Semi-weekly herald., 1909-05-03
CITY CENTER OF WAR
SINCE YEAR 667 3. c

of the channe, between the Black sea |
and the Sea of Marmora. first known |
al Byzantium and for the last 1,5O0
years called Constantinople has been
a center of conflict between the East
and West-between Asiatic and Eu-
ropean ideas. The present conflict is
nothing different in this respect from
the most ancient-it is the antagonism
between Asiatic Mohammedanism and
European free thought and free action,
as represented in the young Turk ele-
ment, that has caused the downfall
Of Abdul Hamid.
Byzantium was settled, 1t is report
ed, by Greek traders. in the year 667
p. C. Two natural causes made 1t
early prominent as trading point
1t was an economic center for the
grain trade of the regions bordering
on the Black sea, and the Golden Horn
gave rich rewards to fishermen be-
sides offering large and safe harbor
for vessels.
Byzantium was the subject of strug-
giles between the early Greek states;-
II was captured and recaptured many
times, and finally became tributary
10 imperial Rome. The remains of the
ancient city have never been adequate
ly explored; there are miles of tun-
nels, ancient streets and fragments
of buildings buried under the modern
Constantinople. which is virtually a
city upon the grave of a city.
In the year $50 A. d. the Emperor
Constantine determined to make a
new capital for the Roman empire.
He selected for this purpose Byzan-
tium, which henceforth was to be
| known as Constantinople-the city of
| Constantine. The modern Constanti-
nople consists of three parts-1stam-
boul or Stamboul, the main city, on a
blunt point of land at the southern
| end of the Bosporus, and opposite
| STEAMBOAT two lesser towns, Galata, to
| the north acress the Golden Horn
and Scutari, to the east across the
| Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is here
about mile wide; the Golden Horn
an inlet or harbor some eight miles
| long, Is from one-third to one-hali
mile wide. Galata is the modern port
of commerce and is connected with
Stamboul by two pontoon bridges
| Back of 1t lies Pera, another ancient
settlement, and the modern non-Turk
ish residence quarter.
| Constantine virtually rebuilt Con
stantinople, and at the final disrup
| tion of the Roman empire into tive
great remnants of the former majestic
eastern or Greek empire. The great
religious schism between the two
branches of Christianity that in mod
ern days form the Roman Catholic and
Greek churches perpetuated and in
creased the political differences. From
1896 A. D., to 1853 A. D. the eastern
i empire, with its seat at Constantine
pie, kept alive Roman civilization and
maintained on its temples the Chris
tian cross.
Learning centered at Constantinople
as at Rome, and the antagonism be.
tween Rome and Constantinople led
to the assailing of the eastern city
by the crusaders. who captured it in
1904. For fifty-seven years the cru.
saders held sway; then, in 1861, they
abandoned the city and 1t fell back
TO its old position as the center of
the eastern church until the follow.
ers of Mohammed came, in the me.
morable siege that ended in plant.
ing on the dome of St Sophia the cres.
cent in place of the cross in 1453.
The Turk won and the Turk kent
When all is said that can be said
against Mohammedanlsm It must be
admitted that 1t made unsurpassed
fighters in the days when swords rath
er than gunpowder determined the is
sue of battles. BY his religion the
Turk is cleanly, temperate, total
abstainer from alcohol and a fatalist.
When his time has come to die. and
not before, he will die, according TO
the Koran. Since the invention and
use of gunpowder he has not been
SO successful as soldier; he lacks
the discipline and the long range cour.
age that go with modern warfare. But
in the early days he was a conqueror
wherever he went.
Starting from a point nearly in the
geographical center of Asia, the Turks
became subject to the Saracens. those
Wild Arabs who invaded Spain and
have left many scattered fragments
OF their genius in the science and the
art of modern Europe. The Arabs
developed a religious organizer of the
first rank in the history of the world.
Mohammed. In the sixty-one years of
his life that ended in 632 this wonder
ful man laid the foundations of a
great empire. The Turks embraced
Mohammedanism and Mohammedan. |
ism made them world power. 1t |
pressed them forward to conquest /
after conquest.
Under Mohammedan rule CONSTANT.
hopie became semi-oriental city. The
q Ia dot ttnt .lx. Il.