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Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 49

The national emblem of the Turks is the crescent, and, among all the new and old flags of the nat ions, it is unique as being entirely contradictory. The Turks are bitterly anti-Christian, yet the flag under which they have massacred millions of Christians is a Christian emblem ! The crc-scent was first used by the primitive Christians of Constantinople and the eastern provinces of the old Roman Empire as an emblem of the glowing power of Christianity-. It was not until about the year 1453, after the Turks had captured Constantinople, that they adopted the crescent as their national emblem. The reason why has never been satisfactorily explained. The crescent is essentially a symbol, and yet the Koran forbids the use of all symbols or images in the religious ceremonies of the Turks. The crescent is used, however, and none seem to object or recall its Christian origin and significance. A rise in the price of heart matui has been made by the sawmillers of the North Island, with the object of inducing builders to use more heart rimu.