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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5030, 8 May 1877, Page 2

The telegrams from Europe and the seat of war, published in our present issue, will in many respects be found highly important.. Before noticing their importance, however, attention may be drawn to one item of news' contained in them, which seems to demand explanation. That item is as follows :—" The Russians arc gradually advancing into Servia, and have occupied 'Bayargia.'" Now, there is a small town called Bayorgio, in the neighborhood of Bucharest, fully 150 miles from the Servian frontier; but surely if the Russians were advancing into Servia, it would scarcely have been necessary to have mentioned their occupation of this place, and mention would not have been omitted of the crossing by them of the Danube, an act necessary to an advance into Servia. The telegram probably means that the Russians aro advancing through Ronmania, towards the Servian frontier, along the line of railway which leads through Bucharest to Tehernetz on that frontier, and have got. as far as Bayorgio. Or a telegraphist somowhere may have made a mistake, and the telegram may in reality refer to war operations in Asia. By reference to the New Zealand Times map it will be seen that in 1828 the Russians marched from Erivan to Bayazid ; and it is not impossible that they have crossed the Asiatic frontier of Turkey now on another old lino of march, Erivan turning up in the telegrams as Servia, and Bayazid as Bayorgia. The important portion of the telegram is that which seems to indicate that the war may yet draw i?ito active hostilities other European nations. The announcement by Sir Stafford Noethcote, on behalf of the Government, in the British House of Commons, that England would not assent to the exclusion of war vessels from the Suez Canal, would appear to point to an idea on the part of the English Government that Great Britain may require to use the canal for her own war vessels. Then comes the statement of The Times as to troops of all arms in' very considerable numbers being required for service abroad, whilst military preparations are being pushed forward in the English arsenals and dockyards. The notification that Austria, whilst remaining neutral, reserves liberty of action to protect her own interests, is in accord with the traditional policy of that country when war has occurred between Russia and Turkey. Her past policy, as Major Russell observes, exhibits a strange mixturo of weakness, indecision, temporary boldness, and chronic fear. Aa will bo seen by our maps, tho concentration of an Austrian force on her eastern frontier would at any time be a bar to Russian attack on Turkey. In former days sho has exhibited little sympathy with tho latter Powor, but since her war with Germany sho has been left with the bulk of her subjects Hungarian, whose sympathy with Turkey is well known, and was shown not long since by their presentation of a sword of honor to the successful Turkish commander in the Servian war. It is not unlikoly that under these circumstances Austria may vacillate towards tho Turkish side, and in her own interests interfere to prevent a permanent Russian occupation of the Principalities.