RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 79, 19 February 1877, Page 2

RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS.

A correspondent at St. Petersburg writes, under date October 31, as follows — " Were England on the eve of war, 01 even of undertaking a military occupation the public-, tbanks to the liberty of th< Press, would know almost as much abou the military preparations of the countrj as the War Office itself. Here unfortunately, things are very different and were it not for a few uninteresting scraps of news which the papers an allowed to publish with regard to military matters, we should be all in the dark as t< what is going on in the, Russian army anc navy. What does appesr in the public prints is generally an allusion to some improvement or amelioration in the con< dition of the soldier or sailor ; but should there be any criticisms of an unpleasant nature either in the War Office or the Admiralty, the newspaper daring to give them publication would be immediately warned, and for a third offence, suspended. In these circumstances a stranger in this capital finds it extremely hard to obtain information, and his only chance is to learn the language —no easy matter— and pick up what news he can in conversation with Bussians. It is thus that I have learnt what little it is in my power to convey to you of the present warlike preparations of Russia. The press no longer makes any attempt to disguise the fact that these preparations are now being made on all hands. Large command:) for army clothing are now being executed by the Government contractors, and it is stated that in order to do the work as rapidly as possible, a great many private tailors and shoemakers bare been employed ; 600,000 roubles have, I under* understand, been granted fur the complex tion of the Odessa fortification under the superintendence of General Todleben. I am told that a large force of troops belonging to the army of the Caucasus, ha?e been collected near the Turkish frontier of Asia Minor and that the number of these troops is so great — I am informed it amounts to 40.0UQ men— that they can be hardly looked upon as a corps of obserration, but rather one of offence. General loris Melikoff, an officer well acquainted with that country, has been appointed to command this army, and is at present in Livadia. There can be no doubt that so large a force- on the Armenian frontier, capable as it is of immediate reinforce* ments to any amount from the immense army now in the Caucasus, is a strong menance to Turkey. It looks as if in the event of war, the Russian Government had the intention of following the opinion | expressed some years ago by General Fadayeff, of marching to Constantinople through Asia Minor. Such a movement would have a paralysing effect upon Turkey, for all her best recruits are obtained from that country, and she would be unable to reinforce her European troops from her Asiatic possessions. But although active measures have been taken to send supplies of guns, ammunition, provisions, &a. to the south, I do not believe that this country is yet prepared for a considerable war, and I know that this opinion is shared by some of the most competent judges of military matters in Eussia.