The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-13 00:00:00

THE EASTERN QIESTION.

ATTITUDE OF TEE POWERS.

The Correspondent of The Times, writing from St. Peters-
burg, April 7, says :—" All day yesterday vague rumours
were afloat that the situation had, somehow improved, and
some people went so far as to declare that there was no
longer any danger of war; but no one seemed to know pre-
cisely what had happened, and in the best-informed circles
it was declared that there was little or nothing to justify
such rumours and assertions. Towards evening, however,
they were confirmed by private telegrams from foreign
Stock Exchanges. To-day the rumours have assumed a
more definite form. An important letter, it is said, has
been received here from Berlin, suggesting that concessions
should be magle in order to avoid a European war. However
this may be, it is pretty certain that Germany is abandoning
her purely passive attitude. Her good offices have not been
asked, but there is reason to believe that they will be gladly
accepted, and already there are hopes of the Congress being
revived. In the view of this possibility, General Ignatieff,
who has not returned to Vienna as was reported, has delayed
his departure for Constantinople. because it is intended that
If the Congress meets he should accompany Prince Gort-
hakoff to Berlin as second delegate.

CONSTANTINOPLE, April 6.

The Russian authorities have renew.d their demand for
permission to embark their troops at Buyukdere, represent-
in g that embarkation at San Stefano is impossible, and that
all idea of despatching the troops from that place has
been abandoned. The Turkish forces In the neighbourhood'
of Grallipoli and Constantinople number 248 battalions, all
on a war footing.

CossTANTINoPLE, April 6.—lt is stated that in the event of
war between England and Russia, Ahmed Veftk Pacha, the
President of the Council, would deeps it necessary for the
Turkish ironclads to leave the Bosphorus in order to avoid
beieg compelled to resist the entry of the British fleet. The
Sultan is also understood to be desirous of merely protesting
against the passage of the Dardanelles by the British iron-
clads. Reouf Pacha and some of his colleagues are, how-
ever, of opinion that in such a contingency the Porte should
resist the passage of the British vessels if it should be found
impossible to offer a compensation to the Russians by allow-
ing them to occupy some point on the Bosphorus.

The Pere correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says :
"Austria has Wormed the Porte that she cannot ap-
prove any arrangement which will place Liulgaria under
Russian administration alone, and that she has no inten-
tion of occupying Bosnia or the Herzegovina, which, be-
sides requiring a force of 60,000 men, would be a source of
great and unceasing trouble.—lt is regarded in some
quarters that there is a general disposition on the part of
the Russians to give way before the determined attitude
of England. It is admitted, even at San Stefano, that
General Ignatieff has greatly blundered, and that Russia
had better forego her desire ef plunder rather than fight
England.—The Porto has given it to be distinctly under-
stood that it will not consent to the Russians
taking up positions which would give them the
command of the Bosphorus; also that they cannot approve
of the British Fleet coming up the Straits. Suspicious of
the strange movements of Russian troops taking place, the
Turks have advanced seven battalions across the line of the
enemy, with strong supports. The Turks hay.ing taken de-
termined action in the matter, the Russians must now com-
mence to deal straightforwardly with England, as further
efforts to play the game of deception are out of the question.
The Ottomans declare that the Russians must neither have
command of the Straits nor anything equivalent to it; that
they have plenty of Turkish troops here now to hold what is
left them of territory; and that, if supported by the British
Fleet, they will not be bullied any longer. If England is
only frank with them HOW, the Turks assert that they have
no longer fear of the result."

The Berlin Correspondent of the Standard says :—"Russian
semi-official correspondents continue to boast of the martial
spirit of the Russian people, which they say would forbid the
Government to comply with the terms of England and
Austria. Of the British squadron in the Sea of Marmora
they are not at all afraid, and they point out that the
Russians occupy such positions as wouid enable them to
enter Constantinople, and without delay, either with the
Porte's compliance or by force. Russia's main task, they
add, must be to cut off the retreat of the squadron to Besika
Bay. They are full of the confidence in the efficacy of the
submarine torpedoes which have been invented by an
American, who sold the seoret of their construction to
Russia."

PERA, April 7.—lt is the opinion of the best judges here
that the Russians will not attempt to take Constantinople
unless war be declared, or is shown to be inevitable, and
that while it is very doubtful whether the Turks would ever
offer any rertstance to such an attempt, there is little doubt
that they would be unable to prolong resistance until the
arrival of an English force.

