The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-23 00:00:00

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

THE PEACE AbiD THE CONGRESS.

--
The Times of Monday publishes the following from
their Correspondent at St. Petersburg, under date
March 17 :
Reouf Pasha had an audience of the Emperor to-day and
ihe ratifications were exchanged. The Treaty is expressly
called a preliminary treaty of peace, and leaves a good many
points open. The question of the Straits, for example, is
reserved for the Congress, and the southern frontier of
Bulgaria is left to be determined by a European Commission
according to the nationality of the inhabitants. It is pro-
posed that the Principality should obtain the port of
ICavalrtm the lEgean ass good outlet for its commerce tbut
it it be found that this is contrary to the ethnographic melbod
of deterraining,the frontier, or objectionable on other grodinis,
some other arrangement may he made. It may be assumed,'
therefore, that the question of Kavala, which is said to have
given umbrage to Austria, will not raise serious difficulties.—
The treaty will not be published till it has been communt.-
cated to the Powers. It will be despatched by courier on '
Tuesday, so that Lordetterby will probably rece,ire it on
Saturday.—With regard th the CiSngres3, new. dinculties
have arisen. The British Government demands a formal
engagement' tlTl dli the clauses of the treaty shaß be sub, '
mitted for discussion. The Cabinet of St. Petersburg holds
that such an engagement is quite unnecessary, because the
whole treaty will be known, not only to the Cabinets, but
also to the public at large before the Congtesa-meets, anti
the Plenipotentiaries may diseusa the question as to which
clauses should be submitted for consideration. The whole
discussion turns on diplomatic pi'estige rather than real In-
terests, for by submitting the treaty us a whole-to the Con-
!Fess Russia would not thereby undertake any obligation to
make concessions on all-the clauses.

"In connection with the signatureof the Treaty at San
Stefano, the Politische Correspondenz describes an incident
which happened there. When afvet Pasha had to affix his ,
signature he broke out into convulsive Sobs and it took some
.time to calm him. General Ignatieff said on,the occasion,
'You see, I have always told you that England would leave
you in the lurch: the Knglish do not know how to keep their
word; everything has happened precisely as I foretold.' "
Vienna Correspondent of The Times.

• The Daily Telegraph, of -Monday.publishes 'the fol-
lowing from their Correspondent at Pera, under date
Sunday morning:_ -
"The situation at the present moment may be summed
up as" follows :' • - -
"Turkey is completely at the mercy of Russia, who, sus-
&ions of what may be the intentions of the European
Powers interested in the fate of the Ottoman Empire, is
securing her positions upon the shores of the sea of Marmora
and the Boephorus, in order to be prepared for any possible
attack.
"She is, of course, well aware that the Bosphorus, lead-
ing as it does directly to the Black Sea, affords the only
means of hostilities being transferred to her Own shores, and
she is determined to seal up the passage on the first intima-
tion that Europe is about to take active measures. She
would thus preserve her Euxine coasts from invasion, while
she kept her grip upon the throat of Turkey at Constanti-
nople.
"This explains the cause of the ooncentration of so many
Russian troops in such close proximity to the Bosphorus, it
being plausibly given out that when the indemnity is paid,
or the treaty of peace ratified, some of the ports situated at
BO little distance from the armies of the Czar—nay, Stamboul
itself—would offer convenient points of embarkation for the
soldiers on the way to their homes.
"Touching any possible interference upon the part of
British ironciads, the Russians have three torpedo=veasels
prepared to render the road to the Black Sea through the
Bosphorus hazarolons, if not impassable. Not a momeo will
be wasted, after the British Fleet has once shown a disposi-
tion to move past Constantinople, in closing the channel to
the enemies of Russia.
"It is not likely that Russia will allow the European
Powers to discuss the full t,grais of the treaty she has forced
the Porte into accepting. They may doubtless be permitted
to represent their own special interests, under the new order
of things, but upon what affects the direct relations between
Turkey and Russia they will have to hold their peace.
"'Subterfuge is no stranger-to Russian diplomatists, and
the view may be advanced that after all the document by
which peace is supposed to be secured, contains merely the
preliminaries of a treaty, that that has yet to be settled and
drawn up, and that, consisting of preliminaries merely,
which may probably be varied in their terms, it would be
unnecessary to submit the document the Powers are BO
anxious to discuss, to their approval or their disapproval.
"Day by day the Russian hand weighs heavier and
heavier upon helpless Turkey, while the Powers are deceived,
deluded, and laughed at, and the Ottoman Empire is
dwindled away to utter insignificance.
"Meanwhile the attention of England should be directed
to the facts that the forces of the Czar are constantly
approaching the command of Buyukdere, and that the Grand
Duke is pressing the Porte to consent to the visit to the
Sultan, which, since it involves a considerable military dis-
play, is regarded as dangerous to the public peace by the re-
presentatives of the European Powers."

