The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-26
FOREIGN NEWS.
The RussO-Turkish War.

|" All quiet on the Danube.'s The entire Rus-
sian army intended for operations in Europe
is evidently now il Roumania, stretched
Danube, and their number is not less than
800 900 men. The Grand Duke Nicholas is
in command and has his headquarters al
Bucharest, but by the It'll of June the Emper
or Alexander himself is expected to Join the
army and take up his headquarters at Ploics
IT, Until then, and probably not until days
or weeks still later, is there expected to be-
any serious attempt To cross the Danube. The
reasons given for this delay are various. In
the first place, the river is at flood height and
much more difficult to bridge than when low
err, while the high water Is particularly ia
vorable for the Turkish gunboats. In the be.
ginning, doubtless, 1t was the Russian plan
to hurl the army of Europe upon the Danube
and across it like thunderbolt, but the con-
dition of the roads and utter inefilclency of
the transportation frustrated that plan, and
now the Fabian tactics are found preferable.
Secondly, the delay tends 70 weary the Turks;
1t keeps Austria and Hungary at bay; il
gives time for diplomatic maneuverlng; and
then, thirdly, it Is SAID The real plan OF Rus.
sla is to await the movements In Asia,-to
urge forward the invasion there UNTIL Con-
stanunople being threatened from The east,
the Turks will be obliged to withdraw their
forces from the Danube TO defend their CAPT.
tol, when the Russian army can easily cross
the river, rush through the asses of the Balk.
ans, and erect their batteries on the west bank
of the Bosphorus simultaneously with their
brethren advancing from the east. This is
the sort of speculation the newspapers and
correspondents are occupied with to account
for the ndisputable inactivity of both sides
on the Danube.
In Asia Minor operations on both sides
have evidently been pushed with more vigor,
though the reports are so contradictory, COM
ing part through Russian and part through
Turkish channels, that il is hard to get at
real facts. There is no doubt, however, that
although a very large Russian force has pen
etrated into the interior as tar as Erzerolm
and that that fortress is now being rapidly
invested by large army, the Russians dread
leaving behind them such fortresses as b.
toum, Arabian and Kars, from which at all
times their line of communications must be
IN danger, their rear liable to be harrassed,
and ia case OF disaster at the front, their re.
treat liable to be entirely cut off. According.
ly, in spite of the severe Russian repulse be.
fore Batoum mentioned in our last, the at,
tack on that place is by NO means abandoned,
but is pressed with vigor, and daily encoan-
tiers between the besiegers and defenders are
mentioned. On Wednesday particularly the
fring on both sides was very heavy. AT kars
also the attack of the Russians is unrelaxed.
New siege batteries are daily being erected,
while the Turks make frequent sortles, each
time claiming O great victory. AT Ardahan,
fortified position of considerable import
ancc between Batoum and Kars, the Russian
attack Oh the 18th was so impetuous that the
place was taken and the Turks were driven
out. The Russians admit a loss of 300 killed,
but claim TO have taken so guns and large
stores of provisions an ammunition.
All attempts of the Russians to-recover Su.
KUN Kaleh, on the Georgian coast, by land
attacks have failed Indeed the Turkish
fleet has pretty much terrorized tie entire
north coast of the Black Sea from Batoum to
Sebastopol, while Hobart Pasha the English
Turkish admiral, talks largely Of taking both
Sebas,opol and Odessa. Meantime the eau
casians having generally risen against the
Russians, and their country swtrming with
Russian soldiers, the latter are said to be com.
hitting frightful massacres in the Caucasus
Indeed the rebellion of the Caucasians was
unexpected by Russia, and as all their armies
must traverse that province to enter ASIA MI
nor the annoyance of this Caucasian opposi
ton Is serious.
The present point of interest in Asia, how
ever, is Erzeroum, where the Russians are
concentrating at least 100000 men, ana the
Turks claim that they can meet them with
$4,000, Unnecessary.
| England.
! Tho New York n,ners of last Saturday as