The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-28
WAR NOTES.
The Turkish, Line Of D.fsnse In Asia
Minnr.

The Turkish Line of Dsfense In Asia
Miner.
A letter from Erzerotim. In the Hamburg
Correspondent, describes the Turkish military
position In Asia Minor:
The usso-TurHish frontier, says the
writer, is about 400 versts long. The first
line of defense of the Turks covers the whole
OF this frontier, but Is some miles behind 1t.
It extends i. from 81 the important harbor of Pc
tou1rl, on the Black Sea, along the river Adj
jartchai to Ardahan, on the left bank OF the
river Kura, Themes the line of defense pro-
eeeds. southwark to Kars, after which it bends
round, following the frontier to Bay,azid. -,
This line may be compared to that OF the
Danube In Bulgaria, only that Its natural bull
wark Is not river, but confused mass OF
rocky mountains The troops which occupied
the FIRST line of defense consisted, at the be-
ginning Of the war, of some fifty thousand
men, o third OF whom were stationed at Kars,
and the rest at Batotiin. Ardahan, Bayazid
and the villages between these towns.
:. The second line OF defense passes. through
Trebizond, Erzeroum and van but the troops
destined to protect it are nearly all concen-
trated at Erzeroum. in order that they might |
be rapidly directed against the advancing
Russians in case. they should break through |
the first line. This second corps consists OF |
only about 10000 men, as it is considered me-
cessary to keep distinct corps at Bagdad |
consisting chiefly Of recruits from Kurdistan
and Mesopotamia, to defend that town against
q sudden attack by the Persians, who have
| assumed q very 1nenacing attitude in that
| quarter
War THAT MAY Last Two Years.
| Correspondence N. Y. Sunday Meroury.1
| ST.. PETERSBURG, May 5.--The belief here is
general that just about the time this letter
reaches you, the middle Of May, the Russians
will be in force along the Danube ready TO
cross the great river. If it be necessary for
them, however, to throw tprpedoes near the
various crossing places, and to have q heavy
mass OF artillery on hand ready to protect the
operation of crossing. which must. be. by
post. In 1928 1t took the Russians eight days
| to effect crossing. and then they did, to q
certain extent, control the navigation
OF the Danube. All this is changed
now. Turkey has any number. OF moni-
tors On the Danube. and Russia has no
fleet there as Of old. II the Turks understand
their business they will be able TO resist the
crossing Of the Danube successfully for sew
eral days to come. When it is considered that
even after crossing they will have to resist
the onslaught OF the Turkish forts, and that
whatever may be the result another number
OF weeks must necessarily elapse before they
can at all make an impression upon them, it
will readily be seen how tedious will be the
progress Of the campaign. About the end OF
October military operations in Bulgaria are
simply impossible and patience, must be en-
dured. then, until the climate and state OF the
roads permit the Russians to go still further
south. That the Russian War Minister under
stands the difficulties the army has TO en-
counter after having crossed the Danube Is
evident from the fact that the entire army
has been equipped with great care Tor two
years campaign
3 A Proposed Division of Turkey.
| ECourler- Journal
The Greek government Is experiencing some
difficulty In calling out the reserve force.
Several districts are indisposed to furnish
their q ao 5 ana e q T. + ne9esary dsy ss s I9 } ~
revolt in Thessaly and Epirus, the lack OF
: patriotism may seriously affect the pro-
@ grarn1ne The idea dominant among the
l. diverse Municipalities ~ in Turkey is to n erect 10
q place of the Ottoman empire three Christian
! States. Rounania, South Selayonian and
u Greek, divided in accordance with thell
Y ethnographical conditions By this arrange
n a part Of Albania and Macedonia, and Crete
:. The Selaves would have Servia. Bosnia, Turk,
u ish Croatia, Herzegovina, Montenegro. and
g Bulgaria The Bulgarians are not Of Selavit
= vianized since they came from the Volga ir
:, the fifth century, as the Ougri, whence has
k been handed down the name "ogre,y express
Y sive of feroeity and hideOusness. The Rou
= manians would retain their present territory
= which is peopled almost exclusively by Rol
mans. The Greeks are not as enthusiastic
r over the erection Of @ symmetrical Hellenic
d Kingdom as are the Sclaves over their dream
l. Of d restoration of the old selaye empire
$. which. In the fourteenth century, EXTENDED
n from the Adriatic to the Black Sea.
- Kars and Erzerouna.
Il tLondon Standard
ii Kars IL a strong fortress. 1t repulsed in
vaders several times prior to the Russian at
re- tack In 1923, when it fell after q very shor
Ut siege. In the Crinean war it fell again, bu
this time by the slow process OF starvation
The garrison upon that occasion was 81 YER
strong one, almost as large as the besiegin
n army, and the Turks have always naintaine
a that it ought to have fought in the open' Th
~ position Of Kars as @ fortress is faulty, excep
= as covering large intrenched camp. AS
g. south is sufficiently level and open for a
= army to march past out Of reach Of its guns
j. There is another road through Kaghizfnaf
at twenty miles further south, and the postio
ut can be turned altogether by invading armie
h advancing either by the Joruk road or the
- by Ararat. IT, however, it be well prov
vi stoned and used as. an intrenched cam
th for q corps darmee, it must be reduced an
- move forward either by the main or souther
VI road. We believe that the Notifications hav
been increased and strengthened, and anott
81 er famous siege may be looked for. Erzerour
ne is stategically q far more important fortres
he than Kars. It blocks the main road and tha
ke coming up the Joruk Valley from the coas
re and in fact, bars the passage Of any arm
coming to the northward OF the Bingol Dag
n range. It Is fairly fortified, and II new r.
CO doubts have been thrown UP on the side
Ill from which 1T is to some extent commando
IT. by modern artillery, it should make Ion
ty and stout resistance. 1t has, however tn
disadvantage of being large and populou
city, being the capital Of Asia Minor. Foo
may be laid in by an active and energet
IL months, but it is scarcely possible for the il
es' O habitants OF q large city to do so If, ther'
p- fore, the Turkish army be routed in the fell
we can scarcely expect that Erzerum woul
ed be able to stand O. heightened siege.
sr, The valley of the Danube ana IFS IF
to haa,,tauts
The density of the population Of the DanuE
Lr- Valley will surprise most American reader
ct The military frontier between Austria and tt
to Turkish provinces has population Of 1,195
p- 600, and an area Of 1880 square miles, equ
to So inhabitants to the square mile; Wall
-. CHA and Moldavia, now Roumania, so to s.
c ct the square mile; Servia, IA; Bulgaria, (Nort
On o,, ern Turkey 50. These countries produce a
" sM1'i extraordinary amount Of wheat for expoT