The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-05-03
THE SEAT OF WAR.
A Chapter on Turkish Geography.
Iron the Rosff,n Posi- ~


From the Boston POST
In any war between Russia and Tur-
key, as long as Constantinople is the
capital of the latter COUNTS, there viii
be fighting all around the Black Sea,
particularly near its western and eastern
shores. The latter field will come into
prominence only wher the Turks are
driven back into Asia; and until that
has happened tits evident. atstheDyest-
ern coast of the Euxine, to distance of
a hundred or a hundred and fifty mics
must be the principal battle7Gsld AL
! naval operations are excluded for the
present, as the Turkish navy .itsknown
TO be vastly superior TO any thing which
the Russians might ventpa'e tossend out
bagainstsit on that inland sea- The
original treaty, at Paris excludes all men,
of-war from the Black Sea, and although
Russia annulled that particular clause Of
the instrument in 1871, it is not to be
thought that she has constructed at Sc.
abastopollor NikoIayeff enough of a navy
to face the Turk on the sea; intact, hel
measures have been mainly defensive
and preparatory as far as the Euxine ];
concerned.
PROBABLE OBSTACLES - - -
twill be sufficient, therefore, for the
present, to call attention TO the obstacle:
which the Russians are likely tolmeet in
any attempt to march upon Constantine
pie. Russia wants to gain, while Turkey
is anxious only to maintain what she
has. Hence a Russo-Turkish wan. must
sof necessity be offensive on the part Of
Russia and defensive on the part OF
Turkey. 1t is not difficult to compare
such an engagement, geographically
| speaking, to a war between New Eng
land and confederation consisting Of
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware,
Maryland, the District of Columbia and
/ the two Virginias, Washington being the
capital. The intervening State of New
York corresponds with Roumania, and
is supposed to be neutral, although its
sympathies are supposed to be rather in
favor of New England. In such case
it is very plain that Washington, which
is to correspond with Constantinople,
would be the objective point, and as such
should be attacked chiehylfrom the sea
One reason why this is out of the ques-
ton as to Constantinople has been men.
toned Another reason is the extraor
binary line of Notifications along botf
sides of the Bosphorus, forts so strong
that they could be taken only from the
land, while they make every attempt of 9
passage or siege by monitors an abso
lutte impossibility. This would apply
also to Washington if the banks of the
Potomac were fifty times higher and COW
cred with score of fortresses on both
sides of the river. 1.s r.i.a BIS q, g.
Such supposed war between New
England and a Southern confederation
would plainly be an impossibility, il
Canada should march an army into the
State of New York, or declare wal
against New England and that is pre-
cisely what Austria might do at any
moment, She is the natural opponent
of Russia, and it is well known that the
Eastern war Of 1858 dwindled down tc
an action in the Criinea as soon as Aus.
tria sent a score of regiments into the
Danubian municipalities. s.e4.-s1 -.i
THE ACTION OF AUSTRIA, 79
therefore, must be watched with great
care at this time, when Russia is anxious
to fight, although it looks very much as
if the domestic troubles of the Danubiar
empire were too much to justify it:
dualistie Governmental opposing Russis
with any particular energy. Hence i
may be inferred that Russia will pro,
coed, as soon as the season permits
probably within the next week or two
In this case the Turkish policy must be
strictly defensive, not only because
Russia is the aggressor, and because the
Roumanians and Bulgarians are les:
hostile to the Russians than to the Turks,
but principally because the Turks of the
last hundred years have. excelled only
when acting on the defensive. This APP
plies to their military as well as to Their
diplomatic history, and if illustrations
are required it is sufficient to refer to
the last siege of Silistria and to the late
conference at Constantinople.I fol q
WHAT HAVE THEY TO OPPOSE. aba
to a Russian invasion? Roughly speak
ing, the Russians will enter Turkey with
an army of nearly 800, 900 men, one-half
of them available combatants, there to
be met by an equal number of Turkish
soldiers. AS the latter are admitted on
all hands to be vastly inferior othe Rus
slams in open battle this point is set
tied by merely stating that Count Moltke
says so-Turkey must rely in the main
on her natural and artificial defenses
The former are two, the latter many
But the natural lefenses of Constantine.
pie mock all that has been done in adj
,dition by Turkish engineers. References
is made of course to the Danube aid the
Balkan. 49, .... q ..-.
| The Russians may cross the Danube
either below Galatz or between Gfurgevc
and Silistria Most likely they will try
both passages, as the cities named first
are connected byrailroadwith Kisheneff
the present headquarters of the Russian
commander. The distance of KisheHef
--GaIatz is like that of BoSton-Albany
that of Kisheneff- Giurgevo equals that
of Boston-Ph Philadelphia. AS the Rou-
manian railways have but single track
and a gauge unlike the Russian, also a
limited rolling stock, it is necessary that
most of the Russians should march on
foot and carry their supplies on wagons.
However, they would have the adj
vantage of marching down to the
Danube through si-ag thickiy-set-