The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-05-18
The Military and Naval Strength of
Russia aud Turkey.

NusNH uuu 4 uThtNs
The Russian army last year numbered
,213,259 men, drawn from a popula-
| ton of about SS,0O0,00O. The Turkish
army embraced total of $50 900 men.
including reserves and militia, and re-
cruiting has been going on vigorously
in all parts of the Ottoman empire. The
Turkish forces are drawn from only the
Mussulman portion of the population,
the Greek or Christian portion not being
intrustcd by the Mohammcdnns with
any portion of the national defense.
They lessen the army-making popula-
ton, and afford great body of men of
traitorOus inclinations. always ready
for active aid to an invading army,
when not engaged in fighting with each
| other They lessen the population from
which the Porto draws its armies to 12.-
100000, or about one-sevcnth of that
from which Russia draws her lighting
forces. This disparity, in connection
with better system i'm military affairs,
makes the Russian forces available for
the invasion of the Turkish provinces
as five to one against the armies which
Turkey can muster to rcpel them.
The population of the Ottoman en-
BiiC II tluSSllitu its lOllOMSs /. lit
Slavs, who are in religion Greek. Cath
olic and Mohammedan. 9. The IIclle-
mes. who are Greek, with few Catho-
lies. 3. The Latin tribes in Albania,
who are Catholic, together with Alba
mans of the same religion, who are
Greek, Mohammedan and Catholic 4.
The Bulgars, who are Greek, Catholic
and Mohammedan. s. The Armenians,
who are Gregorians and Catholics, the
latter subdivided into Hassounites and
anti-Ifassounites. G. The Koutzo- Wal
lacks, who arc Of the Gypsy Walachian
origin, and are of the Greek Church.
Z. The Osmanlis, who are Mohamme-
dams. 8. The Jews. 9. The Tartars.
exiles from the Crimea. Mohammedans.
10. Circassians, cxiles from Circassia.
Mohammedans. IL. Ordinary Gypsfes.
There probably was never in history
a national house so completely divided
against itself. Each sect or faction
hates every other They all have ma
levolence as the foundation stone of the
religion they happen to profess, and
those who are not Mohammedans would
in n little while hate the Russian rule
as much as they now do that of the
Turk At present the Christian popu-
lation are required to pay q tax in lieu
of militay service, and this tax produc-
ed last year about S450,0OO. probably
all that could be cXtorted. The Turkish
government receives subscriptions to q
national fund, and strong efforts have
been made TO turn Mussuman enthusi.
asm for war into this useful direction
We have no clear accounts of the sue
cess of such labors, but we are told that
in one fortnight, in Constantinople
alone, the subscriptions reached 700. .6OC
piasters, or $50, ,240. the plaster being
equal to cents and - mills.
The Russian navy is classified into
the Baltic fleet and the fleet of the Bacl;
sea. In the Baltic are seventy-sevcn
men-of-war. On the Caspian sea the
government has five steamers of little
use in heavy warfare. The Siberian
fee. comprises eleven ships of small ac-
count There are three ships in the
White sea and five OH the sea of Aral
The total available strength of the navy
is about l2O men-ot-war, of which only
twenty-ninc are iron-clads. The Turk.
isl, navy is considered much more elf
cient. II embraces twcnty-thrcc iron.
clads and seventy other steamers. will
number of smaller vessels hastily pre-.
pared to meet the present emergency
Nearly all of the iron-clads were bull
in England, and perhaps the best use
Turkey made of any of the money foi
which she is Indebted was in the crca.
ton of this powerful navy. The Rus
slams evidently fear TO cope with it,
The Russian debt is about 81 .i2G .OO0,.
600. She has some credit left, and ha,
been steadily getting her finances into
better condition. Her revenue is Sti.
100000 annually. Turkeys revenue il
about S95 100000. Her deficit last ycal
probably exceeded S35,OO0,O 600. TIei
''foreign' debt is said TO be 1925, 900,
900, and her "domcstlc" debt about
$3.50. 1000. She defaulted on her in
terest, and scaled il down one-half, ant
broke her promise TO pay that so thai
her bonds cannot bo sold AT any price
She has millions of paper money ant
debased silver in circulation, and gold
has fled the country. In railroads and
other internal improvements, botl
countries have made great strides since
the Crimean war, and the advantage,
enjoyed in this respect are about eqna
on both sides.