Evening star., 1914-07-31
BELGRADE THE Scene
OF MANY CONFLICTS
Name Signifies sWhite Castle" and
Is Derived From Ancient For
tifcations ON Cliffs.

belETaQe,
today, is a city which in 1900 had G9,oe7
Inhabitants and probably has increased
$1,000 since that time. 1t is located be-
hind high cliff at the confluence Of the
Save and Danube rivers. the former
washing it on the northwest and the lat
ter on the southeast. Only the Danube
river separates it from the Hungarian
frontier. and across the river is the Hun
garian city of Semlin.
The word Belgrade signifies White
Castle" and is derived from the ancient
Notifications which stand at the top OF
the chalk cliffs. Once these castles were
a brilliant white, but age has turned them
| to dark reddish gray. Belgrade's chief
point of defense against invasion would
| naturally be the high cliffs where these
ancient Notifications stand. although the
! castles themselves would be of no val
ue against modern artillery.
Formerly Belgrade was divided into
three towns. one the old town, another
the Russian town and 8 third the Turkish
town, but in 1869 the real Belgrade Of
today was constructed and cast the other
| three towns completely into the shade.
Modern Belgrade stands back of these
ancient cities.
Churches and Schools Plentiful.
The town has many houses OF worship.
there being four Servian churches, one
Roman Catholic church, two synagegues
| one German Evangelical church and one
| Turkish mosque. There are also splen-
did educational institutions In the little
| city. There is one university. the mill
tary academy, a special high school for
l lo1
| number of others of less importance.
All the trade of Servia goes thraugh
Belgrade. but it is not an industrial
city in the larger sense because OF the
scarcity OF both labor and Of capital.
The industries. such as they are consist
of brewing, iron founding. the manufac-
tu-e Of cloth, boots, leather. cigarettes,
| matches. pottery. preserved meas snd
candies. These products are shipped te
| the sea down the Danube river.
City Is Strategic Point.
| The first fortification, as nearly as car
| be- ascertained, was constructed by the
| Celts in the third century, B. G. From
that time until the seventh century. A. D..
| there was constant conflict for the pos
session of this place. It was ono Of the
stragetic positions by which the Danubs
| river could be controlled. In me seventh
century the Romans captured 1t and
| succeeded in holding It through an al
most continuous series of conflicts unit
the ninth century. when the Bulgarians
operpowered them and drove them out.
Then came the Turks. The Turkish name
for Belgrade. translated. means 'hone
of the wars for faith" They organized
innumerable religious campaigns at Bel
grade and soon established the fact be-
yond question that it was the key to
Hungary
and after bitter war managed to nave
the city ceded to her in 1927. The
Turks afterward retook it and held It
practically continuously until 1888.
when the Austrians captured 1t. They
were soon driven out. Turkish occupa-
tion and intermittent Servian revolu-
tions against Moslem rule continued
until 1888, when the Austrians again
captured the city and again lost It
| within three years.
For third time the Turks governed
| Belgrade. In 1865 the concert Of powers
compelled Turkey to release her grip
| from Belgrade. and when Servia's inde-
| pendence was recognized 1t was chosen
| as the little nations capital.