MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED.

HOLY PLACES GUARDIANSHIP.

In the House of Commons yesterday, the Government announced that they had received from General Sir Edmond Allenby an account of his entry, with the representatives of France, Italy, and the United States, into Jerusalem. In reply to a question put to him by Mr. R. Mckenna, Mr. Lloyd George read the following telegram, which the Prime Minister stated had been received yesterday, from General Allenby.

JERUSALEM, DEC. 11 (2.0P.M.).

I entered this city officially at noon to-day, with a few of my staff; the commanders of the French and Italian detachments; and the Military Attachés of France, Italy, and the United States of America. The procession was all on foot. At the Jaffa Gate I was received by guards representing England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, India, France, and Italy. (Cheers.) The population received us well. Guards have been placed over the Holy Places. My Military Governor is in touch with the acting Custos of the Latins and the Greek representative. The Governor has detailed an officer to supervise Christian Holy Places. The Mosque of Omar and the area around it has been placed under Moslem control, and a military cordon composed of Indian Mohammedan officers and soldiers has been established round the mosque. Orders have been issued that no non-moslem is to pass this cordon without permission from the Military Governor and the Moslem in charge of the mosque. The following proclamation was read in my presence to the population in Arabic, Hebrew, English, French, Italian, Greek, and Russian from the steps of the Citadel, and has been posted on the walls: Proclamation of Martial Law in Jerusalem. To the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Blessed and the people dwelling in its vicinity. The defeat inflicted upon the Turks by the troops under my command has resulted in the occupation of your city by my forces. I therefore here and now proclaim it to be under Martial Law, under which form of administration it will remain so long as military considerations make it necessary. However, lest any of you should be alarmed by reason of your experience at the hands of the enemy, who has retired, I hereby inform you that it is my desire that every person should pursue his lawful business without fear of interruption. Furthermore, since your city is regarded with affection by the adherents of three of the great religions of mankind, and its soil has been consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages of multitudes of devout people of these three religions for many centuries, therefore do I make known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayer, of whatever form of the three religions, will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faiths they are sacred. (Cheers.) Guardians have been established at Bethlehem and at Rachel’s Tomb. The tomb of Hebron has been placed under exclusive Moslem control. The hereditary custodians of the Wakf at the gates of the Holy Sepulchre have been requested to take up their accustomed duties in remembrance of the magnanimous act of the Caliph Omar, who protected the church. (Cheers.)