, 1877-02-28

O|'di cStil1SAcS HuJuG Qa1 tue QuLUQeE LD0b
the RUssilus would be able to br'ng,s &C bear.
Of these some 10000 we're probably az Rust.
chnk, 10000 at ShumIa, and the remainder
at Varns. S~Iistria, Hirsovs. and Tchernavodss
Had he bat a theoretical acquaintance With the
country, it was possible that he might peg.
su'de himself to believe that Rusichuk. Silistria
Varnn. and Shumla formed a Turkish quadi-
lateral, that Rustchuk had long since been
prepared to meet the now threatening danger,
thtt S%li'tris was 10 a perfect state of defence.
Varna resdy to ward of attack, and Shumia
TO stand a si.ge, that guas of heavy calibrS
We're ready on the ramparts, the Turks SO pre-
parsd to take advantage Of The Typographical
blessings showered on them by heaven, so as
u max, a RusiAn invasion almost on impos'
stbilify. H. would that he could thus deludS
himself From the Danubo to C0nStantinopIe,
fon Nsl 70 BIrgls, no:hing wss ready.
Money had failed. The fortresses were falling
daily into grelter ruiz. They were unprovl'
ded with any modern in provemons, wei! nigh
bare OF heavy ordnance, aad where there
vas ordnance there was neither shot nor shell.
Ole : glment is armed with this rife, another
WITH that. Both were unserviceable. For
neither vera there cartridges. Provisions
were wanting, c%lolhing was lacking, transport
tnero wlS mono. Add to this the terrible
eaio which tho troops are ia. Egyptians,
Ejhlopiaus. natives Of Bogdad, fgprssscrs of
Onyrdo, have, throughout an unsudiy severe
winter. felt the frost and seen the snow. Ss
them Il known before. unprovided, too, with
that clothing and nourishment which alone
could prolect them from the wintry blast and
leave them fit for the coming struggle The
> att I'D hou,t Committee was not formed 40
hour too soon. aye, it was too late he feared,
unless liherlIly supported. to stem the ravages
at exposure aid disease. (Hsar.) Now, the
In kfGH infprinrifv md M al CraOAF0fiOn m tho
Dlnlbe bring adui'ted, what course should DO
Hdop ed by Abdul K,iim Pasha and Suleitnan
PiSha The former will probably, be true to his
reputation AMI b. very slow to adopt any course
at tall. But great things must be expected OF the
l.tter. YET, the beat MN for the situation IS
certainly the junior Brigadier in the Turkish
S.rvlce, whose ability was universally recog'
nized, and who had the good wishes Of every
British soldier. He, with Mehmet All and
Bluhm Pasba-Gormans in the service of the
Porte-might speedily inaugurate a better
Rustcbuk GiurgevO would be the main point OF
attack, there u most vigorous resistance ought
to be made, by, say 10000 men. The line OF
retreat on Shumla by tho railway would be
open to the very last minute. Az Silistria the
passage must likewise be disputed-ths retreat
being sccure-but at Turtokai a large defend
ing force would run great ri.k. Varna should
be- garriO)nea by not less than 10000 men,
Until the Danube was crossed there could be
little uso in keeping more than two or three
brigad 8 at Shumla, for the garrison will be
brought up to $4,000 or 80 900 men when tho
Rustchuk and Silistrian corps are driven back.
They would then nave fully $4,000 men I'M
employed. To risk these on the Danube with
no means Of re 'reat would BIO madness. No
time should DO lost in shipping them from Var
ma to Burgas. The gulf Itself is very capable
Of defencc, and throws OUT two penlnsulas.
which might be made very strong. AT A'dos-
the most central position for r~epuIsing the hos
tile column MS they debouch from the passes
Of the Baikuns-an inirenched camp should
DO formed. If The Russians succeeded in fore
ing their way through the Balkans a stand
ought to be made at Bunk Dsrbend. That
forced, nothing very serious INTERVIEWED until
within 90 miles Of Constantinople. Yet the
coast road is woody, mountainous, and difficult,
affording many defensive positions. One word
as to the delence of Constantinople. Threa
plans had been prepared, one by a Royal
Engineer Of unequalled ability, another by the
Englisbman, aud the third Ivy a German, in the
service of the Sultan. These three plans all
amount to much the same thIug-the dcicnse of
thu line-25 miles in length, extending from
Derkos and Buyuk Chekuicdji. AS Sir John
Burgoyne said. months of labour might render
this posi- ion imprrgnable by land. As yet
- lfI q 1911 I-G a n