Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
Her Armies on the Austrian and Other
Frontiers, While Germany Looks
on With Jealsus Eye
SOME COUNTER MOVES OF THE KAISER.
Little Siam Bristles Up Against France and Actually
Sends Out GunbOat to Watch the
French Cruisers.
RUMORs OF PARTITIONING THE KINGDOM
rBY CABLE TO THE DIsPATcH.l

LONDON, July 1S.-[Copyrightedl The
Chamber Thursday, although promptly re-
trieved yesterday, has somewhat scared
Europe. But the usual signs of peace have
been unusually abundant this week. Aus
tria, for instance, has decided to put her feet
into condition which will enable it to make
respectable appearance in the Mediterra-
mean in the event of war, and the peace
footing of the French army has been in
creased by 1000 men.
Siam has bravely ordered a gunboat to
proceed to the east coast of the Gulf of
Siam, to ascertain the truth of the report that
France has followed up the aggressive
movement On the mainland by occupying
several small islands. The gunboat's
mission is one of inquiry only, which is
good thing for the vessel, seeing that she
viii meet several French war vessels, any
one of which could pound her into small
sections ct short notice.
Siam in this business is displaying une1-
pected, but not unnatural timidity, due to
the discovery as the result Of confidential
inquiries in Europe that not one power will
give her material help against France. The
Siamese Government, in fact, has reason to
fear that there has been ominous talk in
Europe Of partition" and the only word
of encouragement that has reached Bankok
has come from Pekin.
Russia Strengthening Its Army.
But it is in Russia that the peaceful indi-
cations have been most striking and numer-
Gus. A Vienna correspondent to-day tele-
graphs some specimens Every day, he
says, brings fresh intelligence of what he
describes, of course enormously, as the war
like preparations by Russia A number of
Cadri battalions of the reserve infantry,
garrisoned near the Austrian frontier, have
been transferred into ss many regiments,
by the simple process of doubling their
number up.
This step was only intended to be taken
after the order had been given to mobilize,
and as it is being steadily carried on in all
the Western districts military pouter con-
siders it the beginning of mobilization.
The same writer thus summarizes the pre-
partitions made since 1880; Two new army
corps have been formed. Rife battalions
have been organized. New cavalry divi-
bions and Cossack regiments of the second
levy and one Finnish dragoon regiment,
Cossack infantry battalions and fortress ar
tilIery companies have been created.
Raised 20 War Footing.
Batteries stationed near the Western
frontier have been raised to war footing,
the frontier guards have become regulars,
ana, as already stated, the reserve infantry
has been increased to war footing. There
Ieuaius hardly anything to be done to COM
plete the mobilization except the transfer
ence Of the troops from the interior to the
frontier, and for that purpose a network of
rtragetic lines has been constructed and
double lines have been laid down along the
whole Western frontier from north to south.
The writer says emphatically that the ad-
vantage of the quicker mobilization hitherto
enjoyed By Austria has disappeared, if in
deed that country is not actually behind
hand, It's mobilization requiring three weeks,
whereas Russia's viii be reduced to fort
night, as soon ss all the lines now being
constructed are finished.
Counter Moves by Germany.
German military writers also have their
eyes upon Russian military movements and
sre urging counter preparations, which, it
is said, the peaceful young Kaiser actually
authorized before starting upon his Nor
wegian trip last Tuesday. Following the
now customary argument, it is evident that
the peace of Europe was never more as
sured than now.
The argument is strengthened by the in
teresting announcement that Prince Ferdi- |
nand, of Bulgaria, has become extremely
fat, and in consequence, has been ordered
to take a course of moGatain climb
ing. During his recent stay at
Carlsbad, the Prince drank a prodigious
quantity of the water and walked six hours
daily without reducing his tonnage. Peo-
pie unacquainted with current American
politics contend that fat man cannot be
ambitious, and they expect Ferdinand's
sdipose tissue will occupy his mind for
long time TO come, TO the exclusion of
thoughts about an extention of territory
and other matters irritating to the mighty
7 Iler of Russia