FUTURE OF SYRIA AND PALESTINE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 136, 4 March 1919, Page 7

FUTURE OF SYRIA AND PALESTINE

FROM DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT

THE WATERS OF HEBRON

(By Captain J. A. F. Ozanne.)

The motto of Great Britain and her Allies is "equal rights and equal freedom to'men of all race 6 and creeds." That is what the Allies are fighting for, and the statesmen of the various nations which compose the Entente have, in their speeches and declarations, emphasised this point again and again. Tne difficulty, however, lay in Hie fact that until fairly late in the war the Allies did not have any opportunities for putting their principles into practice, and the world at large is far more concerned with deeds than with words, .At the same time one has to remember that Germany also was talking about ideals, and to the bewildered neutral itseemed as though both sides were carrying on the bloodiest war ever recorded in history from equally altruistic motives. Then, suddenly, both 6idos were given tho chance to prove the sincerity of their protestations; the Central Powers in Eussia, and Great Britain and her Allies in Palestine.' Under the test the Central Powers failed, and the Entente rang true. In tho one case the world of neutrals was presented with the BrestLitovsk treaty as the materialisation of national ideals, in the other case—tho Allenby proclamation. After these things neutrals were no longer bewildered. Britain was true to her words, Germany false to hers. To-day the rule of tho Turk has ceased, please God, for ever, in Palestine, Syria and Armenia. Of course, living as one is in days when stupendous events are succeeding each other with such startling rapidity, it is difficult to realise the full significance of eaoh separate piece of news which one receives. It is like trying to appreciate the beauties of a certain landscape from the carriage window-in an express train. Yet at one time, rather more than thirteen hundred years ago, Palestine was the centre of the religious world. Palestine was conquered by the Arabs thirteen centuries ago. and five hundred years later the Turks overthrew the Arabs, and for tho last eight -hundred years Palestine has. known the 1 burden of the Turkish oppressor. ' At last Palestine and Syria are free, the Holy Land is free. Really free, because freedom, as the Allies' understand it does not mean'that the burden of persecution borne by one religion is going to- be shifted on to another religion, but freedom ineane crpjol rights to men of all races and creeds. The inhabitants of the Ho:? 'Laud bare recoguised this, and that is i? ay the viotory of the Allies has been welcomed ovon by the Moslems themselves, although that viotory meant the downfall of their own co-religionists..

Father Waggett, • one of the Cowley Fathers, who is now in Jerusalem, met an Armenian priest, who sang the praises of tho British,, and especially the Royal Engineers, who had brought pure water all the way from Habjivn tu the public taps in Jerusalem. "The Turks," said this priest, "had this place eight hundred years, and never gave up a oup of water. The English have been in charge eight months, and already fresh water is brought to the people. "Vive 1' Angle» terre, vivent les Anglais; Ncn Angli sed Angeli.'"

Before the advent of the British Jerusalem's water supply depended upon tho winter raina which were collected, with other things—dirt from the house tops, for example—in In fge cisterns. Now tho British have completed the enterprise which was inaugurated by Pontius Pilate when he was Governor of Judae, and fresh'water from far-off Hebron flushed those cisterns.

Already schemes are afoot for the cultivation of the land, so that it may be ready for those Jews who seek to Teturn to tho home of their origin. New roads and railways are to be planned, and harbours are to be improved. As regards education, schools are to be opened for the free education of the children of the people,, and already preparations, are being nijide for establishing a university at Jerusalem. Numerous orphanages bave been opened in Palestine and Syria, in short, no stone has been left unturned to try and repair 'the ravages wrought by the Turks during theirlong reign of ' and which the countless tall of atrocities during the ..last four years. "*