The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-12
The war.

One Turkish monitor, it appears, has
paid the penalty of the temerity with which
the feet has been handled on the Lower
Danube. Recent reports of the impunity
with which these iron-clads moved about in
the neighborhood of the Russian positions
excited the suspicion that the Russian tor
pedo service was of little account and that
it had been found impossible as yet to get
heavy guns in position. But a monitor
sent to the bottom, with her officers and
crew of three hundred men, is fact Of
commanders to be discreet. 1t is reported
that this ship was sunk by the fire of a
masked shore battery; but it is possible
that there was q torpedo in the case.
That serious operation for the passage
of the Danube is in progress between 1brail
and REM seems probable, and this Russian
success will affect the result favorably for
the Russians, inasmuch as IL will tend to
moderate the enthusiasm of the Ottoman
navy, which alone could oppose any serious
impeachment. 1t appears that the imme-
date objective point on the Turkish side is
Matchin, nearly opposite Ibrail Below
this place the Danube forms loop, en-
closing an extensive peninsula, which
presents all the features favorable to an
operation Of this kind. Apparently the
movement reported at REM was part Of the
plan, but not the most important part. That
it was interfered with by the Turkish ships
seemed to prove that the lines of torpedoes
- ko1o 70 oo {ho ir,c
out have proved ineffective; an opinion that
must be revised in view of the latest news.
It is demoralizing to q naval force to acquire
faith in masked batteries or torpedoes by an
experience of this Sort and if the monitor
referred to was, as we suppose, sent to the
bottom by torpedo, it will not be easy to
continue the activity recently manifested
by the feet.
Reports from Roumania as to the move
ments of the Russian army give q good
reason for the little progress made for some
days past. It was necessary at first to move
rapidly in order to seize some critical points,
and the Russians exhibited great energy
then, but since movements Of that sort have
not been necessary they have saved men
and horses by deliberate slowness of move
ment designed to get the army in the neigh
borhood of the enemy in condition as re-
mote as possible from exhaustion by the
fatigue Of hard marches.
Some additions are made by the CORE
spondence from Vienna to our knowledge
upon the important but obscure subject of
Austrian neutrality. It seems from the facts
presented that Russia and Austria are TAX
ing equal care to respect one another's just
sensibilities as to their mutual relations in
the Danube country. The doubt whether
Austria will really occupy Bosnia and Her
zegovina is still kept open by statements
that she will and counter statements that
she will not.
In the British House Of Commons the
debate on the resolutions presented by
Mr. Gladstone with an experimental inten-
ton is still in progress. Last night Mr..
Goschen made the important observation
that the statement in behalf Of the govern
ment of what England's interests in the East
were did not include the integrity of the
Ottoman territory.