New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-22
IN THE CAMPS OF EUROPE.
GERMANY's ENORMOUS STRENGTH ON THE
RUSSIAN FROM TIER
COMPARATIVE STRENGTH OF THH ARMIES
SUPERIOR sTRATEGIcAL POSITION OF
AUSTRIA AND GERM my.

AUSTRIA AND GERMANY.
WARRINGTON. Jan. 21.-At the request OF the corre-
spondeut Of THE TRIBUNE Mr.. Augustus G. Buell. OWL
engineer OF this city, furnishes sketch OF the existing
condition OF the Russian Army and facilities for
mobilization upon the Western frontier Mr.. Buell. re-
turned from Russia last inner. after spending some
tne there In enterprise which brought him into con-
tact with engineers OF the Imperial General sta ana
having had military training and experience nmself
during the Rebellion his observations are of interest
"withou going into tedious detail OF the organization
of the Russian Army" said Mr.. Buell.. 1t may be
promised that the active force in European Russia
which would be available fer Immediate mobilization,
consists first OF the Imperial GulrI AMI the Corps OF
Grenaers second nine corps darnee OF troops OF the
Inc OF all arms; and third the Cossacks OF the Dom
The Guard and the Grenaders have their headquarters
st. Petersburg, does also the First Army Corps
The Second Corps Is at wilma. The Third Corps Ia at
Riga The Sixth Corps is at Warsaw. The Eighth
Corps is at Moscow The Ninth Corps is at Kazan The
Fourth. Fifth Seventh Corps respectively In the
Crmea. in Bess arabia the umahian rontier) AMI In
volhyna Ton the talcian fronterl. The strength OF
the Guards AMI Grenadicrs ia calculated to be 10000,
but IL Is not probable they cou take the field on
short notice with than 30 coo electives Tho
strength of Russian Army Corps il calculated 10 I've
about 10000 OF all arms. aud ts organization shows
larger proportion o: cavalry and smaller pro-
portion o. artillery than usual in the armies OF western
Europe. The force of Don rossacks which could he
instantly moplzed for service tho Western ffOnters
calculated to be 10000 In addition to these forces pro-
videi Turkey remained neutral another complete army
corps could be made up The Army Of the Caucasus
and brought into European Russia either marching
the mountains n vladkavktss or in transports
across the Black from Batpum to Odessa My
observation that the corps are kept pretty
we'll up the paper STANDARD IN numbers. The troops
are fnroughed good deal when Iuie prevails but hey
seldom desert AMI en- all be recalled to the
cors OF a week. without doubt one of the
nine corps in European aussla could take the field with
an effective OF at least $4,000. In the event Of war Win
Austria and Germany the Second Corps at Wilma the
Sixth Warsaw and the Seventh at Kew might be con
slered within immediate striking distance OF the
frontier and of them could be massed at any point
concentration ny rail from Wirbacn the north to
Wooczysk the south.
"Wrbalen is the point where the East Prussan rail-
wav system converrcs Russian frontier 1t is
small town. unfoi tilted, and there is nothing 10 Indicate
its character frontier station except the Custom
House The same s true of Evdtkuhnsn the German
station the line Wooczysk is OF similar descrp
ton and Is the Russian station the line passing
through Gacia via Krakow and Lenhurg. The Russian
lines from Wooczysk inland direct to Odessa In one
direction. and to Kew Knrsk Orel lula and Moscow in
the other. These two points Wirbaen and Wooczysk
mark extremiiies of the western frontier Of Russia
far railway communication is The dis
lance between them in a straight line is about 400
miles, but. owing the westerly projection of Poland
salient the actual frontier line Is nearly 200 miles
long This long frontier is crossed by railways at
Graiewo the BialystOk and KOenigsberg route; at
Mlawa on the Warsaw and Dantzic route; at Alex
antrowo tho Warsaw an Berlin ronte; at Granltza
and SOsnOwitz Krakow, where the Silesan lines
from Bresau aud Poseu AMI the Bohemian line from
Prague and Vienna unite with the Russian trunk lines
to ST. Petersburg, to Moscow and to odessa and at
Radzwillow the route from Vienna via Krakow and
Ia,nb In FrOm
androwo the north to GranitZa the south the
Polish frontier presents OF circle crossed W no
railways from the Russian sle but closely approached
by two lines the German side, which skirt IL at an
average distance of days march. This is the weak
point of the frontier of Russian Poland The Germans
debouche troops rail within days march or any
point It, while the Russians cannot reach 1t in less
than three days march from any point on the two roads
that branch from Skernevicz Junction north to Alex
an lrowo and south to Granitza.
As ayainst n combination OF Germany and Austria,
therefore, Russian POLAND presents the aspect of huge
salient; having thanking positions Of defrnce which
he defended upon diverging lines; which NAV he
attacked By convcrgIng forces at two or more points;
which can only he reinforced and provsionei from the
proper rer; an in which little attention has been
pad construction OF railways to short an hany
crosslnes Of communication on the part of de-
fensive force the other hand the Ger railways
the north anl west faces and the Austrian lines on
the south face of TINS salient skirt II almost entirely
within easy IN rchng distance. while the Russian rail-
roa all approach 1t at right angles. none OF them
skirng it, AZ least with dis-abccs that wout be
deemed practical for parallel movements Of troops
des med TO holl in check on INVASION Of uncertain
Objective. The OF the matter rs, ia view OF the
respective railway systems Of Russia on the one hand
AMI Germany AMI Austria the other, that the latter
possesses a maximu OF avenues Of attack ami NAV
select any OF dozen available points OF concentra
ton for assault eint as the case may be- while the
fnr mi A II
WARS iwl, and upon lines afording the minimum Of
facility for rapid and eas concentration upon any given
point
"We now come" continued Mr. Buell., TO consider the
handle