Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-08-19
MEXIC0'S WAR STRENGTH.

hEAlSO . w An SIhENUiH.
Able TO Keep 100000 Men in the FieId-The
Task of Whipping Our Neighbor Republic
Much More Difficult Than People Appear to
Suppose.
New York Herald
Should the United States be compelled
to whip Mexico into compliance with her
international obligations, we would find
the task much more difficult one than
people appear to suppose. Some of our
military men and others who may be
looked upon as leaders of public opinion,
laugh at the idea that the sister
republic could offer any considerable re-
sistance to an American armed force, and
in support of thir opinions they are fond
of repeating the fact that General Scott
captured the city of Mexico with a field
force of about $4,000 men. People who
think that such ar undertaking could be
successfully attempted now are quite
astray in their calculations. When the
American army occupied Mexico it had
only to deal with the thoroughly unpop-
ular, corrupt and tyrannical dictator
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
So very much disguised were the Next
cans with the ruinous rule of this despot
that the majority of them looked upon
the invading Americans rather in the
light of friends and deliverers from bond
age than of national enemies. This con-
d1t1on is now changed altogether. Mexi-
co has fought her way to Federal Con-
stitution. She defeated the French in
vading army of about $4,000 men. She
speedily put down the monarchial con-
splracy to establish an empire within her
borders, and has succeeded wonderfully
n 81 GslcL-
consolidating her political Institutions
and IN organizing most efficient, welh-
equipped army.
Mexico contains at the present time a
populations of over 1900, 900. 1t is true
that seven-tenths of this population are
composed of dociIe Indians or half
breeds, but it must not be forgotten that
this same class of people furnishes most
excellent fighting material. They can
live on the smell of an oil-rag, march al
most increditable distances, suffer all
sorts of hardships uncomplainingly, and
are, as a general rule, fearless of death.
If Mexico could apply to her people the
same principles Of military organization
that are applied in Germany, France and
some other European nations, she could
place in line an army of not less than
100000 fighting men. The financial re-
sources of the country would not, how
ever, admit of the calling to arms of more
than one-half of this number of men at
one time. Thus, while the resisting pow
er of Mexico might be set down as about
100000 men, to be employed successfully,
as occasion might require, she could
hardly by her greatest effort, place in
at any one period over 100000
soldiers.
TOurinC, Tho vuitl nd ruI+
Macmillan, the government of Juarez
had under arms $4,000 poorly equipped
troops; but this was at a period when the
old Church party had at least $4,000
Mexican men under arms in the service
of France and of the Archduke Maximil-
ian.
This shows that even in those DAYS,
when scarcity of arms and not lack of
men, afforded an inadequate measure
of Mexico's fighting power, she had
under one or the other of the
contending parties an aggregate of 1872
900 men.
The army of Mexico is organized in a
method analogous to that of France. It
is in four divisions, each under the com
mand Of q General of Division, rank
that corresponds to that of Major General
in the American service, the highest grade
that can be attained in the Mexican army.
Some of the best known Generals of Di-
visions are Porgrio Diaz, President of the
Republic; Mariana Escopedo, the conquer
er of Macmillan; Ramon Corona, Felipe
B. Berriozabal, Sostenes Rocha, Pedro
Hinojosa, the Minister Of War; Manuel
Gonzalez ex-President; Geronimo TreV-
inc, Jose Justo Alvarez, Ignacio Antillon,
and dezen of others, more or less.
Some of these general officers, such as
Sostenes Rocha, Jose JustO Alvarez and
Ignacio Antillon, are graduates of the
Chapultepec National Military Academy.
while the others attained their rank
through long -continued and distinguished
services. EscObedo is now on the retired
list, and Corona and Gonzalez are not on
very cordial terms with the present Gov
eminent. Profrio Diaz is by far the most
brilliant and successful commander that
his country can boast of. He is a revolu-
zionist by profession and prediction, and
somewhat of tyrant by nature. Some Of
his operations in and around the. City of
Puebla during the last days of Maximil-
lan's reign were of such a character, al
though on smaller scale, as to entltle
them to be compared with those of Bona
parties first italian campaign.