Marshall County Republican., 1877-02-08
THE ORIENTAL CONFLICT.
The Approaching European Campaign
An Invasion OF Turkey No Holiday job.

The Approaching European Campaign
An Invasion of Turkey No Holiday job.
lFrom the New York Times.l
Russia has evidently gained all from
the conference she could have expected.
She has now united Europe on her side
so far as moral influence is concerned.
She has gained several invaluable months
for needful preparations. The mobili-
zation of her armies has evidently been
grand fiasco. The Russian journals
are not permitted to report the move
ments of troops, but enough leaks out
to show that large bodies of men were
kept for days at little stations waiting
for transportation that provisions and
water failed, and the utmost confusion
prevailed. Many regiments proved,
too. mere skeletons, so that Russia
seemed in some such condition as Franco
before the last war. This, however, by
the lapse of the necessary time, has been
remedied, and the empire is every day
girding itself for the struggle. A GER
tain change has, it is true, come over
the popular spirit but this is probably
no more than the seriousness which al
ways prccedes great war, and the dis
content which official stupidity and NAL
administration produce in all countries.
We observe that certain military wri-
ters In Europe predict an easy "prome-
made of the Russian armies from the
Pruth to Constantinople. This is alto
gether improbable. Any one who reads
Moltke's account of the campaign be-
tween Russia and Turkey in 1929, in
which he served personally, or any other
rgfr 1f l,A l.
tween these two powers, will see that an
advance from the Danube to Adrlanople
by the Muscovites is likely to be any
thing but an easy task. The physical
peculiarities of the Danube are all in
favor of the Turks. The high banks
are on the Turkish side, while such
islands as might form good supports for
bridges are near the other bank, leaving
the broad and difficult stream between.
The left shores are low, wet and
marshy, the roads upon them often
quagmires, and the whole country so
malarious that the Russians have usually
lost more in former campaigns from dis
ease than in battle. The river can be
crossed on the ice, or at least partly SO,
during such a winter as this but the
Russians evidently have no liking for a
winter campaign In such difficult
ice will begin to break up and the roads
to be impossible.
At every suitable crossing the Turks
have heavy works, besides several
strongly fortified places. In former
years the Russians have crossed on the
many narrow channels near the mouth
of the Danube, but now the Turks com.
mand the Black sea, and their gunboats
ought to control all the lower stream.
The Russians, if they succeed in cross
ing, must do it quite far up, by march
ing through Servia. BY this advance
they might, to certain degree, turn the
posts on the Danube and some in the
Balkans. But the danger would be that
they would leave the Austrian corps of
observation directly in their rear in the
Carpathians. Provided q full under
standing were had with Austria, there
would be no danger in this. Otherwise,
it would be fatal to such an approach to
CoEstsntinople. 1t is doubtful if any
Russian army would venture march
on Adrianople with Shumla unmasked.
This place is sort of fortified post at
the foot of the Balkans, toward the river,
capable of holding 150, 900 men. Its
siege and capture would be very diff
cult matter, Varna, which lies near the
sea, wculd be impregnable with the
superiority of the Turkish fleet. And,
indeed, this fact alone would compel the
advance of the Russians to be by in
terror lines to Adrianople.
When it is remembered how tena-
ciously the Turks defend fortified places,
how much better equipped they are than
was the case in 1S2S-9, and even in some
respects better provided thln in the
Crimean war. it will be seen what task
the Russians have taken on themselves
in "driving the Turk from Europe" In
former campaigns, disease ana sanitary
neglect have terribly thinned the Rus
sian ranks, while the blunders of their
commanders have cost them many de-
feats. In the last war the Turks, under
British officers, we're so obstinate in de-
fense that the forces of the Czar scarcely
crossed the river. In that, as in this,
the Ottomans controlled the sea. Ev-
erything points to the march to Con-
stantinople being, far from "prom-
enade," in fact, a long and bloody strug-
gle. The Turk has counted on this in
his obstinacy at the conference. He
could not lose more than he might by q
campaign-the chances of war offer many
escapes and opportunities. 1t is nstu-
raj, too, that Russia desires all the time
possible for such severe contest.