THE MOBILISATION OF THE AUSTRIAN ARMY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 984, 21 August 1877, Page 3

THE MOBILISATION OF THE AUSTRIAN ARMY.

J A well-informed contributor to the Auck- ; land " Herald " writes to that journal regarding the news that the Austrian army was about to be mobilised. He points out that this action of hers shows that she apprehends danger, and means to be on her guard against it. But from whence comes this danger ? is the natural remark. Europe, and foremost amongst its Powers, England, has replied to that query, and states that it "comes from Russia, who under the pretence of succouring the Christians under Turkish rule, is aiming to establish one of her dynasty on the throne of Constantino. The consummation of such an event would, in no very distant time, lead to the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This is the danger Austria apprehends ; hence the mobilisation of her army ; and a cursory view of her power, combined with the strategical position she occupies in antagonism to Russia, may not be unncceptable to your readers. The Austrian forces are divided into three classes, the army, the Landwehr, andtheLandsturm. All subjects of the Empire are liable to service. The soldier has to serve ten years, three of which are in the army, seven in the reserve, a further two years in the Landwehr. The Emperor is commander-in-chief of the land and naval forces. Eor the ordinary purposes of peace, the strength of the army in all its branches is 283,125 ; on war footing, 744,144, divided into the following arms :—lnfantry, 485,410 ; jagers, 58,753 ; cavalry, 58,671; artillery, 71,874 ; engineers, 30,899; military train, 30,899. The Landsturm will bring three hundred odd thousand to their colors.

During the past ten years permanent preparations have been made for mobilisation. The stores are ready and other resei'ves could be called in at a moment's notice. The soldier belongs to a certain regiment in which ho and his district have ties and sympathies; but he may have a long way to travel ere he rejoins his regiment. The infantry of tbe Austrian army *has always been admired, from the physique of its men, and their neat soldierlike bearing. Formerly they were dressed in white; since the war of 1866 in dark blue. They are all armed with the Mauser breech-loader. The cavalry for years past has stood par excellence as the first in Europe, and it is officered by the nobility of the land. The excellence of the light cavalry has been a theme for admiration all over the Continent, the Hungarian horses being unrivalled for such purposes. The artillery was always the weak point of the Austrian army, and the campaign of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian war brought its glaring defects prominently before them. After several experiments with various guns, especially the Krupp Runs, the authorities arrived at the disagreeable conclusion that there were no steel manufactories capable of undertaking the work in Austria, and they did not care to go abroad for them. General Uchatius, of their artillery, invented a gun, which, after manifold experiments, proved to be all that could be desired. The old gun metal was made use of, and in three years the entire artillery has been changed—stated to be at a cost of £25 per gun so that from being the worst armed in Europe, the Austrian artillery is now the best. The engineers and staff are a highly educated and scientific corps ; in fact, no efforts have been spared during the past ten years to bring the army to a state of perfection. This is the army that is being mobilised — and mobilisation means the placing of the whole, or part of the army, on a war footing —that is to say that the army, or any of its component parts, could take the field at a moment's notice.

The Austrian Empire, lying in the heart of Europe, is surrounded, from Cracow, in the north, to the point where the Danube enters Wallachia (at Orsova) by Russia and the Danubian principalities in occupation of the Russians, which is about half the circumference of Austria. Should Russia succeed in her present war with Turkey, the Slavonian element in Scrvia and Bosnia will gravitate towards Russia, and thus Austria will find her southern frontier Russian or Russianised. There is no notion in Europe more bitter against Russia than the Hungarians, for it was to the Russian General, Paskievitch, that Gorgcy had to surrender at Villa jos in 184l>. The Poles of Gallicia arc not behind hand in their hatred ; the Polish insurrection of 186-1 proves such to be the case. So that in the event of war between the two Empires, there will be a good accord between the peoples of Austria. Erom Vienna there is a line of railway running to Cracow, in Grallicia, and thence to the frontier of Russia at Brody and Tarnapol. Erom Pesth, the capital of Hungary, there are several lines spreading out like a fan, running north, to the Carpathian mountains; different points in the south are also connected by the iron road with the capital of Hungary. In the month of August, 1854, Russia had to evacuate the Principalities, or suffer the penalty of war with Austria. EieldMarshal Baron Hess, commander-in-chief of the Austrian army, assembled an army, in Grallicia, of over 200,000 men. The majority of these troops were m echalon between Brody and Lcmburg and Tarnapol and Lemburg. The writer of this paper, then in the Austrian army, was present with that army, which was supposed, in case of necessity, to operate against Kiev on the Dnieper. Another strong army lay between Cracow and Tarnow with the view of operating in Russian Poland. Czernowitz in the Bukovina, Hormanstadt in Transylvania, Old Orsova in the Banat, south Hungary, were the other points of assembly of the army. The situation of 185-1. differs little from that of 1877. The strategical points of attack remain the same, as long as the Russians hold the Principalities. It is to be doubted, however, whether Austria means to enter into war at once with Russia. Ear from it; her present aim undoubtedly is the occupation of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and may bo Servia ; and her object in so doing will be to prevent the extension of the power of Russia, or of the satellites of Russia, on her southern frontier, and prevent collision between the various races occupying these parts of Turkey. By so doing, she will release some few thousands of Turks, who can be more profitably employed in tin; Balkans. That she will incur the displeasure of the Russians is evident, which may at any moment lead to war. This may b'j inferred from the massing of some of her troops in Dalrnatia, at Cattaro and Ragusa. The friendly feeling between the Cabinets of St James and Vienna lea one to infer that Austria is the ally hinted at by Earl Beaconsfield, and it is curious to see them both arming the very moment that Turkish affairs seemed critical. Every periodical and paper in Great Britain warned Russia against setting " the ball in motion, as ho would bo a wise inan to say whore it would stop."