THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5136, 8 September 1877, Page 2

THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR

(DATES VIA SAN FRANCISCO TO JULY 15.)

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) San Francisco, August 15. As you will doubtless have heard before this, the Russians have suffered severe reverses in Bulgaria. THE RUSSIAN DEFEATS are all traceable to the disaster at Plevna. The purpose of the Russian generals obviously was to wheel around their right and left wings to a line parallel with the Balkans, taking Tirnova as a pivot, and thus to force Osman Pasha and Mehemet Ali back across the mountains orr their respective lines of retreat. This accomplished Osman Pasha and Mehemet Ali were to be prevented from effecting a junction by the forces under General, Gourka, which were in the meanwhile to establish themselves south of the Balkans. The Russian campaign would then have been in no danger of failure or serious interruption. THE PROMENADE ACROSS THE DANUBE and over the Balkans, while the Turks remained idle in their camps and fortresses, was sufficient to justify the idea of the Russians that they had only to advance to ensure that the Turks would retreat. It was this feeling that led the Russians into the fatal ambush of Plevna, and which again sent an inferior force to aveugo that disaster on a victorious army in fortified positions. The result was that the Russians have been checked in their campaign, and cannot make any progress until they have shaken off Mehemet Ali and Osman Pasha from their flanks; and meanwhile Gourka’s army was defeated by the concentration and organisation of Sulieman Pasha’s army. The Roumanian railway all this time was monopolised by the despatch of reinforcements from the camp at- Kischeneff. It is alleged that the Dobrudsoha will be almost wholly evacuated, and Zimmerman’s corps will return via Sistova to the central army.

THE TURKISH PLAN is believed to be for Osman Pasha to fight his way eastward, and Mehemet Ali to advance westward up to Tirnova, while Sulieman Pasha endeavors to force the Russian position at the Shipka Pass. But in doing this Osman Pasha must expose his left flank to the risk of being turned from the direction of Nioopolis, thus facilitating the Russian plan of pivoting on Tirnova, aud forcing him to retire behind the Balkans. Mehemet Ali would incur the same danger from the Russians between Eustchuk and Rnsgrad, while Sulieman Pasha must attack the Russians in positions of their own choice. It is supposed that the Turkish plan does not look very promising unless the Russians aid it by mistakes like those at Plevna. But it may with skilful handling serve to keep the Russians in check until campaigning season is over, which would be for the Turks next thing to absolute victory. Both Russia and Turkey are submitting to a terrible strain on their resources to win a decided advantage in this campaign. It would seem, from apparently well authenticated reports of MURDER AND RAPINE by the Baahi-Bazouks, Bulgarians, and Cossacks, that the war is fast assuming a character of savage cruelty which threatens to make it a war of extermination for all the inhabitants of the territory involved, whether Christian or Mahommedan. THE GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS displays remarkable energy in moving rapidly from place to place, and inspiring confidence in his troops. WITH REGARD TO PLEVNA, a Times’ London special, dated August 11, says the Russians have 85,000 men before Plevna, and are preparing to carry the position regardless of cost. The works have been greatly strengtnened since the last great