Writing from Paris, on Monday, the Correspondent of the
Pall Mall Gazette says : " Opinion is much divided as 'to
the probable course of events in the East and the real in-
tentions of Russia. It is asserted that the Czar is opposed
to a continuation of the war, that he is inclined to make a
change of Ministers and large concessions, not to England,
but to Europe, and that he has asked Germany to mediate.
Rumours of a similar nature having been rite before the
Russo-Turkish war commenced, many persons believe that
the Cabinet of St. Petersburg is only seeking to gain time
with the view of a more formidable occupation of Bessarabia,
and of concentratinirthree army corps—one at San Stefano,
another at Buyukdere, and a third, perhaps, at.Gallipoli. It is
also said that the Russians make sure of concluding an alliance
with the Turks if they can only sufficiently delay matters to
strengthen their positions round Constantinople, and so work
on the fears of the Sultan."

A Berlin despatch mentions the rumour that Prince
Gortschakoff may possibly resign the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to Count Schouvaloff, who for many realms is thought
more capable of establishing a good understanding between
Russia and the rest of Europe.

A telegram from Pera says that the Russian generals, it is
reported, consider that their army is in rather a critical
position. General Skobeleff admitted that, there are,13,000
men under treatment between San Stefano and Adrianople,
and that nearly one half of these are typhus cases,

The Globe Cronstadt cortespondent, writing under date of
April 5, says :—" Strenuous efforts are being made to get
thoroughly equipped for sea the five frigates lying at Cron-
stadt. The men that have been engaged in equipping the
other ironclads have been trarsferred to the Binaz Pogarsky,
and the four vessels known as the Admirals, which, it is
stated, are to be dispatched on a cruise to the Atlantic the
moment the ice breaks up."

Under date, Tuesday Evening, the Daily Telegraph of
Wednesday publishes the following from their correspondent
at Pere :—" The Russians bays utterly failed to induce the
Turks to promise active co-operation, or to allow the former
the command of the Bosphonts. To accomplish this latter they
put forward the pretexts that they wanted to send away
their troops to Odessa, or to improve their health by placing
them in better positions. The Turks are now in complete
possession of the Straits, and having a larger force around
(knistantinople-than the Russians, have given the latter to
understand that they had better refrain from movements
calculated to create annoyance, and to evacuate Ottoman
territory as stipulated by the Treaty of San Stefano.—lt
would appear that the Russians are now willing to give up
their designs against the Porte rather than risk an encounter
with Great Britain. The situation is regarded as simply ludi-
crous, the Russians being less menacing in proportion as the
English Government increases in firmness, and the Turks
are more inflexible."

The semi-official Journal de St. P4tersbottrg of Tuesday
adverting to the hopes of maintaining peace, says that
"Russia demands that the benefits obtained for the Chris-
tians shall not be secured by inefficacious stipulations, like
those of the Treaty of 1856, but by material guarantees.
Russia cannot accept the ephemeral decision of a Congress,
because it would not assure peace. If Europe should be dis-
posed to undertake the task of settling the Eastern Question
in the sense of emancipating and giving satisfaction to the
Christians, Russia would not raise any difficulties, but the
discussion of the questions at issue must be inspired by con•
fldence and not by jealousy."

The Nord says that if England's negation of the results of
Russia's sacrilices is an aggressive one, the best thing will be
for the latter to take up the glove at once. If the last word
of the English policy is one of incurable animosity, the
struggle must come sooner or later, and it had far better
take place when Russia is already prepared for war, and in
possession of stragetic points, paralysing the action of her
adversary. If, on the other hand, England's negation is
purely passive, all Russia has to do is to gp quietly on her
own way. Whilst deprecating any quarrel with Austria, the
Nord says that Russia is confident in her ability to defend
her interests and honour against both rowers, if necessary.

Under date April 6, the St. Petersburg Correspondent of
the Daily Nel.B writes :—" The Moscow and St. Petersburg
papers, including even the cobs, comment bitterly upon
Lord Salisbury's circular as meaning that the Treaty of San
Stefano, gained by Russian blood, must be entirely with-
drawn. They say that Russia must prepare to defend her
honour and her existence by a national uprising as in 1812,
for God, the Czar, and Fatherland. They generally complain
of the moderation of the Journal de St. Piterabourg and the
Alma Raise, as being that of foreign rather than Russian
rianMy predictions of the danger that would result from
exciting the national feeling in Russia are being fulfilled."

A telegram received at Bucharest from Russia states that
it is the intention of Russia, in case of a failure of the
present negotiations, to place an army of observation of
200,000 men on the Galician frontier and 80,000 in Roumania,
the rest of her military forces to be concentrated in Bul-
garia.

