UNDER THE RED CRESCENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1918, Page 2

UNDER THE RED CRESCENT.

oPI'UKSSiON iX J KIfI'MLEM. pi:o musn inhabitants; HAXGED. Cairo, Dec. 21. :.«>;itir* eorrcspondftin wirb Ueueral Ail'-.'i'vV troops in Palestine telegraphs: A good ilital j» already known of what iimk place in ..Jerusalem in tin; early days in' i.he war. and the manner in which the .u.ack on lie Suez Canal was inside to ii.j.i-ar a Turkish triumph. What was 11I>i. known was Miat ike Turkish losses ui animals at this period exceeded -Io,<KH) Lead, from neglcri, lack of loud, and overwork, thul the people were so redun d in food. thai the inhabitants used to figlit for the'bodies of the allium la which died in and about the town.

Tite'i began a period of suspie.um an.', |)erseen'u!.!i every body suspected of -■ 111Jja111y with the Allies ( vas impnsie.'d :i!i:l exiled. There were numerous executions. Anions (lie victims was the lloiift.i of Caza, whe was suspected of Jinglisli leanings, and bad attempted to es.itpc across the Desert of Sinai, 'out was capture and handed, with his son, outside the JaiVa (late, although belonging to a di.'tinguislied Arab family. ALLIED SUBJECTS DEI': OTED i All Allied subjects were early sent ft way. with the exception of one or two women. An American colony, numbering about, 300, was not olested, and it ilid noble work in relieving' distress helped by funds from America. When America broke off relations these funds were discontinued, but neverlhless members of the colony continued, to do good work. lietwecii January ami March this 'year liiey assisted over persons and also tuok charge of a hospita 1, which has rendered splendid services. Many Knglish wounded prisoners passed through' their bands, receiving the kindest attention. ;

Heccnlly the Germans attempted to obtain tlie exile of all Americans from ■ lonisalem. The Turk's opposed the measure, but a number of the younger mall's were sunt to Damascus. It was also intended to deport the remainder of the community, but our arrival defeated the Turkish intentions. PANIC AFTER BEERSTTEBA.

The population of .Jerusalem had been living on the lip-toe of excitement since the battle of iieersheba on November 1. Tiif-v couhi hear the distant found of the mm-', ami a.l-;o the (ruth regarding our victories gradually leaked out. Decollations became more uiuncrous. and it transpired thai the archives and treasure weiv being removed. One day a iivcat panic occurred, as it was reported that (lie English were near at hand. . It must have been just, after our capture <>f jUkulvn .and Med.jebcl, because several officers arrived at the American hospital, bar.efoot, having run all the way from Wiidi Sunar, abandoning everything', including n hospital with -KK) wounded, near Rsnnleh

Severe measures were taken, lipwever, ai'd the fugitive, were forced to return to their lines. Had we known of the panic we mig'bt have taken Jerusalem without opposition; but the transport whs already encountering difficulties. EJTVER VISITS HOLY CITY. Early ia November Enver I'asha personaliv came to Jerusalem and examined tlie Mt'.ia'.ion. He visited Hebron and j returned to Constantinople. It transpired ' t.'ia* he recommended tlie evacuation of Jerusalem, and all the necessary steps were taken. Three days later, however, a iliange in the dispositions became apparent. Reinforcements were hurried down, and a proclamation was issued stating thai the Turks were going to hold on to tlie last. a»t<L inviting ihe population to a"ist by whatever means in their power with food and warm clothing fo; the troops. Although the enemy reinforcements were better equipped than the usual run of Turkish troops, having Hie latest Mauser rifles ajid steel helmets, they were, hard-up for blankets, and pillaged some of (he'foreign hospitals, where they were billeted, of everything movable. They manifested a .very truculent spirit, an.l said teey were going to defend the town to the last, holding the houses if necessary, ar.d machine-guns were posted in positions of vantage.

It is stateil that many of the sacred sites wore mined, but tile (ierinaiis op,posed senseless destruction. KieldMarshal Falkenhayn arrived to take control nf the defence measures, and how little he expected to be ousted so soon may be gauged by the fact that the day itie'ore mir .entry numerous workmen were still engaged litlinjf the temporary VadtiuaWers with electric lialit. A Turkish officer t.old a neutral: "The Enyfish are so slow that wi- will strip thfc town if necessary before they can get in." Our rush at the, end took ihem completely a buck, and left them no time to -tarry out their worst intentions.

TURKISH POLICE FAVOR BRITISH. Hven on the niirht of December S the Muiersarif , (Turkish .governor) endeavored to prevail oa the retiring troops to defend the houses, but the latter had already .suli'ered bitter experiences with Tommy at close i|iiarters. and would, not wa:l. The population of Jerusalem is heart, and soul with us. Jiven the Turkish municipal police, who remained at their posts, expressed extravagant joy at our coniinj;. It seems that, the probable prospect of regular wages partly inspires their satisfaction. Of the attitude of the dews and Arabs there cannot be the slightest doubt. At the American 11or pi la I 1 was told of an Aral) officer who was brought in badly wounded from the assault at Xc-b/-Sam-uel. As he entered the hospital lie shouted. "Hurrah for the English! They have won, as they deserved (o win and always will, and I'll thank Mod for the end of the Tirk 1 !" A Turkish sentry was too much impressed to interfere. According to an e-'iniate, comina' from a Turkish source, there are nearly 'i.").()()() Arab and Jewish deserters, or men evading military service, in Palestine, but the Turks latterly avoided undue severity, as they ar» liejrfnninfr to realise the mistakes of their policy. One prolific cunse of Ihe general discontent was the depreciation of the Turkish paper currency. which the authorii lies nevertheless compelled the population to accept. 1 heard locally that the (iermans were to some decree responsible for this depreciation, as German agents used to travel around Turkey buying the paper money at one-fifth of its face value, and .sometimes less* 'but never more. The object of the German manoeuvre is clear. Some day it will suit (levmany to claim an adjustment, coniTurkey to re-pureha.se the notes at their face value.

/ YThyii T visited the Jlo?(|ue of Omav ilir> guardian said: "Praia? <!od! The TCritisli have come. Now we can live in perfect pence ami -tranquility. AH suffering' is now ended." A. Jewish maiden; who could speak a