a busy man. The presentations over, tho procession returned to the .Toppa Gate, and General Allenby left Jerusalem. Thus ended a simple and impressive ceremonial, the effect of which will be far-reach- j