tecuri

CONSTANTINOPLE, March 19.—The Grand Duke Nicholas,
in order to obviate the difficulties that have arisen in con-
nection with his proposed visit to the Sultan, has proposed
to come to Constantinople by sea. The Sultan would then
return the Grand Duke's visit by going on board the Rif's-
sian Imperial yacht. Nothing, however, is yet definitively
arranged.

(From Tuesday's Standard.)
CONWTANTINOPLE, Sunday.—lt is reported here that im-
portant despatches were received yesterday from England
and communicated to the Sultan, wi4o held a council which
came to no decision but that in the event of a difference
between Russia and England Turkey should observe strict
neutrality. •

ST. PETERSBrAG, March 19.—The Agence Rum of to-day
publishes an article in which it says, "As the text itself of
the treaty of San Stefano is communicated te the Vowels,
and as Russia recognises the principle that in every Congress
each Power is perfectly free in regard to its proposals,
motions, and opinions, it would seem as though there was
no longer any object in the formality required by England,
namely, that all the conditions Of peace should be submitted
to the Congress in order to determine which of them require
the sanction,pf the Powers. The preliminary Commission
assembling in Berlin does not possess the importance attri-
buted to it by some journals, its object being merely to
come to an understanding as to the formula of the official
invitations."

The Tintee Correspondent at St. Petersburg states that the 1
Czar has not, as was expected, remitted part of the war in-
demnity on the ratification of the treaty. The sum of
300,000,000 silver roubles, and not 100,000,000 as at first re-
ported. There is (the correspondent adds) very little hope
of either of these sums being paid, but the obligation will
give a convenient hold on the Porte —From the same source
we learn that the rumours of a secret defensive and offensive
treaty between the cabinet of St. Petersburg and the Porte,
are not believed at St. Petersburg. Such a treaty, it is said,
Is wholly unnecessary. If the Turkish statesmen have
sagacity enough to comprehend their real interests, they will
act cordially with Russia, without any formal diplomatic act
being passed; for Russia is the only Power who wishes to
prevent a further dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire.

"Supposing that we cannot pass through the Bosphorus,
or that, what is much the same thing, we cannot send coals
to our fleet when in the Black Sea, I do not precisely per-
ceive where, if we went to war with Russia, we should
attack that Empire. It seems to me, that it would end in a
stalemate. A blockade of the Russian Baltic ports would
lead to Russian exports and imports passing through the
German Baltic ports, and a blockade of the Black Sea
would cause the cereals of Southern Russia to reach us by
railroad, instead of by a long sea voyage. To Continental
nations, railroads have robbed a blockade of most of its in
conveniences."—Truth.

A Bucharest telegram says that Russia has objected to an
arrangement Turkey and B,onmania had entered into re-
specting an exchange of prisoners, on the ground that such
an exchange was inopportune.

The Golos states that the St. Petersburg Municipality, by
direction of the Minister of the Interior, is preparing a list
of persons eligible for Militia officers in the event of that
body being embodied.

It is announced from Athens that Hobart Pasha has I
landed 2,000 men at Volo, on the coast of Thessaly. The
Turks are preparing to attack the insurgents who are en-
trenched on Mount Felton.

The statement that Prince Reuss, the Germafi Ambassador
at Constantinople, aspires to the Bulgarian Hospodarship is
contradicted.

A St. Petersburg dispatch gives colour to the rumour
that Prince Battenburg is favoured there as a candidate for
the throne of Bulgaria.

