The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-07-16

In Asia it is evident that the Turks are
sufficiently happy to be well rid of their
enemy, whose retreat it is evident was less
due to any act of theirs than to his own in
capacity to move and feed so large force
They have evidently neither the strength
nor the spirit to contemplate any offensive
enterprise; therefore the Russian commander
may repose at a little distance and gather
the force with which it is intended he shall
renew his operations. In Bulgaria the war
moves slowly for obvious reasons-that is
TO say, it is perfectly obvious why the Rus
SLAMS have not yet undertaken more than
has been recorded; but the reason for this
course on the part of the Ottoman COM
mander is not SO clear. The Russians
have to make on the south side the
Danube preparations for further
advance ut least as formidable as
those made for crossing the river after
their army was encamped on its northern
shore. With this important labor in prog
ress it would be folly to attempt to do more
than thoroughly reconnoitre the country
and to seize important points that are either
unoccupied or not strongly defended.
This they have done, their cavalry NOV
ing as far as Rasgrad toward the quadri-
lateral, and they are already reported to
have ten thousand men south of the Balkans.
But in the meantime the inactivity Of the
Turks is scarcely to be accounted for. 1t is
now evident that they could have done the
Russians great harm at the crossing, and
that an attack in force within two or three
days of the passage would have enabled
them to annihilate the force actually over.
They failed in respect to both those oppor-
tunities and continue to fall though the
time is not yet past when the Russians
could be forced to an unequal battle.
The Increased Interest in Athletics.
No intelligent American can have failed
to notice the rapid and remarkable increase
of interest in athletics among us during the
past few years. Where formerly the press
grudgingly allowed an athletic event a
mere paragraph and for days together
nothing was heard of anything of the kind
there are now columns of daily reports of
manly sports and contests Of all kinds.
Walking, running, jumping, swimming,
rowing, football, baseball, mustang rae
ing, rackets, polo, pallone, lacrosse, Grmco-
Roman wrestling and score of other exer-
cises which test the strength and endurance
and invigorate the whole man. these are all
constantly becoming better known and more
appreciated. Definite knowledge is becoming
more common as to just what athletic work
! ono is best fitted for and what he had bet
ter let alone. Athletic associations in the
larger cities and many of the colleges
are oil contributing their share to tho
general knowledge and interest in this di-
rection, and much less is heard than for
merly of our inferiorty physically to cult
waited Europeans. Instead of the struggling
game of football Of other days, now uni
versity meets university in hot and friendly
strife, but always under the Rugby rules.
Then they rowed somehow ; now it is the
English stroke, or the waterman's stroke,
or some special style understood as
soon as named. No one event, perhaps,
has done more for this interest than the
| Centennial races at Philadelphia, when
England's best, both professional and anna
teur, homo and provincial, met our oars
men and taught them all they knew, and
learned something besides. That it is
pleasant to find md chronicle this growth
need hardly be said for while, undoubtedly,
individuals will occasionally undertake too
much and overdo themselves, the masses are
finding out what will bring back the fading
health and substitute vigor for languor,
and are by these fine exhibitions of strength
and skill in SO many directions spurred
up to at least moderate activity in this
direction. And as this sensible healthy
outdoor work is gradually usurping the
place of gymnastics, often hazardous and
seldom 80 beneficial as the former parents
are beginning to wish their children the