Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-11-05

1t 1t require to be manufactured in
careful manner, but the use of the or
binary white PHOSPHORUS should be pro-
hibited by law.
THE ITALIAN ARMY.
Well-Disciplined Military, Establishment
king Humbert's Popularity With the
Soldiers.
Apropos of the army, it may be worth
while observed that it is on a very re-
markable footing indeed, writes a Milan
| correspondent of the San Francisco
Chronicle. l believe l am revealing no
very confidential secret by stating that
it owes much of its proficiency to certain
eminent German officers, whose services
were some time ago privately taken ad-
vantage of and handsomely remunerated
by the Italian authorities. As result of
such valuable assistance, might point to
the fact that the most rigid discipline is
now exacted in every military barracks
in the land. A young lieutenant of my
acquaintance was only the other day put
under arrest and kept in close contine-
ment for week having been ten seconds
| too late for the morning parade. Priyates
are often severely punished for forget
! ting to salute officers on the streets; and
| some of the unfortunate wights who hap
| pen to pass without seeing any of their
! hierarchial chiefs are piteously sent to
vegetate on bread and water for several
! days in order that they may be taught to
| keep their eyes open in taking their daily
| promenades. | have often seen little
| beardless prOupiouS, as the French call
! them, twisting and turning their heads in
/ all directions, like SO many Punch and
! Judies in the large Piazze del Duems of
| this CITY, in search of some officer whom
! they might salute, and trembling with
| fear and apprehension least at times they
may be caught mapping. Hence the sly
and astute private ~ho wants to enjoy his
| stroll saunterS into the by-lanes and al
| legs, where he can smoke his cigar in
peace without straining his unfortunate
eyes for a glimpse of a captain or col
onel. The regular Italian army numbers
some 100000 men. The favOrite colors
in the batallions are orange and blue, re
lieved with gray.
On the whole the soldiers here are far
better dressed than either the BelgiaEs
and French. The latter, for instance,
look far from picturesque in their blue
tunlcs and red baggy pantaloons, and as
for the Belgians, | consider them very
slOvenly and quite lost to any promptings
of self-respect in the way of personal APP
pearance or apparel. The italian troops,
however, are rigidly clean and tasty in
their exterior, and in rank and file pro-
duce a very pleasant effect on the eye.
| During the hot summer months they are
compelled to put on white stuffs to pro-
tect them against the sun. rays, and to
wear caps of the same color. private's
pay is l soldo or cent per day; that of
a corporal is 2. Sub-ieutenants' lieuten-
ants, and captains are very poorly re-
munerated, and consequently can not
| ''amuse" themselves to the same extent
as officers of the same grade in other
countries, Italian officers are even more
ticklish than officers usually are on the
point of honor. The exchange of equi-
vocal or suspicious chances leads to a word
or pistol ARRAY, and it is only quite lately
that two generals belonging to the gar
rison in this city Tough a duel over some
very trifing question that they happened
to be debating. | found in the men, as
well as in the officers, an almost chival-
rous regard for King Humbert. No mon
arch-not excepting Wilhelm of Germany
is so popular with his troops as the
present representative of the house of
Savoy. The reason for this prediction is
obvious to everybody who has followed
the fate and fortunes of Italy for the last
thirty or forty years. Victor Emmanuel,
Humbert's father. was never more at
home than when he was at the head of
his troops. He had a passionate liking
for the army. He reioiced in its Joys
and SOrrowed in its sorrows. Besides, he
was physically brave and daring, and
never shrank from the brunt and danger
of battle. Where his troops were there
he was himself, encouraging them by
precept and example to be true to their
colors.
Victor Emmanuel, moreover, had none
of that dogmatic insolence or hauteur
which often goes near freezing the warm
feelings of subordinates. While he never
forgot the dignity of the rank he held,
and never countenanced any undue famil-
| larity, he would chat as freely with the
humblest private as he would with the
commandant. He examined many of the
personal grievances of the troops, and
where he found them worthy of attention
! he invariably addressed them. Personal
ly, therefore, he did much to make the
army love and esteem him, but politically
he did more. He it was who freed Naples
from the shameless tyranny of King Bonn
! ba, and who was one of the chief instru-
ments in gathering all the Italian provin-
ces into the common food. at re liberia
TORE as he was called, was the first king
of united Italy, the man by whose genious
the great union was effected between jarr-
ing tribes and factions, and in accord
ance with whose teachings Lombardian
! and Venetian, Roman and Florentine
! Piedmontese and Neapolitan alike were
drilled into the idea that they were all
sons of one motherland and heirs to the
! greatness and glory that contributed at
one time to make the City of the Seven
| Hills the mistress of the then unknown
universe. And when Victor Emmanuel
! passed away his son Humbert followed
| scrupulousiy in the hberatOr's footsteps.
! From his earliest childhood he was train
| ed up to look on his father as a model
| whose conduct he should initiate, and he
| has succeeded so well in initiating it in
! his dealings in with the army that there
! Is hardly man in the rank and file who
would not offer up his life to save that of
the monarchy, if such a holocaust were
Necessary.
| a private's pay is, as | said, l soldo or
| csnt per day, while the non commission
! ed officer has not very much more. With
| out financial assistance, therefore, from
their parents or relativet, these poor fell
! lows would be very unfortunate indeed.
As tobacco is government monopoly in
| this country it is sold at one-fourth its
value to the soldiers, and around each of
the large barracks the many-colored tents
where they can have iced sirups and other
| harmless drinks for a few confines a
! glass. The public parks in the cities and
the squares in small towns are the favor
! lite resort of the sons of Mars. Here in
! Milan have witnessed scenes exactly
| similar to those that met my gaze ia
Paris, the big, hurley dragoon bending
over the nurse and snatching an odd kiss
or two from her pouting lips, while the
baby squealed and groaned over such a
! fragrant improperly; the dapper little
| foot soldier walking arm in arm with
| servant maid out for a holiday, and a
| stray old colonel making an arch buffoon
of himself pouring his passionate words
of eternal love and fidelity into the ears