Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-01-23
RUSSIA'S PAUSE.

WRrtihe Char8Uts and CRnfid an CO
of the Turks - The Danube ~ a
Barri'r Against Russian GAvRsiOn
London Times.l
When all the forces of a nation
have been estimated aud compared
with those of other powers, it by
no means follows that they can be
used in their full strength, OF used
at all against particular countries.
For instance, England is safe against
such a power as Russia, because all
issues Of transport fleet from the
ports of Russia could be easily
blocked so long as England is ire
sistible at sea. TO a smaller extent
Turkey is guarded by the Danube
during the greater part of the year,
and, beng superior to Russia at
sea, might so cover the river with
gunboats, carrying heavy ordinance
as to render the passage extremely
difficult. We must not forget that
this superiority of the Sultan at
sea is q new clement in the calcu-
lation of chances, for on previous
occasions Of conflict the command
of the sea, and therefore of the
rivers, has been in the hands Of
Russia. But in midwinter-that
is to say, about now-as soon as the
inevitable cold sets in, the Danube
becomes frozen over, and is no
LONGER all obstacle. For about a
month or SO, according to the sea-
son, an army can cross anywhere.
Then the ice breaks up and the
difficulty is even greater than in
summer, for military bridges will
hardly bear the impact Of great
masses of ice pressing against them,
and there are no permanent bridges
across the river between Roumania
and Bulgaria 1t would, therefore,
be absurd to reckon up the forces
of the antagonists without taking
this "silyer streak" Of river into
consideration.
AS an obstacle the Danube is
unusually favorable for defense
against an enemy advancing from
the north. The northern banks
are low and swampy throughout
almost the whole of its course be-
tween Roumania and Bulgaria, and
form fever. laden marshes, where
pestilence would become the ally of
The Sultan, and the Russians, suf-
fcring from fever and ague, would
at the same time be unable to ad-
vance except by the roads, which
are by no means numerous,
Another popularity favorable to
the defense Of the Danube is that
the islands, which might otherwise
be used for stepping-stones for an
army, are too near the northern
shor,, so that the main channel is
between them and the southern
side of the river. When to this is
added the fact that the southern or
Turkish bank is raised high above
the water, we see all the elements
Of a defensive frontier-namely, a
deep and wide river, islands not
near the defenders bank, which
commands that Of the enemy, the
Sssailant hindercd by want OF roads
and the generally impassabla char
acter of The country from moving
rapidly up and down the stream,
while the river itself is commanded
by the gunboats of the defender,
who is master Of the sea. If Ser
via were friendly to the SULTAN and
could throw the same difficulties in
the way of the Russian army as
those which the Turks could oppose
to The crossing from Roumania to
Bulgaria, the task would be one
beyond the power Of any army,
even if numerically superior in
strength.
But the Danube skirts the west
ern as well rs the southern side OF
Roumania, and the passage into
Seryia is always open to the Rus
slams if they are allowed to pass I'M
scathed through Roumanian ter
ritory. Moreover, the roads from
Belgrade by Nish, and from the
Danube between Roumania and
Servia by Widin, turn the chiet
u n -. =. =. =. Il