THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR

Evening Star, Issue 4525, 30 August 1877, Page 4

THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR

After driving General Gourka from YeniSaghra to Eski-Saghra, thence through the Balkan passes, the victorious Sulieman Pasha appears to have piessed so closely upon the enemy as to have forced the evacuation of Tirnova, but recently the Russian headquarters in Bulgaria, and to have entered and occupied that city. Tne effect of this brilliant movement on the part of the Turkish general has been to place the Russians within a yet more limited area—to hem them in, as it were, within three Turkish armies. The Russians, however, have now in Bulgaria a quarter of a million of men, but sickness is in their ranks, a fact that must count heavily against them, as it did against the Turks in the early part of the campaign. It will be remembered that in March last the Russians claimed to have massed upon the Turkish frontiers 750,000 men. The armed strength of the Turks at the same period was estimated at 650,000, besides 200,000 in the territorial army without counting some 30,000 Circassians. From the most reliable sources, however, it is estimated that the Turks would be unable, under the most severe pressure, to muster more than 500,000 men of all arms, whilst Russia, calling to her aid all her resources, could put into the field no less than 1,000,000 of men well armed. The respective populalations of the two countries exhibit at a glance the recuperative strength of the one as compared with the other, and it at the same time demonstrates the warlike character of the Turk; for notwithstanding the enormous numerical difference the Ottoman fighting strength reaches halt-a-million, which, in a life-and-death struggle -—that is to say, if the war assumed a religious character—might perhaps be augmented to 750,000 men. As regards the position of the combatants, it would appear that the Russians no longer occupy an inch of ground south of the Balkans, that they have been driven from all the mountain passes, and are falling back upon Plevna, where the Russian position remains, we are told, unchanged, although there has been fighting throughout the province preparatory to the great battle which must presently occur. If the Russians were not in such great force their position would be critical enough, for Sulieman is following them up quickly from the Balkans ; Oarnan Pasha (from Widdin) is on their left, and Mehemet Ali at Osman Bazar is on their right.—'Age.'