The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-03
RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
The Military and Naval Strength of tn,
Belligerent Powers.

AAA0 NAtsary ana naval Strength OF the
Belligerent Powers.
The Russian army last year numbered
l,2l3, 259 men, drawn from popu-
latlon OF about $4,000, 1000. The Turk
ISL army embraced total of $4,000
men, including reserves and militia, and
recruiting has been going on vigorously
III 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
Entrusted by the Mohammedans with any
portion of the national defense. They
lessen the army-making population, and
afford a great body of men of traitorous
inclinations, always ready for active aid
to an invading enemy, when not engaged
IN lighting with each other. They les
sen the population from which the Porte
draws Its armies to 10000, 1000, or about
one-seventh of that from which Russia
draws her fighting forces. This dispar-
lty, IN connection with better system
in 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
repel them.
The population of the Ottoman empire
is classified as follows: l. The Slavs.
who are in religion Greek, Catholic and
Mohammedan. 2. The Hellenes, who
are Greek, with few Catholics. 3. The
Latin tribes in Albania, who are Catho-
lie, together with Albanians of the same
religion, who are Greek, Mohammedan
and Catholic. 4. The Bulgars, who are
Greek, Catholic and Mohammedan. 5.
The Armenians, who are Gregorians and
Catholics, the latter subdivided into
Hassounites and anti-Hassounites. 6.
The Koutzo- Wallacks, who are of the
Gypsy Wallachian origin, and are of the
Greek Church. 7. The Osmanlis, who
are Mohammedans. s. The Jews. g.
The Tartars, exiles from the Crimea.
Mohammedans. 10. The Circassians,
exiles from Circassia, Mohammedans.
II. Ordinary Gypsies.
There probably was never in history
national house SO completely divided
against itself. Each sect or faction hates
every other. They all have malevolence
as the foundation stone of the religion
they happen to profess, and those who
are not Mohammedans would in q little
while hate the Russian rule as much as
they now do that of the Turk. At present
the Christian population are required to
pay tax in lieu of military service. and
this tax produced last year about $780,
600, probably all that could be extorted.
The Turkish Government receives sub
scriptions to national fund. and strong
efforts have been made to turn Mussul-
man enthusiasm for war into this useful
direction. We have no clear accounts of
the success of such labors, but we are
told that in one fortnight in CONSTANT
nople alone. the subscriptions reached
700, 600 piasters, or $50, $40, the plaster
being equal to 4 cents and 2 1-5 mills.
The Russian navy is classified into the
Baltic feet and the feet of the Black
sea. In the Baltic are seventy-seven
men-Of-war On the Black sea nine
men-of-war. On the Caspian sea the
Government has five steamers of little
use in heavy warfare. The Siberian
fleet comprises eleven ships of small ac-
count. There are three ships in the
White sea and five on the Sea of AraI.
The total available strength of the navy
is about 100 men-of-war, of which only
twenty-nine are iron-clads. The Turkish
navy is considered much more efficient.
1t embraces twenty three iron-clads and
seventy other steamers, with number
of smaller vessels hastily prepared to
meet the present emergency. Nearly all
of the iron-clads were built in England,
and perhaps the best use Turkey made
OF any of the money for which she is in
debted was in the creation of this power
full navy. The Russians evidently fear
to cope with it.
The Russian debt is about 81, 1926, OOO,-
900. She has some credit left, and has
been steadily getting her finances into
better condition. Her revenue is $44.
100000 annually. Turkeys revenue is
about $95, 100000 Her deficit last year
probably exceeded $35, 900, 900. Her
foreign" debts said to be 1925, 900, 600,
and her domestic" debt about $780,
100000 She defaulted on her interest,
and scaled it down one-half, and broke
her promise to pay that, so that her
bonds cannot be sold at any price. She
has millions of paper money and debased
silver in circulation, and gold has fed
the country. In railroads and other in
ternal improvements, both countries have
made great strides since the Crimean
war, and the advantages enjoyed in this
respect are about equal on both sides.