The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-26
The Plague IN the Eastern War.

Tie anxiety OF Europe concerning the
complication of the Turco. Russian campaign
is likely to be increased by the entrance into
the field Of battle of two unexpected hostile
forces, ininical TO both sides in the conflict,
and threatening, moreover, to carry dcvasta.
ton into neutral territories. Cholera and
Plague, from their recruiting stations in IN
dia and Mesopotania, are on the march, and
under the fostering conditions OF war ii IS I'm.
possible to torete.l the limits of their inva-
sion, Last year cholera was on its route
through Persia toward the Russian posses.
sions on the Caspian, and early IN the present
spring grave apprehensions were aroused as
to the virulence and rapid diffusion of the
epidemic. Within few weeks several local
outbreaks have been reported, one at Akyab
killing twenty-five per cent. OF the European
population in thirty hours, and new tOcl of
infection will doubtless be multiplied. On
the other hand. plague which has been grad
ually extending its ravages for some years
past had, even before the commencement Of
actual hostilitcs, spread to the regions north
of Bagdad with alarming speed. Under these
circumstances the war now in progress not
only threatens disaster to the combatants
themselves, but menaces all Europe with a
visitation of pestilences which no precautions
may be able to avert.
The part played by disease in previous
conflicts between Russia and Turkey has
been so terrible that these premonitions can.
not fail to be watched with extreme concern
on both sides. In the campaigns Of 1928 and
1928, which resulted in the treaty of Adriano.
pie, the victorious Russian army was almost
literally destroyed by the plague which
broke out In the army of Marshal Diebltsch
soon after it entered the principalities. In
the month Of October, 1928, alone, 10000
Russian sick were received in the Roumanian
hospitals, without counting the field hospI.
tails and ia February, 1922 one out Of every
foGr Russian soldiers who were taken sick
died. During the ten months from May,
1928, 20 February, 1929, there were no less
than 2l0, los men borne on the Russian sick
list, 50 that on Count Won Moltke's estimate
of the whole Russian force, noncombatauts
included, at 10000 men, every man had, on
an average, been twice in the hospital, and
Count Won Mollke estimates that this first
campaign cost the Russians nearly one.half
of their actual effective force. During the
second can palgn of 1929 the same high au.
tkority rcckOns the loss inflicted by disease
on ;he Russians at $4,000 men. The Sultan
and the foreign ENJOYS at Constanlinoplc
were kept in complete ignorance of the fear
tul state OF the hostile army; and as their
own was ravaged, though much less terribly,
by the same influences, the Turks actually
made Illuminating peace with Diebitsch
when he had less than $4,000 effective bayOn-
fits at the foot of the Balkans, and, had the
truth been known, might have been compel.
ed TO surrender al discretion. Not more than
5000 Russian combatanis returned from the
crossing of the Balkans and recrossed the
Pruth. These are evil memories under the
shadow of which this new war bcSins-Ne-
York World.