"PALESTINE THE PIVOT."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 5

"PALESTINE THE PIVOT."

WHAT TEE FUTURE HOLDS. Sir,—Our attention having for some timo past been centred on tho Morocco question, which we are now informed has a more peaceful outlook than heretofore, it would be well, perhaps, if we wero to turn our attention elsewhere, and take noto of what is taking placo in "Pa.le.stino, the Pivot." Writing on this subject, "Tho Truth." a paper published i n Jernsalem in English and French, gives the following facts, which are well worthy of onr consideration:— "An English company has built _ a railroad from Haifa to Damascus, a city which lias now 250,000 inhabitants. From now a German railway is running from Constantinople to Biredjik, on the Upper Euphrates, Tlie French hold a concession for a railroad to run from Birodjik to Damascus via Aleppa. and Horns. Thus Palestine is becoming tho key to Africa and Southern Asia. There is yet a third great world line from Constantinople via Palestine, Persia, India, and Bui-mall to Ifong-King. Tho importance of these great lines of communication cannot be sufficiently dwelt upon, and eer- . t-ainly cannot be exaggerated. Palestine ' is the great centre—the meeting of tho : roads. Who holds Palestine commands the great lines of communication, net only by land, but alto by sea. The Power j in Syria would not only control the railway, but would be master of tho Suez Canal, andin addition would dominate ; Egypt. . With a modern Power like ! France or Germany firmly established in Syria, the British could only remain in . Egypt on tolerance, Iwcause Syria, with its mountain ranges, is easy to defend and , hard to conquer, and in the case of Egypt .the reverse is h-ue." A writer in a publication, who, however, docs not give his name, gives his views oil this subject in these words':—• "Let us lake a look at the land promised to Abraham. It is situated at tho outward edg>3 of the western part of Asia, at the end of tho Mediterranean Sea, where three continents meet. • These continents consist of tho largest body of land oil the earth's surface, and the land where the most important part of tho history of mankind has been worked out. It is situated on the largest of these continents, and the placo whoro it is situated commands the most important trade routes, both on land and water, of these various continents. It is, " practically speaking, tho strategic centre of the world, as I think it is not possible to pick out a place that is more central, or that is bettor situated from which to govern the world." This is a remarkable independent testimony to the views set forth in "The Truth," as quoted alxjve. The following extract from a chapter on tho "Land of Promise," by tho Rev. J. 0. Dykes, M.A., D.D., on the topography of the country, will make interesting_ reading:—The first feature .which eminently marked out tho land for tho • residence of God's chosen nation is this: It. Unites as not other ddes tho two indispensable conditions of central position and yet of isolation. To bo in tho midst of the nations, at the focus and gatheringplace of thoso mighty and cultured Empires, whose rivalries ruled the polities as their example led tho civilisation of antiquity, yet at the same time be shut off from such contact with them, as must of necessity provo injurious, scciued to bo opposite requirements very hard to bo reconciled. _ To a curious extent they aro reconciled in the Land of Promise. It lies at a corner where Asia, Africa, and Europe meet or all but touch. The six ancient States of Babylon, Assyria, Media, Persia, Phoenicia, and Egypt stood rouild' about it. The main lines of ancient traffic.ran clos-o past its border. ' Whenever, for purposes of war or trade, bodies of men sought to pass from tho populous and powerful States of the North, whose centre lay along tho Euphrates, to tho populous and powerful States of the ssuth, whose centre lay along t.ho Nile, there was only oiio road by which ho could travel. "Syria," says a famous modern geographcrj "is bounded by a gTeat sea of sand on the east, and by a great sea of water on tho wes't. Across that natural barrier of sea and land there is but one convenient highway. Palestine is like a bridgo arching across a double sea of desert sand and of water, which the want of harbours mado' usaleas to it. It connected tho Euphrates with the Nile. While thus set in tho middle of all lands it stood strangely apart from all." No great highway, says tho same authority, led through it from nation to nation. All wont by it, over tho roads which skirted it, without traversing if, and which all found their tyjre in the sea lino which ran from the harbours of the ancient Phoenician cilie.s of Egypt, along a shore which was almost devoid of havens. In fact, it was so isolated that if its prap'.e chose they could dwell apart. On t.lio west a harlxjurlcss coast, on the north groat mountain ranges, on the east and south vast waterless wastes; yet alongside it. and close by its yen- borders, there, must pass by fatiguing and hazardous journeys, the long caravans of laden ships which carried traffic from ono civilised State to another, aud (he cumbrous armies by which rival empires sought to erm.li each other. Geographically, politically, commercially, •no country is so situated in relation to three great continents and five large bodies of water; nsno iinitei such amazing contrasts—perfect isolation and indepen Jencov wil.ii the obii'ly to go out, from this isolation and establish relations with all tho great nations of antiquity. In the caves with which it 3 limestono hills aro honeycombed, and in tho rocky fastnesses which command tile passes leading from tho flat border on all sides up into the heart of the land, a small bravo people could hold their own against superior force." Is Napoleon's dream of world-wide domination based on the jiermanent occupation of Egypt to bo realised by somo Power strong enough to take and to hold? The Marouites Jiavo a. loaning to JDiiylar.d, ami in Queen day looked up to licr as to their mother. With tiliesu sentiments the Arab population, and, tho followers of Mahomet generally, arc in acoord, and it would soom as if England will succeed where other nations failed. Tho advent of tho railway iii place of tho laboured means of transport of ancient times' has so altered circumstances that tlie rivalries of modern Powers, whose interests clash, may lead to conflict, to bs determined in favour of tho ono Who can I command tho most rapid means of transit, and Hie question finally settled on same battlefield of Armageddon, to bo fought out on Syrian Mil.—l am, etc., GEORGE HENRY DAVIES. Karori, September 2S, 1311. P.S.—lt may bo urged that England, having weakened her hold in the Mediterranean, may have some difficulty in carrying on a campaign in Syria. The answer to this is that slio will retain tho command of the sea by way of tiho Red Sea, and thus be in a position to support her operations with advantage. This, plus the co-operation and support of the population in tho country affected, is a.n all-important factor, as Wellington found iu his Peninsular campaign.—G.ll.D.