RUSSIA PREPARING FOR WAR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1829, 1 May 1888, Page 4

RUSSIA PREPARING FOR WAR

The following enmmunioation from a correspondent at KiefF appeared m the "St Jamas' Gazatte" on March 13th, having been written five days earlier :— However emphatic aud apparently sincere the assurances givea by Russia that she is bent on pursuing a policy of peace, however satisfactorily it may be shown that she has absolutely cothin^ to gain ar.d everything to loss by trying conclusions with Austria, It la none the leas a fact that we are on the eve of war. As the expreesion of an opi lion, this, no I doubt, ia not new *o these who follow the inarch of political events, and are capable of translating the dialect of diplomacy into the everyday laagaage m which the story of Russia's military movements is Bet forth by foreign correspondents and commented on by the Preset. But what follows is something more thaa a mere subjective reading of events by one who has carefully studied them ; and m any case It is based on a large number of significant and perfectly trustworthy facts, O^e or two of which cannot but interest t ie public m England. To begin with the least convincing : Two well-known generals, fresh from the Council Chamber of St Petersburg (where they have been constantly closeted with the War Minister, General Vanncflfjdy), and who will command 20,000 men each m the coming war, have mentioned May as the data for hostilities to commence ; and this m such circumstances of time, place, and surroundings as to leave no doubt of their sincerity, and still less of their acquaintaoca with the toplo of conversat'on. Of course, as long as' the" issue Is contingent on the will of one man, no foiecaat can be wholly free from the element of doubt, and tangible facts are our safest gnide m the matter. The following one is significant : — Some time ago considerable numbers of troops were transported by two steamers of the Russian Black Sea Steamship Company from Batoum and Poti. and landed m a surreptitious manner iv the neighborhood of Scbaatopol, not far from where special trains awaited them. They were than dispersed, co as to arouao as little suspicion as possible. These troops are now being gradually brrught up to the frontier — aoma to Bessfnbia, others to the Austrian frontier. Trains carrying them run occasionally at huuiS when trains do not generally run, and tnoffstorras, which have been rather plentiful of late, are welcoma as nature 1 allies. The laEt trains before a line la officially declared blocked and the first few trains before it is officially re-opened carry the troops. Toere are, besides, large numbers of troops just now between Tula and Brcat-Liionsk, wending their way by easy stages and m Bmail parties m the direction ofJIIefF and the Southwest* | EMzibethgrad, a city of 43,000 inhabitants m the government ot Kherson, ■within easy distance of the River Dniestr, is the headquarters of the South (Russian Cavalry. The Bprinkling of foreigners m the population is practically nill, so that less disguise is necessary ia going forward with military preparations than elsewhere. Among the signs and tokens m which this district abounds is the purchase of oavalry horses on a large ecale. They are not being bought exclusively nor even mainly In the vicinity of EHzibethgrad ; the other districts of Kherson and other governments supply a large proportion. The hortei are being m reality expropriated, for the sale is compulsiry, whereby the prices paid range from 50 to 15) loublea (from £4 to £12), and are always leaß than that fixtd by tho tariff drawn up by the Governmeut m 1884. Cavalry accoutrements, arorif?, vto., are being wrocght, repaired, furbished up ; blacksmitha are working literally day and night, and the followers of Wleland'a noble handicraft have never knonn bueier or batter days than the present. Lastly, the preliminaries of pntting the harbor cf Ode;sa m a state o? defence are being carefully carried out, In aa far as the weather does not prove an obstacle. The plan of defence heretofore accepted by the Ministry hai been thrown BBide, acd a new one is bfelng worked out. It i* only a question cf tho number of torpedoes, the places where they are to, be sunk, eto ; which was determined long Bgf f but is being changed again now. The feeling In the country is nniversal that the Government is merely temporising till the frost and snow disappear. As. oooa ps the weather clears up a little Russia's intention will became more evident. I.i I