battle, and the morale of the Turks has been improved by the late victory. ' THE HUS SI AN DIFFICULTY is found in the raising of troops. In Russian Poland all the men from eighteen to forty-five years of age are being registered preparatory to calling out a general levy. The Russians experience a serious difficulty in. filling j the ranks ’of the landwehr, in consequence of the reluctance with which mencome forward. With a view to obviate this, the Government issued a notice that men will not" be required to go to the front, but merely to take the place at home of the reserve and garrison troops. The manner in which the landwehr is constituted legally precludes their employment out of Russia Under - the present call. The city of Moscow is forming a volunteer legion, which it proposes to support until the end of the war. Marines continue to be sent south, ward from Cronstadt to join the fighting army. After SULIESIAN pasha’s SUCCESS AT ESKI SAGHBA the Russians were pursued by the Turkish forces as far as Hainbaghay. The Grand Duke Nicholas determined to convert the campaign from a political into a more military one. It has been the plan of the Russians hitherto to occupy a large tract of land and the greatest number of towns possible in the enemy’s country, so that when peace might be concluded they might dictate conditions on the basis of accomplished facts. THE GBAND DUKE NICHOLAS ■was nearly captured at the late defeat of the Russians at Eski Saghra. Dinner had been prepared for him at Kesanlik, but he departed without partaking of it. Ahmet Pasha, who surrendered , Nicopolis to , the Russians, was afterwards interned at Orual, and committed suicide. The Chicago Times’ London special correspondent says the information as to THE ATROCITIES created a very strong anti-Turkish feeling in England. A powerfulßnssian party is growing, and'assuming a position of prominence. Public sentiment now favors the subjugation of the Turks, and the settlement of terms of peace by Europe afterwards. IK ASIA the intention of the Russians is to advance from Ardahan, and their outposts have been already pushed on as far asPennek. Another division is marching to a position which commands the road from Batum [to Olti. The third column, composed of fresh forces, is occupying the line of the Adjora river, south of Batum. This points to an evident intention to advance, possibly even to Erzerum, and to carry out the campaign with a sweeping flank and rear movement on Mukhtar Pasha’s army before Kars, which will be covered by attacks in front, conducted by General Loris Melikoff’s forces at Kurukdara, supported by General Tergnkassoff, who is believed to be somewhere on the River Arras south of Kars. The latter plan is .more probable than the advance on Erzerum, if, indeed, the whole movement on Olti is not a feint to distract Mukhtar Pasha’s attention from what is going on in front. But as a feint might be converted into a real attack, Mukhtar cannot afford to ignore it. He will therefore be forced to detach a considerable number of men from his army to guard the base of the triangle formed by Ardahan, Kars, and Olti, whilst the Russians are able to direct their operations from the apex at Ardahan against any portion of the base, and, assisted by General Tergutassoff, cut Mukhtar’s connection with Erzerum, and force him to fall back upon it or into Kars.

A telegram from Constantinople reports that a portion of the Turkish Batum army is embarking for Varna to reinforce Mehemet Ali, so that the Porte must feel sufficient confidence in the strength of Mukhtar Pasha’s central column and position to throw upon it the entire burden of resisting Melikoff's second invasion. A correspondent at Nicopolis sends the following : THE ATTITUDE OF ENGLAND.A message from Lo .don dated 9th August says the Earl of Peversham in the House of Lords and Mr. Bentinck in the House of Commons consented, at the request of the Government, to refrain from calling attention to the Eastern Question, as being disadvantageous to the public service. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs said: “There have been no negotiations between England and Austria regarding the mobilisation of Austrian troops in case of Roumania or Servia participating in hostilities, or the Russians entering Se. via. The Government knows nothing of direct negotiations between the Czar and the Sultan, therefore there is no ground for protesting. Ido not know whether Austria has communicated with Russia or Turkey on the subject.” In the House of Lords Earl Beaoonsfield said : “ When this cruel and destructive war commenced, her Majesty’s Government announced that it should adopt a policy of strict neutrality on condition that British interests were not imperilled. To that declaration Russia has returned an answer which I think I am authorised in describing as conciliatory and friendly to a communication in which we defined what we considered to be our interests. The Government has no reason to doubt that Russia will honorably observe the conditions which were the subject of that correspondence ; but whatever be the case, the maintenance of ■ these conditions is the policy of the British Government.”

ITEMS. Eight thousand Bulgarian refugees are starving at Selvi. The services of Colonel Baker were secured by Lieut.-General Mehemet Ali. He has gone to the front with three other well-known English officers. ' The Austrian Government made a declaration through its agents that in the present condition of affairs in the East, the project of occupying Bosnia and Herzegovina is abandoned. This is attributed to numerous meetings in Hungary in favor of the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. German sentiment is growing hostile* to England, and a high authority, to be relied upon, says her policy as to the occupation of the Dardanelles will not be permitted. The Russians are concentrating in great force on the Lom River.

According to official news ndplc, Mehemet Ali intends to convert Rasgrad into a fortified camp. The forces concentrated in the neighborhood consist of forty-eight battalions of infantry, fifteen batteries of artillery, and eighty-two squadrons of cavalry, altogether 40,000 men