The Whitehall Review says that the Russian Government
is quietly concentrating its natal strength at Sebastopol
All the war vessels, gunboats, and torpedo craft have
received orders to concentrate there, and to await further
telegraphic instructions from St. Petersburg.

Moscow displays a bellicose spirit. According to a telegram
from St Petersburg, the citizens have telegraphed an address
to the Czar' supplicating him to put his trust in the Russian
people, and to reject the pretensions and threats of England.
They offer to subscribe generously for war purposes, and
have already collected large sums for fitting out cruisers and
privateers.

A telegram flays that a strong though friendly pressure is
being brought to bear upon Russia by both Germany and
Austria to induce her to accede to the demand of England
that the whole Treaty of San Stefano should be submitted
to the proposed Conference, and from the assurances given
by these Powers to the Cabinet of Si. Petersburg, there are
good reasons for believing that their efforts will be *tic-
cessful.

There k no longer any doubt that in case of a war between
England and Russia, Italy and Germany will obsery the
strictest neutrality.— Vanity Fair.

A Nicolaieff correspondent says that the Russian Govern-
ment ha 3 now entirely completed its arrangements for con-
veying troops and stores between the South Russian ports
and l'urkh in Europe and Asia, Between Odessa and San
Stefano, and Odessa and Rustclink, regular steamboat com-
munication exists, and plans have been prepared by Admiral
Tchikatcheff by which the service could be largely expanded
In the event of hostilities with England.

Accounts received from-the 'Stafford House doctors and
others who have returned within the last few days from
Bulgaria state that there is neither food nor forage left in
the country, and that, with the sole exception of one or two
of the valleys on the south side of the Balkans, the whole of
Bulgaria is now eaten bare, the result being that the Rus-
sians are henceforth entirely dependent for their suppltes
on that which can be sent either from Russia or from the
west through the Mediterranean.— Vanity Fair.

The Political Correspondence (Vienna) of April 0, says it
learns from a good source at Bucharest that Prince Gortscha-
koff's threatening language to General Ghika, the Roumanian
diplomatic agent in .st Petersburg,- has called forth the fol-
lowing reply from Prince Charles :—" Tell Prince Gortacha-
koff that the Roumanian army may be utterly crushed, but
Bo long as lam alive it shall not be disarmed.' The attitude
of Prince Charles has, it is added, aroused the most intense
enthusiasm in the country and in the army.

The Turkish Press Bureau has invited the Constantinople
papers tcl abstain from bellicose articles and to remain
neutral between England and Russia, in accordance with
the policy pursued by the Goverument.

Russian officials of rank at Bucharest have declared that
they fully expect the English fleet to succeed in forcing Its
way into the Black Sea in the event of war, and this
accounts for the efforts to increase facilities for land trans-
port over lines not accessible to interruption from the fleet
and as far distant as possible from the Austrian frontier.

Lively apprehensions are expressed by the people of
Bucharest that Russia will disarm the Roumanian Army in
case of continued opposition to her schemes, but the
Romanul declares that matters have not yet reached a crisis
at which any such action may be apprehended.

All the Vienna Press is of opinion that the speeches of
Lord Beaconsfield and Sir Stafford lcorthcote are most
bellicose, and it is asserted by the evening papers that
England has now dismissed all doubtful issues. They say
that Russia must now either submit to or declare war
against England. They maintain that England has assumed
the rdle of*the protectress and champion of European
interests.

The Berlin Correspondent of The Times writes :—"A St.
Petersburg letter in the Berlin Ministerial Norddeutsche
illgemeine Zeitung—a letter likely to come from an
authorized source—says that Turkey canuot be permitted to
remain neutral in an Analo-Russian war. If she allies her-
self to Russia, she will have to give up Constantinople as the
pledge of her fidelity; if she sides wish England, Coustanti-
nople, Gallipoli, Buyukdere, and the European shores of the
Bosphorus and Dardanelles will be occupied by Russian
troops at any risk. The Russian fortifications all round Con-
stantinople render the conquest of the city dead certain, and
the Russian torpedoes will soon teach the English vessels to
keep at a distance, lest return to Besika Bay should be cut
off."

About 3,000 ef the Russian army arrived at Odessa from San
atefano, consisting of the Emperor's escort and the Podolsky
regiment, which was one of the first to cross the Danube
and distinguished itself at Shipka. They were treated by
the Municipality ou the Exchange place to refreshments.
The National Anthem was played, and the regimental flags,
crowned with laurels, were displayed. A religious open-air
service was also conducted.