The Portland daily press., 1876-07-08
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

that Turkey had provoked his people to war.
The lmpatience OF the ServianS has at length
forced Prince Milan into declaring war and
making common cause with the people OF Her
zegovina, Bosnia and Bulgaria against the
Turks.
The military resources of Servia are deemed
respectable. She has now 20 900 men ready to
take the field, of whom nearly half are armed
with breech-loaders, and all the rest have good
modern rifles. This force of infantry is sup
ported by IL batteries of rified field pieces, and
many more of old-fashioned guns. There are
few regular cavalry brought upon a war
footing to more than 1,5O0 men, and there is
body OF trained engineers, said to be well
officered, though efficient in material of war.
With this force at his disposal the Prince CT
Serva could send at least $4,000 good troops,
better drilled than the average of the Turks, to
attack the main army of the enemy at Nitsch,
while he detached other bodies into Bosnia
and Bulgaria to help the insurgents. There
would still be men enough for garrisons at
home and to form reserve on the Servian
frontier.
Montenegro, which has joined in the war for
Bosnian freedom, is a small state in European
Turkey, near the Adriatic. bordering on the
Turkish Provinces OF Herzegovina, Bosnia,
Albania, and the Dalmatan Circle of Cattaro.
The area OF Montenegro is 1700 square miles.
The population numbers 1000, and is chiefly
Slavic. Montenegro was formerly part of the
great Servian Empire, which extended from
eho Aui idiO " VIC DleCh Soo' Iu6 MuuteuS-
grins have been for centuries on bad terms
with the Turks, who have made repeated
efforts to bring them under subsection. In 1862
Omer Pasha invaded Montenegro with an army
of 10000. This force was too great for the
Montenegrins who soon submitted by treaty to
the nominal sovereignty of Turkey. Prince
Nicholas l., the ruler of Montenegro, was born
in 1841, and was proclaimed Prince of Monte
negro August IA, 1860. His smlitary forces
consist of 10000 men of from 20 to 80 years,
who are capable of bearing arms. These form
the national army there being no regularly
paid forces, except the 100 men who form the
Princes body guard.
Turkey has nominally d large army, but her
forces are widely distributed and badly organ
lied. In 1874 she had 36 regiments of infantry,
"a of cavalry, six of field artillery, four of ar
tlllery in fortresses, two of engineers, and 10
regiments on detached service In Gambia,
TripOli, and Tunis. These regiments on a
peace footing muster in all 148,6S0 men; in
war time their strength may be raised to 170,-
376. The reserve is estimated at 49, $50; the
auxilaries at $4,000, and the irregulars at
men,. Owing to the financial difficulties of
Turkey she finds it impract,cable to turn this
large army to account. She has not been able
to place more than %, 900 soldiers in the field
in Herzegovina, although nearly "a year has
elapsed since the rebellion in the province
began. The Turkish fleet is formidable, but is
likely to be of little account in the present war.
1t consists of about 20 iron -clads and 20 steam
ers. The iron-clads comprise frigates, cor
vettes, and gunboats, while the steam fleet is
made up of ships of the line, frigates 10
corvettes and gunboats The navy is manned
by $4,000 sailors and 1000 marine troops.