, 1877-08-01

the Gar over TWO months to place
a less number on the Danube. It has been
pointed out by military critics that such COM
parsons are unfair to the Russians. Instead
of the net work of double-line railways which
covers Western Europe and was available to
The &c rmans, the Russians have had the aid Of
but one line through Roumania and that a
single one. The Russian generals had not
overlooked this fact, aud they were fully pre-
pared to make thorough use Of the ordinary
roads but these, quite contrary to general
expectation, were rendered nearly impossible
all through the month of May by an unusual
rainfall. The wOnderment of onlookers at the
slOwness of the war, arises therefore from want
UfrtAection. The other surprise is that afford
ed by the lack Of energy and forethOuglt
displayed by the Turkish generals. 1t was
op9n to them to have crossed the Danube into
R0umania Immediately on the outbreak of the
war, and to have destroyed the railway and
all The bridges in the line Of the invaders
march. They could then have retired to their
position behind the Danube, and would have
gained fully a month by these movements.
They neglected their opportunity, and now
have to contend with the full strength of the
enemy on their wi soil.
AT the close Of som former articles Wa
pointed out that all war news would fall under
three heads. 1t would relate to the Black
Sea, to Armenia, or to the d anube. Let us
briefly note the progress of the war 10 each Of
these areas.
First. Of The Black Sea. 1t is we'll known that
to the Turkish feet of ten large irOnclads and
numerous smaller vessels, the Russians have
nothing = to oppose but two circular monitors,
singular vessels lying like enormous plates on
the water, a few small steamers, and perh APPS
about 4 dozen torpedo boats. Yet We find
that the Turks have accO mplished very little,
fact which is attributed by the Times to the
obstruction of " the foreign admiral's" enter
priSirg schemes by the Turkish war minister.
The {" foreign admiral', Hobart Pasha, being.
an EngliShman, perhaps accounts for this re-.
ma rk, where a little natio nal pride peeps cut
Be this as it may, il will be seen from an ex-
tract in another column that the blockade Of
Odessa and NicOlaieff are quite Ineffective.
-Four vessels laden with corn managed to leave
the former port, and, by 3 fiction which sup
posed them to have been detained in the
Black Sea for a month by bad weather,
they have managed to get permission TO pass
the B0SFhOrus, a capital speculation fOT the
happy owners of The ships and carPOes. 1t
must not be supposed however that those
ports have not suffered. Their trade for The
time being is simply ruined, and the losses Of
the merchants and working classes must have
been immense, though no doubt to some ex-
tent balanced by the demand for food supplies
and labOur which the war has created on the
land side. On the Asiatic side of the Black
Sea, the Turks have been pushing the advan-
tage which they gained at Soukum Kaleh.
have landed there 5000 TO 10000 troops.
and have raised the whole Western eau.
casus in instruction against Russian rule.
They have also bombarded Fort Nicolas
a strong fortress on the boundary ard
not far from Batoum. An attack on Poti
seems to have failed, POti is a small town
which would have had great Importance for
the Russians if they had had the command
of the Black Sea for a railway runs from it
up to Tifis the capital Of Georgia. Fifty years
ago it would have been a very serious thing
for the Russian army in Armenia TO be enclosed
between the Turkish army in the front and the
discretionary Provinces in the rear But
steam comes in here as in so many other mat
tiers TO alter the whole position by means Of
their numerous steamers on the Caspian the
Russians have command of a back door
entrance into Georgia, and need not fear the
interruption which the Turks have caused in
their western communications This leads US
in the next place to notice the events in Ar
menia.
The remoteueSs of this mountainous region,
and the difficulty of travelling in it, render it
more easy to circulate false news of what
ia ooino on there. CONSEQUENTLY we find the