Middletown transcript., 1877-06-09
TIE pInrus I'm the Eastern War.

The anxiety of Europe concerning
the complications of the Turco- Russian
campaign is likely to be increased by
the entrance into the field of battle ot
two unexpected hostile forces, inimical
to both sides in the conflict, and threat.
ening, moreover, to carry devastation
into neutral territories. Cholera and
plague, from their recruiting stations
in India and Mesopotamia, are on the
march, and under the fostering eondi-
tions of war it is impossible to foretell
the limits of their invasion. Last year
cholera was on its route through Per
sia toward the Russian possessions on
the Caspian, and early in the present
spring grave apprehensions were arous-
ed as to the virulence and rapid diffu-
sion 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
foci of infection will doubtless be null
tiplied. On the other hand, plague,
which has been gradually extending
its ravages for some years past, had,
even before the commencement of ac-
tual hostilities, 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 vista
ton of pestilences which no precau-
tions may be able to avert.
The part played by disease in pre-
vious conflicts between Russia and
Turkey has been so terrible that these
premonitions cannot fail to be watched
with extreme concern on both sides.
In the campaigns of 1928 and 1929,
which resulted in the treaty of Adria-
nople, the victorious Russian army
was almost literally destroyed by the
plague which broke out in the army
Of Marshal Diebitsch soon after it en-
tered the principalities. In the month
of October, 1923, alone, 10000 Rus
sian sick were received in the Rou-
manian hospitals, without counting the
field hospitals and in February, 1929,
one out of every four Russian soldiers
who were taken sick died. During the
ten months from May, 1928, to Feb
ruary, 1899, there were no less than
210, ,108 men borne on the Russian
sick list, so that on Count Won Moltke's
estimate of the whole Russian force,
non combatants included, at 100000
men, every man had, on an average,
been twice in the hospital, and Count
Won Moltke estimates that this first
campaign cost the Russians nearly
one-half of their actual effective force.
During the second campaign of 1929
the same high authority reckons the
loss inflicted by disease on the Rus
slams at 10000 men. The Sultan and
the foreign ENJOYS at Constantinople
were kept in complete ignorance of the
fearful state of the hostile army ; and
as their own was ravaged, though
much less terribly, by the same infu-
ences, the Turks actually made a hui
initiating peace with Diebitsch when
he had less than 10000 effective bay
onets at the foot of the Balkans, and,
had the truth been known, might have
been compelled to surrender at discre-
ton. Not more than $4,000 Russian
combatants returned from the crossing
of the Balkans and recrossed the
Pruth. These are evil memories under
the shadow of which this new war
begins.-New York World.