The Cologne Gazette mentions -several details which
indirectly show that the war preparations of Austria are
being earnestly, although quietly pursued —The same paper
points out the importance of an English alliance with Greece.
Her army of 40,000 men, raised quickly by 150,000 volunteers,
and supported by 80,000, or 100,000 British troops, landed in
Thessaly and Macedtnia, would show a bold front to Russia
south of the Balkans, even were Austria neutral.

Instead of exporting grain as heretofore the Servians are
largely importing, last year's stock having been exhausted
by the war. Great distress prevails in the oountry, and
difficulty is experienced in collecting tile taxes.

The Daily News Special Correspondent with the Greeks
says that the insurgent movement is a large and serious one,
though the fighting is on a small scale, and may go on for
several months without any decisive result& The Turks, he
adds, cannot put down the insurrection without a vastly
greater force than they now possess in Thessaly, and Elie
insurgents cannot take the Turkish strongholds except by
tub wearisome process of blockade.

"Perfect quiet reigns at Constantinople, but there is
much sickness—notably typhus. Provisions have doubled
In price during the last month. Various orders and regula,
tionate put in force to prevent the export of provisions to
San Stefano, which orders are invariably evaded.—Corre-
spondent of Daily News.

A telegram from Athens states that the feeling against
Russia owing to her refusal to admit Greece to the Congress
is increasing throughout the country, and that a great desire
is expressed to support the polity of England.

The Journal de St. Petersbourg says it is not admissible
that Russia can obandon whatever she has gained at the
point of the sword. The two Powers on their side will not
make any concessions. A final understanding is, therefore,
almost impossible.

The Austrian Government is continuing its war-like pre-
parations. The Government has taken the nnusual step of
calling upon the principals of schools to state how many
masters could be spared at the present time for the anrual
course of military drill. As a rule, masters at schools are
required to serve only in vacation times.

Prince Bismarck (the Vienna Correspondent of the Daily
Telegraph has bets' informed) has counselled the Cabinets et
London and St. Petersburg to meet each other half way in
the difficulty that as arisen respectring the Treaty of Peace
being submitted in its entirety to the coming Congress; and
that both he and Count Andrassy consider that Russia has
yielded far enough in offering to put before the representa-
tives of the Powers such stipulations as they may deem
necessary.

The population of the Bessarablan territory wanted by
Russia is 150,000, of whom 6,000 are Muscovites, and the rest
Roumanians and Bulgarians in equal proportions.

A semi-official St. Petersburg letter of the 14th March says
that there, at Moscow, and in the Court circle generally,
the feeling against a Congress and against a revision of the
peace terms, acquired by Russia at so large acost, is very
strong. The National Gazette of Berlin of the 16tti, hoped,
despite the menacing attitude of England, that the Congress
will lead to an understanding and maintain peace. On the
next day it believed that if the efforts of Great Britain to
secure a common action of Austria were realised, there must
be a modification in the Vienna Cabinet.

lish

The Russians are disarming Christians as well as Turks in
Bulgaria in order to prevent affrays.

thful

A letter dated San Stefano, the 10th of March, has been
communicated to me (says the Paris Correspondent of The
Times), from which I quote the subjoined passage --" There
can be no justification for war now. Russia will give in
should she find any other Power against her at the Congress.
Even if England be very firm, I am sure the Russians would
not risk another war. There is a great deal of bluster about
their being readier than ever for war and wishing to fight the
English, but I believe they long for peace. Everyone is
heartily sick of tbe war, and the army do not care one fig
about the occupation of Constantinople. The officers, it is
true, desire very much to enter Stamboul. Skobeleff went
there the other day in ivU dress, but on being recognized
withdrew."

