The Daily News. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1914. THE "NEW" JERUSALEM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 271, 17 April 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1914. THE "NEW" JERUSALEM.

One of the most remarkable developments of the present day is the way in which certain waste places of the earth are being made to blossom as the rose. The splendid achievements under British direction in Egypt, more especially the restoration of prosperity by the conservation of the Nile water, are about to be repeated in Mesopotamia by means of great irrigation works such as formerly existed when the Babylonian and Assyrian kingdoms flourished. And now, the land of Palestine which has so long been neglected and uncultivated, is being ! rapidly re-populated and the cities are being re-built. The cry of "back to the" land" means to the Jews, back to the Holy Land, the country that was prom- 1 ised to Abraham and his seed for ever. ' For some years t)he dispersed sons of Judah have been returning in hands, until now there are about 150,000 Jews in Palestine, of whom 60,000 are in and around Jerusalem, while there is a number of flourishing agricultural colonies in various parts of the country. Although tjhe Turks still hold sway over Palestine, •they have Tcfated some of the restrictions to freedom that have hitherto retarded the progress of the country. The Zionist organisation lias been swift to take advantage of this; rich Jews have come forward to aid in the colonisation of the Holy Land; and British, American and French investors have introduced enterprises which will in a short time change the whole aspect of the country. There was a cable message a few days ago about the proposed train lino from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This, we learn from English papers! just to hand, is but one of four different lines of tranmway that are to start from th'e •laffa flute of the Holy City, and will have a total length of about fifteen miles. Already tliere is a railway station in Jerusalem, the terminus of the line from the port of Jaffa or Joppa. Telephones were introduced into Jerusalem a year ago; now the police of the city are 'being provided with bicyclesj reservoirs to give a regular water supply are being built; and French engineers are at work improving the harbour at Jaffa. The orange groves around Jaffa are being irrigated by water raised by ■motor-driven pumps, and on the plains of Sharon the most modern steam madhinery is doing the reaping and binding and threshing of 'grain. There are motor-.boats,on the Sea of Ualilee and tho Dead Sea; (is well as on the River Jordan; arid on the shores of Galilee a large fish-curing and sardine factory is being established. It is in Jerusalem itself that the greatest change is being effected. The old city walls, with a. circumference of about three miles, are being taken down, for a'ready the new Jerusalem outside the walls is twice as large as the old city. For reasons, of sentiment, David's Tower, forming part of the ancient wall, is to be preserved and converted into a museum. , Very soon the rejuvenated city will be brilliant with electric light, and the. buzz of electric cars will give it the semblance of a modern t,>wn. We observe that the Pall Mall Gazette deplores" these changes as though they amounted to sacrilege and profanation of the holy places. The improvements have quite a different significance. They present the abolition of "the abomination of desolation/' the restoration of the Temple the re-establishment of the true religion, the reign of order and peace and cleanliness where tliere lias for many centuries been filth suul misrule and strife. For it cannot be ignored that the ancient Hebrew prophets foretold I'ow, in "the last days," the Jews would return to their own land; how "the sons o: strangers" would re-build the walls o! Jerusalem on a far grander scale than formerly ; how the desolate places would ■«-• inhabited and tho land would once more "How with milk and honey," and the re-united Houses of Judah and Israel would reign over the territory promised to Abraham, extending from "the river of Egypt" to the Euphrates - tlia-L is, -embracing part of Egypt Mlu [ Assyria as well iW Palestine. The English Urand Lodge of Freemasons- a year ago took up consideration of a .scheme to re-build the Temple of -Solomon at Jerusalem, and this project will no doubt '"' '■ii'Wil into effect when the time is '''l»e. In all these improvements there is nothing impious, but rather strong confirmation and fulfilment of prophesy Flectnc liylit. tramways, water supply, steam engines, policemen and bicycles iU'e not, incompatible with sacred associations and hue religious feeling. If wo are to have a reign of righteousness on eart.li, we mu.st expect it to be associated with modern improvements and up-to-date methods; we cannot go back <» the primitive simplicity of Eden. Jerusalem may, in sober earnest, be destined to be the future capital of the world. But there must bo many cfcufijfe

and "just tribulations" before that dream is realised. In the meantime, the Holy Land and Holy City have sprung into a prominence that they Tmve not had since the day of the Crusades. The English and American papers have frequent illustrated articles showing what is being done to restore the country to itg former glory, and no doubt the eyes of other nations besides are fixed upon the ancient Land of Promise, watching with intent the wonderful developments. | that are taking place.