Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-01-06
AUSTRIA Is ANSWERED
A Russian Newspapers Comparison of
the Military Movements Of
the Two Powers.
THE WAR SCARE
Russia's Reply to Austria.


The st. Petersburg Official Military
Gazette says: Owing TO the alarm
raised by the Austrian press in cOnse-
quence of the transfer of some Russian
cavalry to the Warsaw district, it Is ad-
v1sable TO consider the military position
of Russia and her western frontier
neighbors in order TO throw light upon
the question of who is really preparing
to attack and who for defense. During
the past five years the peace effective of
the German army has been increased
sixty-fve battalions aud 3S4 guns. The
German troops on the Russian frontier
have been increased twenty one battali-
ons of infantry, twenty y-seven batteries
of artillery and fifteen sauadrons of ca
valry. Since 1878 Germany has built IN
the eastern provinces 1850 kilometres of
railroads. There are eleven German
railroads by means of which troops can
be forwarded to the Russian frontier,
and ten junction stations where they can
be rapidly thrown out of trains and CON
centrated. Germany has formed first
class fortresses at Tbron, Poser, Dantz'g
and Konigsberg, and is building a simi-
lar fortress at GraudenZ.
Austria has added nine to the twenty
three infantry divisions which formerly
constituted her effective, and would add,
in the event of the mobilization of the
army, fourteen land-wehr divisions. The
Gallcian gerrisons have been reinforced
during 1887 by eighteen squadrons of
cavalry and thirteen batteries OF artillery,
all provided with full com piement of
horses. In the Austrian districts which
might become the theater of a war with
Russia 4 500 kilOmeters of railroads, with
four branches, have been constructed
since 1873.
six Austrian railways are available for
throwing into Galicla large bodies of
troops who by means &C the new junction
stations can be placed III position on the
Russian frontier. Military huts, depots
and stores are being collected at Lemburg
Przemysl, JawsIaw, Dembitza, Riascheff
and other points. The fOrtresses at
Przemysl and Cracow have been convert
ed into camp fortresses, Russian terri
tory can be bombarded from the Cracow
forts. A large quantity of rolling stock
has been accumulated Al CracOw, adapted
for use on Russian railways.
"All these preparations are meaningless
except in view of offensive tactics, and
show that Austria, under semblance of
defense, is at tho same time preparing to
invade Russia simultaneously with her
ally. But what is Russia doing in view
of her neighbours threatening prepara
tionsY Notwithstanding the maDitei6
danger, Russia considers that a European
war would be a terrible misfortune to all
mankind. She was the first who, amid
her neighbors' feverish armam snts; did
not decreased her defensive forces. In
1881 and 1882 Russia reduced her peace
effective by nearly 100 600 men. True
she raised it again in consequence of the
Afghan affair, and the necessity of i'm
proving her readiness to mobilize when
her neighbors unremittingly raised their
fighting strength. Nevertheless the peace
effective of the Russian army is now 75,
1S5 less than in 1881, while her neighbors
in the same period have raised their peace
effective $4,000. Doubtless Russia, in
the event Of RaI, viii assemble . mighty
army, the concentration of which on the
frontier will be incomp parably more diff
cult for her than will be the concentra-
tion by her neIghbors of their forces at
the same place.