The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-14 00:00:00

being cut off from the rest of the kingdom by an
Austrian advance from Olmutz. It is now asserted
that, in the event of Saxony becoming the
battle-field, Silesia will be entirely evacuated
by the Prussians. This report is probably very
much exaggerated. If the Austrians advance
through Saxony the Prussian corps in the field in
Silesia will without doubt be brought up to concen-
trate with the troops under Prince Charles ; but it
is extremely improbable that the Silesian fortresses
will be sacrificed without sieges. On the contrary,
provisions are being collected in them in case of such
an attack, and they will probably be held to cover as
long as possible the extensive network of railways
which runs through the richest province of Prussia,
and which has immense strategical importance.
The Saxon army, about 25,000 strong, is now
concentrated on the Elbe at a short distance below
Dresden. With its excellent cavalry and celebrated
jagers, it will form a valuable auxiliary corps to
General Benedek's army, if Saxony should, as is
anticipated, declare in favour of Austria, and allow
the troops of the Empire a free passage through her
territory.
Although a large number of workmen in Berlin
are out of work, and demonstrations have been made
with the object of forcing the authorities to find
work for the masses who without labour must starve,
it has been prudently decided by the Prussian War-
office to make no attempt to fortify the capital. If
the army in the field is not strong enough to cover
the city no works to defend it with any hope of suc-
cess could be thrown up in the time which will be
allowed, and the existence of fortifications or an
attempt at resistance might only justify pillage in
the event of the city falling into the hands of the
enemy. Spandau, where a small arms manufactory,
a powder mill, and an artillery workshop are situate,
is, however, being strengthened. This step may be
regarded either as an indication that the Prussian
leaders do not regard with much confidence the
possibility of a successful defence of the frontier, or
merely as a useful precaution in case a cavalry raid
should be directed against the Elbe.

If a disaster does occur to the Prussian arms it
will not be due to a want of forethought in the
arrangements for the supply of provisions and of
hospital comforts to the combatants. Each corps
d'armee is accompanied by a strong military train,
in which are included 166 waggons for the trans-
port of provisions and a field bakery to supply the
troops with fresh bread. Besides these the military
train of every corps has also three corps hospitals,
three division hospitals, and a company of sick
bearers. The duty of the last, who are provided with
every contrivance invented which can aid their good
cause, is to go under fire and carry the wounded to
the rear. This is an arrangement which is to be re-
commended not upon humane grounds alone, but
also because it saves combatants the necessity of
quitting their ranks to carry their wounded com-
rades to the rear.

The heat has much increased to-day, and it is to
be feared that the change may increase the sickness
which always makes its appearance among large
masses of troops in the open field ; as yet, fortunately,
no cases of cholera have been reported from the
army, but the close vicinity of this disease at Alten-
burg makes people look with apprehension on any
marked change in the weather. Sickness and wounds
are, however, both well provided against ; and if all
the arrangements which have been made for the wel-
fare of the soldiers can only be carried out in thefield,
the troops ought to enter upon the campaign under
most favourable circumstances with regard to their
supplies. Nor is it only their necessities that
have been carefully provided for ; the Prussian
regulations allow a very liberal scale of baggage
waggons to follow an army in the field, so that small
reserves of clothing and materials for the repair of
uniforms are always within reach of every regiment.
With all these precautions, and with fine weather,
the army will not suffer much hardship if the cam-
paign goes favourably ; a hurried retreat might de-
range all calculations, but such a calamity is one of
the misfortunes of war, which all men know is pos-
sible, but in which none wish to be implicated.