The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-16
WHAT CONC on IN EUROPE

mas- Of excellent troops, ANA cr0Wdci their
hospitals with thousands of wounded. Tho
hospital arring ,mcnt~ oi the hu,sian army
wrr' at Ga. ou,. 1T %. the war. described by
an the newspaper correspondents as being
admirable and umpy answering all the
possible requirements OF the war; yet il APP
pears Row tnat there are moi surgeons enough
10 attend 10 c.cn such wounded ~ happen To-
reach the ho-ptas. not to speak of those still
moro numerous vino die ON the field for want Of
immediate a-'.istaucc
The surprising stubhornncss Of tho Turkish
defence OF plrvna must now be- considered ~
duo in u great measure 10 the superiority OF tho
American repeating rifle. Experience had al
ready shown that against tolcrably good troops.
protected by intrcnchmcnts and armed with
arms Of precision. an assault is seldom If eyer
practicable. When. however. repeating rifles
come into play. the problem becomes still hard
or. II secus 10 BE- the Winchester magazine
gun that keeps the Russians out II Plcvna. and
rs long as Osman in-ha docs not run short uf
ammunition and provisions. the Grand Duke
Nicholas viii probably not hc able Ia di-lodgc
him from his position hv any other means than
gradual approach equivaien. 10 n regular
siege.
The great question Of the moment IS. thrrc-
fore. whether the nu-SiHns will have time
enough 10 curry ont those siege operations be-
fore Mchcmct Ali Pa-hn and Surman pasha
appear in their rear and on their flank. For
some reason or other N"hcnct Ali. who COM
menccd his movement from Rasgrad with such
dash and brilliancy has become einguhrly
slow for tho last ten or twelve days. He has not
yet reached Bicla. from which his Ouii osis
were within less than tcnmilc- last Sunday. nor
has h" Managed to make the Russians abandon
Tirnova. Yet Bi'a and Tirnovu are scarcely
fortified at ALL AMI, from all iHt is known. not
pnrt 'ulariy strongly held. unless the r'-
endorsements which recently came from Russia
wrrr much larger than reported and have all
boon directed toward the centre Of the Russian
lines Mt Bi"a and Tirnova.
The best summing up Of the actual state OF
affairs at the seat Of war is made In the Doiy
Nc'rS correspondents despatch of Friday last.
when he says that unless the Russians obtain "a
prompt and decided success at plcyna. the
future ofthe campaign will turn on the move
m"nts OF NJ, homrt Ali and Sulciman r,isla.
The reluctance shown Icy the Porte to give
foreigners any superior position in the army
has. it seems. finally been overcome Not only
has the Gcrman-horn Mrh"mot Ali Pasha been
appointed Communder-in-Ch chief. but British
subject of Int Il years residence In Turkey. Col.
Valentine Baker. has been granted the rank Of
MaJor-Gen"ral and appointed commander of
the cavalry Of the Rasgr,d corps
Not all the English pnrtisans 81 Turkey are
however. in good olor with the Porte. Con-
stantnoplc sc"ns to bc inundated with British
Adventures. against the dcprcdatiolis Of some
of whom the Turkish Government has had 10
take ircuchant measures. Other British we'll
wishcrs have become objectionable in consn-
puence of their mcdlleSomc dist o-it.on. Among
these Il Lady Strangiord. who claims the right
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