The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-11

| Lord Beaconsheld nau somsWnac uoAA-
cate duty to perform in the speech at the
Lord Mayors dinner, and acquitted himself
with tolerable success His position, NOR
ally. demanded that he should make the
most of the Turkish successes, yet that he
should not stroke the Russian bear the
wrong way. He had to crow plainly and
Enthusiastically over the energy shown in the
| Ottoman defence, over the exhibition OF a
vitality that it was thought had departed
from the Moslem nations, and over the justi-
fication presented by this energy and vital
ity Of that English policy which maintained
the propriety of preserving the indepen-
dence and integrity of Turkey; and he had
to do all this without offending the suscep-
tibilities of the Russian government. Al
though he was trife maladroit in a state
ment of Russia's position, which gave undue
prominence to her defeat, he got over his
case very well.
There is no doubt that the world at large
and not less England than other nations
has been surprised at the course OF the war,
and especially at the slow progress Of the
Russian arms but the notion assumed by
Lord Beaconstield that these successes dis
prove the common opinion that Turkey is
only barbarous and exhausted Power is
erroneous. TO argue that because Russia
has not walked over the heads Of the Turks
with any facility therefore the world must
accept the Sultan's promises in regard to
the reform Of his Empire is applying rather
IS f>v ha
world was right in regard to Turkey all the
time, and her victories do not fairly dis
prove any rational opinion that she is no
longer fit to govern a considerable part OF
Europe Statesmen should not take hasty
and careless views of this war and its
event of the greatest Importance in
contemporary history. If they discrimi-
nate properly the real nature of the
surprise that the summer has supplied
they cannot but observe that it. is not
Turkey that has astonished the world, but
Russia. Europe has not been SO much sur
prised to see one hundred thousand or two
hundred thousand Turks fighting with val
orous obstinacy in the Danube Valley. It
has seen that in every generation for three
or four centuries. But it has been sur
prised to see that the Russian administra-
ton has completely broken down in the
effort to WELD the great resources Of that
Empire.
In fact, the most remarkable feature of
the war is that it has been q conflict waged
-
hundred thousand men. 1t is no fair occa-
sion for establishment that Turkey has
proved able to muster first rate army Of
that size, for it was very well known that
she had such q force actually on foot.
But what was altogether unexpected
was that three hundred thousand
men should be enough that this num-
Der of Ottoman soldiers--not large
number, if we consider tie comparisons
of recent European wars-should prove
sufficient to arrest the progress Of the Rus
sian armies. For there was every reason to
believe that the Gear would put in the field
armies that would outnumber two to one
the Moslem force, and that if occasion re-
CURED he would ere this have had a million
men with the colors. 1t is that anticipation
which has been disappointed by the events
of the summer. In 1876 the composition of
the Russian army on the peace footing in-
cluded three-quarters OF million men, and
on the war footing million and a quar-
ter. Reasoning from these numbers and
making liberal allowance for deficiencies-
for the discrepancies that would inevitably
appear between an army as drawn up on
paper and an army equipped for battle-it
was to be presumed that the government Of
the Gar would in the course of the season
have put in the field from eight hundred
thousand to million men.
In fact, it has beer too hastily taken for
granted that fcw strokes of the pen would
suffice in these days for the addition Of half
a million men to the armies of great gov
eminent. Too little consideration has been
given to the financial difficulties. Confusion
Of ideas on this subject has grown out of the
recent history of Germany. In 1866 Prus-
STA had an army of about three hundred
thousand men but four years later she
fought out her quarrel with France with
nearly million men under arms and half a
million behind that she could call upon at
any moment. ALI that appeared rs the
sudden military ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of Prussia
without the consideration that it was the
actual force Of several other States put under
her leadership; and all the other European
Powers, not having kindred nations about
them that they could similarly absorb yet
endeavored to increase their armies to an
equality with the German force by simply
carrying over on the statistical returns Of
their population so many more men for the
respective departments of the service. But
as a merchant who makes fortune on his
own books by marking up the prices of his
goods finds that he docs not really get rich
very rapidly in that way, SO, at least, two