The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-02
THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS.

THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS.
According to the latest teegraphc advces the Turks
have succeeded in raising the siege of Trebgne If that
be called siege in which the besiegers are COM
petcly without artillery Should this account be true
the FIRST act OF this diminutive warlike drama has
closed reference to the HERALD map of Tuesday
last will show that Trebgne lies nearly equidstant from
Ihe frontiers OF Damata and Montenegro on the
Narenta II is town of inconsiderable size with
about 900 inhabitants and moderate Turkish garr-
The houses similar in character to those Of
most Slave populations. They usually contain from
Ave to apartments, the partitions being
slight, made OF ath and plaster In these
countries even what called palaces have
no such pretentons sodity style the country
seat Of a European nobeman The Notifications of
rrebgne called more by fiction of military
courtesy than anything else, for place like Sedan is
lrst rate fortress in comparison. The works much
the state as they have been during the last 100
years and according TO the most reliable accounts, the
few guns in the embrasures would do well to grace the
Musee de Cuny, and could not stand before modern
artillery Of the Krupp, Blakely Rodman pattern
single hour The only reason to be assigned for the
inability of tho revoed Herzegovinians take the
place is the total absence of artillery among them Nor
does improbable that determined and well di-
leced coup de main would have carried the place.
II Turkey has succeeded in throwing any
considerable body of troops the place Is very
great matter for surprise. She seems to have meas
nred her danger at last, and therefore sent 10
mand her forces in Herzegovina of the
Lutte and energetic of her soldiers. General Nedjb
Pacha is intimately acquainted with Herzegovina
and Bosnia, having lived in those countries several
years and former occasion queed insurrec-
ton which looked quite as formidable the present
In view, too, of possible eventuates,
the Porte has appointed commander in chief
n the In
Avri Pachn, who has the reputation of being tried
soldier and first rate strategist The Turkish army
numbers II true about GOO 900 men, armed with the
most approved weapons-Snder and Henry Martini
rifles brecchoading field aud mountain guns explosive
rockets with the firing apparatus and mtrailleuses.
She can however, throw but fragment of this force
In the Herzegovina, and in individual operations
but small part Of this force; for the best
military authorities agree that supposing the country
10 be dcnuded Of Turkish troops it would be impossible
lo occupy it did the mountancers offer resolue
Instance This leads a brief sketch of the con-
hguration OF the country about Tribigne SIM
liar indeed, Is to the whole province.
There is not part of Europe which presents such
= geographical anomaly this and the neighborng
provinces The rivers of flowing they do in
sther enthusiastically toward the sea-follow the
sourse OF the mountains which in Herzegovina present
coward the coast series of segmonts Of circles, and
brce 1t seems though there had not been
room for all tho mountains and they had
been crushed up into perfectly chaotic
mass Added to this, there is no country
IN which tho process Of the mountain
is tremendously marked as here 1t is no uncommon
thing to come upon a river which has eaten bed
Tor itself from 1000 to 5000 feet deep. One may
hence imagine what the banks like if such they
must be called. As consequence there such
things hghroads footpaths do duty for them, and
these commonly abut precipces which the terror
of the rider Cavalry have 10 pass in Indian 1e the
trooper leading his horse lucky in getting with
whole bones. Seeing the comparatively overwhelming
Of Turkey the uniformed would ask what chance
Ihe Herzegovinans Montcnegrins have against her
much better than the Tyrolcso had against Napo-
leon in 1909 Regular warfare Is an utter impossiby.
The only strategy possible these passes is
Oriental strategy, such the Russians had TO
practice in the Caucasus. The best contrved
and formidable military combinations hero
be rendered futile by simple ambuscadc.
Artillery is much Of hindrancc
han service hundred marksmcn, posted in one of
hose dcGles which frequently command a
whole district, and in which troops only advance
by man, can do bcttor work than a hundred can
Wherever troops cannot act in masses personal
bravery wins the day, and there In the world
who lay better claim TO that distinction than the
Slave population Of European Turkey. II the Sultan
succeeds In doing anything with these tribes IL
will be by initiating the policy Of the old Greek en-
perors. The Byzantine Empire resisted Islamism so
long only because the Slave shepherds and husbandmen
recruited the exhausted provinces They formed the
bravest lcgions of tho Greek empcrors; from
them the body guard and the picked frontier
troops taken, and they much
The same race of men to-day they then The
~.
mpossiblity--is a close connection with the very mon
who are day fighting her, and OF whom it has been
her mistaken policy TO make helots Instead Of friends
So far for the twofod class Of difficulties confronting
Me Turk in the subiugation of these provinces Now
Tor tho operations up to the receipt Of the latest de-
Ipatches. 1t would appear that the Herzcgovnians
occupied the passes above Trebgne and thus blocked
the way any Turkish rcinforccments which might be
despatched by the Adratic aud tho sutorina
enclave They then cautiously threaded their
way cast to the ridge separating Hcrzego
rina from Bosnia, until they reached tho Drina,
md took up position on the wsschrad High Noun
ainl This was moment lraught with much danger TO
the Turkish troops AS early as August u, said
that the movement had extended to the eastern rbuia
ries of the Drna and the neghborhood OF NoviB Bazaar
rhc latter place the only dene by which troops
be sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina and makes tho
position Of things especially awkward for the Turks
north Of the dehle From Kleck on the Adriatc they
could march right into tho heart of Herzegovina Have
The troops reported to have relieved Trebgne been al
lowed to pass through Austrian territory We are
present informed but II looks likely that seemed
last advices the only practicable way left open to
hem by the insurgents