THE IRONCLAD FLEET AT
CONSTANTINOPLE.
The following is an extract from the letter of the Naval
Correspondent of The Times, who writes from Constanti-
nople under date larch 7:—
Our ironclad squadron under the command of
Admiral IL,rnby still remains at anchor in Tuzla Bay.
. . . . Tuzla is a miserable fishing village at the head
of a somewhat deep bay with a wide entrance, across
which stretch, for a short distance, a few islets, afford-
ing partial shelter against the south-westerly wffids
which prevail at this season of the year. . . • It has
been thought by many out here that a greatmistelse
was made in not sending the fleet at once to the
Bosphoiiis; to h'37vdrhad VI ships hi asgood si
tion to fiefestall any attens:pt iclynight %aye been
naade,lansi may=still be made, by the Ruesiins to isize)
upon the forts at Kanak. That the idea of doing this
has been entertained at the head. quarters of the Grand
—Duke there can be no doubt; for Cossack scouts
have made their appearance at Panaraki, the light-
, house villflge at thenlack Sea entrance to the Bos-
phorus, and parties Of Itirasiat officerS have been out ,
piospeeting the country between the forest of B,al- -
grade and the shores of the celebrated strait leading
from the • Black Sea to the Marmara. Keeping our
ironclads away from the Bosphorus did not prevent
the Russians, after all, from violating the conditions
of the armistiteaalid„pearHehing almost up to the gates
of Constantinople; and it is a great question whether
more decided action on our part would not have pro-
duced an opposite effect, and in place of this last
audacious advance to San. Stefano, have caused
a retrograde movement upon Adrianople. Well,
as Jack say, If the Russians get hold of the
forts at theAppet tsa# sof the„Bpsphort4; turnihg
them out a- please to coictd," and `frotrisi afSe
Admiral down to the' youngest seanian there is
not one to whom a more pleasant itAIE Would- peiltly
be offered. They care nothing for the torpedoes or
the Krupp gute,„and wile at the idea ef. their being
kept from entering the Black Sea by. any-,am&nt of
Russian soldiers manning Turkish batteries. A most
tremendous fighting spirit has been developed among
the officers and men by the events of the last few
months, and the insults whichkaa they conceive, have
been heaped upon England by Russia, not only in the
way of broken promisee and implied obligations set at
nought, but by the ill-treatment dealt out to those
British subjects unfortunate enough to have been
thrown by the accidents of war into the hands of the
Russian soldiery. Our men are half wild at this forced
inaction in the presence of those whom they consider
England's enemies by the manner in which they
are seeking to undermine her prestige and influence
in the East, and if there be any truth in, the old
saying which ascribes a burning in the ears to ill-
natured talk about oneself indulged in by acquaint-
ances at a distance, then the ears of some of our great
people at home must have been tingling from morn to
night of late in consequence of the freedom with which
their actions and policy have been criticized in the
fleet. Whatever may be thought by our etatesmen
and politicians in England as to the absence of ulterior
designs on the part of Russia In respect to the
Bosphorus or her desire to avoid a war with us, here
in the fleet her recent conduct is viewed, with the
greatest suspicion. Thinking men point to the posi-
tion she has assumed on the shores of the Marmara,
occupying with her troops every point of importance
from Gallipoli up to San Stefano. Behind the
deep curtain which is thus formed all sorts of
preparations may be going on of which we can
know little or nothing; and with Russia as an
antagonist, the blow is very apt to precede the
warning. There must be something in all the talk
about torpedoes and the passage through Adrianople
of large detachments of seamen, of which so much has
been heard of late, and when it is considered how
easily the " Whitehead " can be transported in sec-
tions, as also Thornycroft steam launches, no one can
think any amount of precautions adopted at the pre-
sent crisis to guard against a surprise as being out of
place. In the lagoons and harbours ett the two
Tckekmedjes the Russians have a splendid base for
operating with torpedoes against our fleet; and it is
not going out of the way to state that, lying at Tuzla,
our ironclads are in a much more exposed position,
and could be attacked with a greater chante of success,
than were they at anchor in the Bosphorus.
We know that the Russians are in possession of the
very newest type of the Whitehead torpedo, with all
the recent improvements introduced by the inventor
for the purpose of obtaining the highest possible rate
of speed and certainty of range- and though at pre-
sent they may have no great number of these machines
ready for use, all the secrets connected with their
manufacture are known to them, and for some time
past skilled workman have been actively engaged in
the preparation of these weapons at Nicolaieff. Almost
every part of the Whitehead torpedo can be obtained
separately from engineering firms at home in any
quantity, and the great secret consists more in putting
