EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 78, 10 December 1887, Page 3

EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.

RUSSIA MASSING TBOOPS. AUSTRIA ACTIVE. ALLIANCE CHALLENGES RUSSIA. ViSNN*, December 9. With reference to the massing of troops on the Austrian frontier by Russia, Austria states that if there is further aggressive action she will resort to responsive measures Bkbiin, Deo. 9. It in reported here that the Triple Alliance has asked Russia to explain her reason for massing troops in the vicinity of the Austrian frontier.

" Puff " thus comments on this subject An enormous Russian force is stationed along the Austrian frontier I What the dickens are these confounded Russians after ? They can hardly mean going to war now! Why the whole country must be frozen up like a brick ! If it is’n’t vet it will be shortly! January and February are the worst months! There's one thing, though! If war broke out now, the Austrians or Germans would feel the hardships marching eastward more than the Russians would marching westward ! Yes, that’s true I An'invasion of Russia at this time of the year would be next to impossible, whilst an advance into Austria would be like a summer excursion, by comparison ! I bet you Bismarck and Moltke have got a little scheme of operations already for the Russians, though, summer or winter! Oh yes, the Russians are bound to get the most awful hammering if they go into a scrimmage with the Triple Alliance ! And they must know it I That’s why I don’t think there’ll be any warl Nothing will bring it about but the desperate state of Russia’s internal affairs ! The Czar and his friends may have no choice but between a disastrous war and a bloody revolution 11 see there’s been a bit of a shake up at Petersburg ! Several Nihilist dynamite factories discovered and severe fighting result ! Ah, things are moving along ! Severe fighting’s a new feature ! Hitherto, the Nihilists have worked in secret and surrendered without a blow when discovered !