The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-03
From the Boston Globe.

N HERE IS Worlu-Miue lheSiSse 4i
 ((0 the events transpiring in Con
 <stantinople and the history Of the city is being recalled because It has been a prize in combats of nations TOT centuries.
 For over thousand years previous 10 the last 15oo years this city was called Byzantium and it was center of conflict between Asiatic and European ldeas The present conflict is nothing different in this respect from the most ancient-t is the antagonism between Asiatic Mo- hanetanism and European free thought and free action, as represented Tn the Young Turk element, that has caused the downfall of Abdul Hamid.
 Byzantium was settled, 1t is recorded by Creek traders, in the year 667 B. c. Two natural causes made it early prom inent as a trading point-it was an eco- homie center for the grain trade of the regions bordering on the Black sea, and the Golden Horn gave rich rewards to fishermen besides offering large and safe harbor for vessels!
 Byzantium was the subject of strug- gles between the early Greek states; It was captured and recaptured many times, and finally became tributary to im- perial Rome. The remains of the ancient city have never been adequately ex- plored; there are miles of tunnels, an- cient streets and fragments of buildings buried under the modern Constantinople, which Is virtually a city upon the grave ofN 0 city.
 Constantine had for some time contem- plated the erection of a new capital. The experience of nearly half century had confirmed the sagacity of Diocletian's selection of site on the confines of Flu rope and Asia CNicomedia) as the where abouts in which the political center of gravity of the empire rested. At one time Constantine thought of adopting the site of the ancient Troy, and Is said to have actually commenced building a new city there.
 More prosaic reasons ultimately pre- vailed. The practical genius of Constan- tine recognized in the own of Byzantium, on the European side of the border line between the two continents, the site best adapted for his new capital All subse- quent ages have applauded his discern ment, for experience has indorsed the wisdom of the choice. By land with it's Asian suburb of Chrysopolis (modern ScutarD, it practically spanned the nar- row strait and joined Europe and Asia; by sea, it was open on one side to Spain, Italy, Greece, Africa, Egypt, Syria; on the other by the Euxine, ard so by the Danube it had easy access to the whole of that important frontier between the empire and the barbarians; and round all the northern coasts of the sea it took the barbarians in flank. The city was soiemnly dedicated with religious cere- monies on the 11th of May, 330 and the occasion was celebrated, after the Ro- man fashion, by great festival. largesses and games in the hippodrome. which lasted 40 days. The emperor gave to the city institutions modelled after those of ancient Rome.
 Constantine virtually rebuilt Constanti- nople, and at the final disruption of the Roman empire into two great remnants of the former majestic whole it became the capital of the eastern or Greek em- pire The great religious schism between the two branches of Christianity that in modern days form the Roman Catholic and Greek churches perpetuated and in creased the political differences. From SS5 A. D. to 1453 A. D. the eastern en- pire, with it's seat at Constantinople, kept alive Roman civilization and main tained on it's temples the Christian cross
 Learning centered at Constantinople as at Rome, and the antagonism between Rome and Constantinople led to the as- sailing of the eastern city by the cru- saders, who captured it in 12O4. For 57 years the crusaders held sway: then, in 1261, they abandoned the city and it fell back to its old position as the center of the eastern church until the followers of Mahomet came, in the memorable siege that ended in planting on the dome of St. Sophia the crescent in place of1 the cross in 1453 /
 The Turk won and the Turk kept When all is sSid that can be said against Mahometism it must be admitted that it made unsurpassed fighters in the days when swords rather than gunpowder de- termined the issue of battles
 By his religion the Turk is cleanly, temperate, total abstainer from alco- hol and a fatalist When his time has come to die, and not before, he will die according to the Koran Since the in- vention and use of gunpowder he has not been so successful as a soldier; he lacks the discipline and the long range cour-