the pasts together and adjusting the machine for
accuracy in use than in the manufacture of any
particular portion of it. The captured " Whiteheads "
now lying at the Arsenal at Constantinople, which
may be taken as specimens of the weapons in the
hands of the Russians, differ considerably in external
form from those on board the Alexandra, having much
less gear exposed to view, and possess, apparently, a
greater range. Their speed is estimated at 27 knots
an hour for a range of 200 yards, and the full distance
they can run at 1,800. In considering the probabilities
of a torpedo attack in time of war, when lying off a
coast in possession of the enemy, it is well to bear in
mind how very much nearer the speed of a Thorny-
croft steam launch places the base of operations to the
scene of action than the actual distance between the
two positions would seem to imply. Tcheckmedje is,
after all, but little 'more than an hour and a half's
run from Tuzla, and it would be easy enough for a
craft of this sort to run across to the islands un-
perceived, there to lurk about behind Prinkipo
until a favourable moment arrived for launching
her weapon against our ships. Should the Russians,
however, be meditating a surprise for us of that
nature, they may learn for their guidance that every
preparation has been made to give all who approach
the fleet at night in a manner calculated to excite the
slightest suspicion. as to their intentions the warmest
reception possible. As much for exercise, perhaps,
as from any idea of the real necessity for such pre-
cautions, the strictest torpedo watch is kept at night.
Outposts have been established on the islets at
the entrance of the bay, the men being well sap-
plied with every apparatus for signalling, steam
Launches are cruising about all night, and the Gabling
guns are kept loaded, the crewssleeping near at hand,
ready for opening fire at a moment's notice. Out-
rigged spars with " swifters " of wire rope and netting&
form also a part ot the torpedo defence; and thus
it will be seen that there is little chance of our
Admiral being caught napping, let danger come from
whatever quarter it may. The prospect of fighting,
which the order to force the passage of the Darda-
nelles seemed to hold forth, was welcomed with the
greatest glee by Jack, and it was worth while wit-
nessing the sangfroid with which the men, as
the ships passed the outer castles, sat down by their
guns and commenced to make up their flannel belts
and leggings, the materials for which had been served
out that same morning in view of the necessity which
might have arisen for landing a naval brigade at Galli-
poli. For all that the officers and man knew at the
time, they would shortly be engaged with the formid-
able batteries at the Narrows, and could bat expect to
suffer severely in face of the large number of heaay
Krupp guns which concentrate their fire in that sec-
tion of the Dardanelles. The Duke a Edinburgh felt
and bore himself on that occasion like an English-
man, made a neat speech to his crew, and was as
ready as any one present to perform his duty. It
was a great disappointment to all in the fleet to find
the ironelads ordered away from the vicinity of the
Bosphorus; but there is no want of loyalty in Jack
to the " powers that be" and in all the trying
circumstances of the continued crisis in the affairs
in the East, the behaviour of the men has been,
and still is, everything that could be desired,
and no one can say there is a want of discipline in the
slightest degree. Short leave of absence is granted to
the officers, but as yet none to the men, though the
Admiral has some thought of paying a visit with the
squadron to Ladd, in order to let the crews have a
run ashore. The Commander-in-Chief, with his
Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and a few
°thereof the superior officers, went up the Gulf of
Ismid in the Salamis on Thursday last to examine the
ground, as it were, in advance, and it was fully
expected in the fleet that a move in that direction
would have been made before this. The Duke is
almost a close prisoner, hardly ever leaving his
ship; and, in deference to the opinions of the
authorities at home, will not for the present
approach Constantinople, even in the -character
of a simple naval officer. Prince Louis of
Battenberg, the Duke's Equerry, has a brother
serving on the Staff of the Grand Duke at San
Stefano, and, naturally enough, visits have been inter-
changed between them. The Russian officer, a fine,
tall, handsome younglellow, won the sympathy of the
officers of the Sultan by the warm terms of admiration
in which he spoke of the Turkish soldiers and their
fighting capacities. Like all the other Russian officers
who have expressed their opinions upon the war, the
Prince speaks with great disgust of the conduct of
their Bulgarian auxiliaries. According to him, it was
well that the Turks did not know how severe was the
defeat inflicted noon the Russians on more than one
occasion; for had they pressed on, as they were ex-
pected to do, the whole course of the campaign m?ght
have been changed and a very different result given to
the war. While the fleet remains at Tulza the Admiral
communicates daily with Constantinople and the
Admiralty. . ,