The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-17


In specializing on the issue of the strug-
gle which must soon commence between
Russia and Persia on the one hand and Tur-
key, probably assisted by England, on the
other the relative military strength of the
prospective belligerents must be carefully
considered. The information regarding
these factors in the calculation, which
we print on another page of to-day's
HERALD, will be found reliable and useful to
the student of events, as we'll as interesting
to the general reader. The Russian army,
although by far the largest in the world, is
less homogeneous than those of other Euro
pean Powers, and is therefore directed with
the imperial frontier where warlike opera
tons are most likely to take place. The want
of a perfect railway system in Russia further
neutralizcs much of her strength, because
in modern warfare means of rapid trans
portaton for troops and supplies is rs essen
tial to success as numerical strength, first
class matfriel and good generalship. How
ever, Russian enthusiasm and perseverance
can overcome great obstacles and there is
no doubt that when the armies now concen-
trating from the bases of the Pruth and the
Caucasian provinces are fully organized and
equipped, and backed by the small but eff
fective army of Persia the results will prove
that the Russian government is capable of
extraordinary energy in the prosecution of
an offensive rs we'll as defensive war.
While the English army is more easily
handled, being small and homogeneous, than
the Russian, it still possesses elements Of
weakness which render it peculiarly liable
to exhaustion in a prolonged campaign.
The troops are unaccustomed TO the severe
active service in rigorous climate such as
that of Russia; and while in India they
become untitled for campaigning except in
tropical countries such as Abyssinia and
Western Africa, on home service the daily
life of an English soldier is not calculated to
prepare him for the fatigues Of active cam
paigning, and the result is that when ex-
posed to them he is more likely to succumb
to sickness and exhaustion than even his
less robust Continental neighbors. Against
these considerations, however, must be set
the courage and discipline of the English
army, which has enabled it to wrest victory
from many fields when defeat would have
overtaken almost any other troops. The
higher branches of the military art have
not been mastered by the larger num-
Der of the English officers. So far as
regimental details 60 their training
has been excellent; but in operations
involving the movement of large bodies Of
troops, the science Of logistics, the superior
officers of the English army are decidedly
liable to bungling and lack that grasp of the
situation necessary to success Their VIC
tories against the Emperor Theodorus
and King Coffee would have been di-
sastrous defeats had the commanding
generals been obliged to contend
against Russian, German or French
officers instead of the half-clad savages of
the desert and the jungle. Acting as con-
tingent Turkish force the English army will
serve as the straw that was used to make the
Egyptian bricks; but beyond increasing the
internal strength Of the Sultan's forces the
English army will exercise very little influ-
regard to the Indian army our article shows
how it is constituted and how closely bal
anced the imperial and native forces are in
case they should ever come to blows. The
fact, however, that the first is under one
head and the second under many gives the
British army strength and cohcsiveness
which enables it to control the situation.
Whether this native force will side with the
Sultan in the war is question worth the
attention of military observers.
The Turkish army is n thoroughly reliable
one for the defence of Ottoman territory
against Russian invasion. The troops are
stout, brave and ianatical-three military
elements that have before now combined to
win great victories against desperate odds
but once fairly on the run before conquer
ing Muscovite army not the Bosphorus itself
can stop the retreat of the Turkish fatalists
into Asia Minor. So long as victory hangs
in the balance the Turks will fight with
stubborn ierocity worthy Of the days of their
greatest power; but once the scale falls te
the side of the Russians, weighed down by
their heavy swords and trampling legions
then will the followers of the Prophet com
mence "hegira" that will carry them out
of Europe forever. 1t is probable that the
small force of English cavalry that will un'
doubtedly be attached to the British expe
dictionary army when such is despatched Il
the seat of war will be used chiefly in ASH
Minor to cooperate with the Turks agains
the Russian advance from the Caucasus. Ii
European Turkey the English infantry vii
be sparingly used in field operations and vii
be distributed among the important forti
fed places that cover Constantinople. Tn
English artillery contingent will prove o
immense value to the Turkish field forces