The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-01-26
.L|1HUAN|A ONCE
STRONG KINGDOM
Vast Domain Made Up Nation
in 18th Century,
FIGURED IN WAR OF 1912
Wilma Center Of NapoIeon's
Drive on Moscow

IN the chronicles of diplomatic maneuv-
er, when the birth OF a new klngdom ov
the rcbirth OF an old one is not an
nounced IN the family OF nations The
khedNe OF Egypt, a dependent OF the
Turkish sultan, was deposed early IN
the war and a sultan OF the Nile coun-
try enthroned under the British protec-
torate the Grand Shereei OF Mecca re-
Gently solicited telic,atlons N the name
Of the infant Kingdom Of Arabia:
the Ieutonic allies only few days ago
announced the restoration OF the ancient
Kingdom OF Poland, much of the terri
tory "cedcd' being at the presen. time
IN Russian possession, and now comes
| the rehabilitation OF the medieval realm
Of l.ithuania, carved from provinces
which Germany has conquered and 9TH
ers which she desires To conquer from
Russia
Bulletin on Lithuania.
/ Concerning Llthuania, from which,
according to cable advlces the Ger
mans hope to recruit 10000 citizens
for service under Field Marshal Won
| Hindenburg, the National Geographic
/ society gives the following information
IN A war geography bulletin:
when the third and final dismem.
berment of Poland was accomplished
in l79S practically all Of the medieval
principally OF Lithuania, which had
been amalgamated with 'hc kingdom
OF Poland nearly 800 years previously.
passed into the possession OF Rususia.
| Its area at that time was about equal
to that Of Connecticut, New York and
! PENNSYLVANIA combined. and comprises
the territory now embraced in the Rus
sian governments of Koyno, Grodno,
Wilma, Mlnsk, MohIeii, Nitebsk, and
Suwalki Much OF this land is not oc,,
! cupied By the German armies OF the
east front,
Uninviting Region. o
"L,huanla i, an uninvi,ing region az
whole Ii is succession OF tens
and forests, illsui,ed to agricultural
pursuits OF any sort, aud the 2W,UU
li,huanans and 10000 Let's who
inhabit the land gain livelihood chief
" by the culture OF bees and the rais-
ing OF cattle and horses The Dneipcr,
he Niemen. the Pripe,, the Bug. and
the Dulna are among the numerous riv-
ers which flow through the country.
and AS there are lew elevations the
courses OF these waterways are usually
extremely sluggish and spread over
! wide areas forming extensive marshes.
3 "1he lithuanians are an INDEPENDENT
branch OF the Aryan race and owing
a to :he Swampy nature OF their home
land we're able to maintain their integ-
! rity as a people IN spite oj the fact that
! during the early middle ages they SUI
. fered constantly from luvasions by
5 their more powerful neighbors. Tho
, Order of Teu,onlc Knights and the L.
yonan knights OF the Order OF the
I Sword were especially vigorous IN their
} onslaughts upon the semlsavagc tribes
which adhered to their pagan worship
long after most of Europe had accepted
= Christianity
History of Land,
J "One oi the legendary heroes OF
L,huanlas early struggles was Ryn..
gold. but the first definite historical
facts concerning the country and its
chiefs date IRON the time OF Mendowg,
Ryngodls son. This chieitsin was re-
cognized by Pope Innocent Nv, and
. ruled for twelve years. from l2Sl, but
the real founder OF the kingdom was the
. resourceiul and Natesmanlike Cedymin
Ojl6-lAD. who built the city OF Vilna.
which became his capital. He entered
into negotiations with Aomc looking
toward the Outstanding OF his country
, aud thereby gained brief respite from
the depredations OF the Teutonie
/ knights. When the time came for the
grand princes baptism. however. II wal
/ found that the pagan faith exercised 50
strong a hold OIL the imagination OF his
people that the ceremony was post
! poned Gedymin extended the bounds
ot his Domains Tar TO the south and east
/ at the expense OF the Russians, and In
his recognition OF the advantages o.
4 Western civilization, as indicated by thu
welcome which he extended to ,mmi
: grants he anticipated the far-siehtet
policies OF Ivan the Terrible and Pelei
e the Great.
. "Gedymln had seven sons who. aftc'
a protrac,ed period OF rivalry acknow
y lodged the supremacy of Olgierd, III,
most adroit OF their number, Olgierd'i
heir, jsgiello. founder OF the Jagellor
dynasty, was one OF the most potent fac
!, tors in the advancement OF Lithuania' I
power lie introduced Christianity IL
. 1887 aud erected a cathedral IN Viln'
on the site oi the ancien, pagan temple
By his marriage to jadviga Tor He'd
wig) daughter of Louis the Great %
Poland, he eventually ascended th'
throne OF that country under the it'll
!, oi Wladislaw, but following his deatI
the two countries had separate ruler
for 100 wears The union OF the ,w'
governments under one sovereign u
. 1901 was securely ccmen,ed BY deere,
y OF the Diet OF Lublin. sixty eight year
later and from ,ha, time the hiStor'
" of ll,huana was merged into that .
Poland
u Vast Domain Contro oiled.
Z AT the beginning Of the fifteenth cen
!" tury the lagellons held sway over vas
Y domain extending TO ue southeast a
~ Tar a. the Sea OF Arov (the northern
, boundary OF the Crimsa) and embracing
Il kev and Haji-bey, t,he modern Ode,
sa).
!; 'In Napoieon's Russian campaign IN
n Al Il S~S0 a