The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-14
TIE PRESENT POSITION OF THE RUS
SLAN ARMIES IN TURKEY.


tsrr;torv at present occupied by them,
throughout the winter. Their positton,
however. is considered by some of the most
eminent military authorities, not only OF
| other nations, but among those well guam
| fed TO Judge in the Russian army itself, in
! the highest degree perilous. We are in
| formed that council OF war was recently
| held at the Russian headquarters before
| Pleyna, in which the question OF WITHDRAW
! ing the en- tire army across the Danuos INTO
| o1ly at Sistova, Nikopolis, and one or two
| other points on the Danube. and that this
pian was advocated by the CzaTowitch.
It seems, however, that for political rea.
sops it has been considered unWlse TO aoopt
course which would imply an absoi1te
| failure of the campaign, and might possloiy
excite an agitation In Russia olrectly
threatening the Imperial dynasty. Preps-
] rations are therefore to be Immediately
| made for securing the Russians In their
] present position land for this purpose IL
| has been deemed necessary to construct D
railway ia Bulgaria 1856 miles in length, to
| build hints for $50 600 men, and hospitals
| for Is OOO The magnitude of this task can
| scarcely be appreciated In country ike
| our own, where faciiities exlst for ANYWAY
construction unknown in the occupied ter
| ritory, and where skilled labor is abundant
! and mechanical appliances have been
brought to a high state of perfection. That
| timber ia not abundant in the region IN
question may be gathered from the fact
| that the powers friendly to RaEsia baVe
applied TO the Porte for permission TO COP
| yey timber across the Danube TO build hos
! pitals for the ouuded under the Geneva
Convention, a permission which the Porte
has refused :.
| At present there ia only one line OF rail
way from Russia to Bucharest, and along
| this the whole supplies of the army must
| be transported. 1t has been calculated thaU
| a single line Of tho length of the one now
used has carrying capacity for an army oil
| one hundred Thousand men, but not tof
more. When ic is considered that in addi-
| ton TO the muri'lons 81 war, provisions
and other military stores, this railway VIII
now he called upon to convey great par9
Of the rails and materials necessary TO the
building OF another railway 100 miles ID
length, the proposed scheme seems well
nign impractlcabie. In winter the colu
ia 40 severe that the DAuube is frozen over
nearly every year, and If the railway ID not
completed before the igors of the season
, set IN it will be impossible to buitd it. The
| time is already 80 limited that we scarcely
, see how this can be achieved. In ADDITION
to this, the construction of hospitals ana OF
q huts affording accommodation Tor 1oo, OUu
] mon in the height of the rainy season Is a
: task of no small magnitude.
We may gather from the figures thus
. furnished that the entire army of occupa
Y ton, including those housed In NikoPoils
| g.,
% amount to much over 200, 600 men. Thi'
,, army will be called upon, during a moe
% inclement time of the year, to hold tr1an
d gle which, taking into account the irregu
IN lar form Of the three sides, cannot fall shor
a. of $50 miles. On both sides and at its ape
this triangular position ia threatened b.
three Turkish armies, which, including tn
constantly arriving IeinforcemenSs, WI
NJ fully equal the Russian army. 1t 10 eviden
be that the triang gle held by the Russians
in embracing 30 extended an area, VIII
an liable to be pierced at weak spot 10y
au opcep tration of Turkish tc00ps at 40
es' po,nt along its front which may invite a.
his tack. As these latter are capable OF endul
on ing fuC greater hardshiEs than the Russia
ds' soldler!, aud as their oupplies can aTrl'
eH- in abundance by sea, their powers tor a
di- tack will be- much superior TO those OF the
ore adveisaries for resistance.
Mr.. The great weakoess of the position OF u
to Russians lies in the fact that they caaa
ome leach it hy sea, and are therefore entire
be dependep6 upon the single land ine +
age transport, which, We venture To preclt
the will be found totally inadequate to me
II the wants If an army of 200 GOO mes.
ions is, moreover, 10 oe remembered that t.
ping land line, eveu III Rnumaoia, ls With
'i1U striking distance of a. raid from Slhstll
take and that it is extremely probable that
ana mareavre of this description, which M
gray even threaten BuchaIest itself, will befo
80 long be attempted by the Turks. II
wa view has been confirmed by the opinl
up EXPRESSED within the last few weeks by
NJ authority no less eminent than Cou
Moltke That distinguished strategist
stated that the Russians would be victo
ON GUS in the end, provided that they COZ
been obtain the means of subsistence; out II
such he t ,gether failed to see how, in the {
able. sence of any transport By sea, that su be!
nice ence could be furnished to them.
8 the The decision which Gen. TOdleben
niiy arrived at in regard to Plevna, proves Il
here the capture of that position during
truct winter is out of the question, for its inve
allied ment in form would require at least 100, I
e, or meu, and this would denude the remain'
allow OF the territory occupied of more than
stock its army. We may therefore conclude t
lynn for the rest of the year the Russian ar
'sh will remain on the defensive, and hi
alton quite enough to do to maintain it's pros
lis at position, nile offensive operations, If tn
are any, will be undertaken by the TuE
In the mean time the powers of Eur
'lish cannot remain unInterested spectators
Bell, tho gitDstion, 1t is not Impossible I