New Britain herald., 1929-01-05
Militant religion
Shown ON STAMPS
Paradox Of Christianity as War
Inspiration Revealed by Study

Militant Christianity-that strange,
paradoXical side OF the religion
founded by one Of the mildest and
most peaceful beings who ever lived
-proclaims Its hybrid self from the
faces Of several postage stamps is
sued by the government of those
lands which were torn by the medic
val wars between Christians and
pagans and which still build their
legends around national heroes
chosen from the knights Of that
time
The greatest conflicts Of the time
were the Crusades. and the deeds
of the armies which struggled across
Europe to combat the Moslem in
The Holy Land live on. on postage
stamps as well as in history and
fable. Possibly the most lasting con-
crete result Of the First Crusade
was the orga nization of the knights
Hospitallers of st. John of Jeru-
salem-a sedate body of mobiles
which has endured to the present
day This order was q very aristo-
cratic and strict one, and It's men,
bers for centuries waged war against
the Mohammedans.
knights Ruled Two islands
In 1909 the knights Hospitallers
conquered the Island Of Rhodes.
which they held for more than two
centuries against the assaults OF the
Moslem armies. At last. however,
they we're forced out under an hon
orablc capitulation In 1922. They
then retired to Malta and made their
headquarters OH that island until
1898. when Napoleon secured their
surrender Since that time the Or
der has not been a land holding Or
ganization. but It still exists and
wields great power Its members
have always been drawn from the
nobility, and at one time Paul. the
mad car" of Russia. WAS its grand
master. It's long history is recalled
by Maltese stamps bearing the
famed Maltese cross, the symbol Of
the order.
Richard the Lion Hearted prob
ably the most famous Of all the CRU
saders, is pictured on stamp which
was issued by Cyprus last year to
commemorate the semi-centennial
OF British domination. The story
of Richards campaigns against
Salalin his traitorous imprisonment
in Germany, his dramatic return to
the England of Robin Hoods day
and his eventual death while he
sieging feudal baron is too well
known to bear repetition ut length.
The Cypriote stamp shows a heroic
statue of him on horseback.
NcsIntainccr Dcfied Turks
A hero of different sort was
Skanderhcg. the great national fig
triota carly in the 18th century he
was taken by the Turks as a hos
tagc and was trained in the Turkish
army, whore he took the name OF
Islander Roy. Rl1t all the while he
remembered his nativity, and in
1913 he proclaimed himself n
Christian and fled back to his Al
bantam mountains, where he dttici
the Turks in 10 campaigns before
dis death. Skanderhc- is consid-
cred to have been an invaluable aid
to Christianity. having engaged
troops which otherwise might have
been sent against the harried Chris
tan armies on other fronts. SeYera,
Albanian stamp issues show thc
bearded features OF this unusual
character.
Sobics|si Saved Eururc
| The man who finally laid the
srcctor Of Turkish, conquest has also
found his place on postage stamp
Flo was John Sobieski. King John
-, t1T ~ Poland. He had won many
victories over the Turks and these
! had brought him election as king
w 1878. In 1858 The Turks reached
! Nionn' and laid siege to the great
CITY. this hnin- tho hirh water mark
! Of thor Invasion Of Europe. And
| whom the fate Of tho continent hung
in the balance. il was Sohioski who
! FASTENED down from Warsaw and
! led tho cavalry charge which
! routed tn" Turks. stopping their ad-
varc" forever and beginning the
movement which lod gradually 10
tho near elimiration of Turkey from
the map Of Euronc. Poland has
fitting'y horored him by placing a
picture Of him. aetridc rearing
chHrscr. on one Of its stamps.
Several orders OF knights who arc
not so vol known as those who
hattio1 in tho Near East existed IN
the Middle tg"s along the T,altic
coast These knights carried on
wars against tho pagan Slavs and
were responsible for tho Christian..-
ing OF tho pruceians Pictures NJ