MAIL ITEMS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5032, 10 May 1877, Page 3

MAIL ITEMS.

It is officially stated at Belgrade that the Servian losses during the late war with Turkey amounted to 8000 killed and 20,000 wounded. For some time past American journals have been discussing the advantages which a RussoTurkish war will have for the trade and industry of America. The running out of cruisers with Russian letters of mark is looked forward to, and the expectation is expressed that Russia will repudiate the Paris Declaration of 1856. American industry will largely profit, indeed, is profiting, by the demand upon it from Russia and Turkey for small arms and cartridges. A supply of Colt’s rifle machinery has arrived in Russia, where it is turniug out large numbers of rifles for the use of the army, and up to Christmas 3,000,000 had been manufactured by them. During the past year Russia imported from another American firm 100,000 pistols. In addition 20,000,000 of the so-called “ Russian cartridges” have been made in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and machinery to make them having been sent to Russia, 400,000 cartridges are being made daily at St. Petersburg and Moscow. On the other hand the Turkish Government has contracted to be supplied by a Rhode Island company with 800,000 Martini-Henry rifles, of which 450,000 have already been shipped. The Foreign Office has published as a Parliamentary paper the following copy of a telegram addressed by the Earl of Derby to Sir Henry Elliot:—“Foreign Office, 29th August, 1876, 11.55 p.m. I think it right to mention, for your guidance, that the impression produced here by the events in Bulgaria has completely destroyed sympathy with Turkey. The feeling is universal, and so strong that even if Russia were to declare war against the' Porte, j her Majesty’s Government would find it practically impossible to interfere. Any such event would place England in a moat unsatisfactory situation. Peace is, therefore, urgently necessary. Use your discretion as to the language which you shall hold, but you will see how essential it is that the Turkish Ministers should be alive to the situation, and that you cannot be too strong in urging upon the Porte a conciliatory disposition.”