Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-05-19
CHILEAN SOLDIERS.
THE FAULTS IN THEIR ARMY ORGAN
IzATroS.

IzATioS.
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Tho news that n whole regiment and
three hntialions Of Infantry stationed
near Plsagua, Chill, have shot their
officers aud gone over 10 their in-
surgcnts Is generally regarded rs
especially Ominous for the CHILEAN
government, who has fewer troops 10
lose than usually has been supposed.
Even on paper the entire standing
army OF Chill contains bur 5TiO men
and a95 officers. These troops arc IN.
cluded In eight battallons Of infantry,
one battalion Of eappers and miners,
three regiments Of cavalry, two regime
ents OF Held artillery aud one battalion
OF coast artillery.
This force was distributed nj the
breaking out OF the revolution ms fol.
lows: In the northern provinces,
Tacna, Iquiqui aud Antofagasta. two
battalions, ono regiment OF cavalry aud
one regiment Of artillery; near the
middle Of the country, that IA, DO.
tween Valparaiso and Santiago, three
battallons, two regiments ofcavalfy,tw
brigades of artillery and one brigade Of
coast artillery; 10 the south three bat
talions, n battalion OF sappers and
Miners and one regiment OF cavalry.
The effective strength Of the Gillian
army, however, falls far below these
firure.. In $500 II was estimated nj
only .SO5 mon; since, during the per-
Tod between January lst and Novem-
bcrist, HOS privatcs had deserted.
This rather desperate state of affairs
IL due 10 several faults OF army organic.
alton "a well rs 10 the persistent Inter-
ference OF Influential politicians IN the
technical management OF the soldiers.
In tho fret place Chill IN the only
county In the world that unites \
regular volunteer service with an obi.
gatory militia service. All members OF
the regular army receive liberal pay,
after the system prevalent IN the Unit.
ed States. Once enlisted, however,
the soldiers not hold ~ strictly 10 the
duties OF the service ~ with US. by
the personal influences OF friends, by
petty bribery, and m hundred other
ways, he may secure his relcase with.
out incurring arrest for descrtion.
At the head Of the CHILEAN military
organization stands minister Of war.
This minister Is known among tho
Foreigners In Chill as the "nomadic
official" In the Gillian cabinet. IL IL
by no means infrequent that CHILEAN
ministry falls Ave or six months after
It's organization. Often, indeed, min.
listers resign four or five weeks after
having been named for office. This
ficklene-s Of the head administrator,
combined with the division Of rcspop-
sibility between him and two Inspector
generals, Ia regarded m one Of tho
most fruitful causes Of the demoraliza.
tlon OF tho regular service. This drill,
moreover, IL conducted on the most
antiquated lines. The cavalry for
Instance. follow the Spanish regula-
ton OF 1900. The weapons ofthe troops
on the other hand, are modern. The
artillery has krupp guns, and the in.
iantry Maunlicher rifles.
The arsenals aud repair shops are
under the supervision Of German OIL
GERS. The Gillian militia has nominal
strength Of is.d0s prIvates and 2li0
officers. Last year, however, only 1855
officers and q, 700 men could bc found
for duty. All the rest Ind "disap-
peared," the technical expression In
Chill for dcsertion. A source OF weak
hess OF the recruiting service In Chill
In the law that whoever serves as a
volunteer fireman shall he exempt from
| bburuliohhs AAtutN ~ IN tuut
Chill has the largest and most willing
force OF volunteer firemen Of ali coun.
tries In the world.
Despite NIL tho deficiencies OF the or
ganixation, and the Wide gaps In every
division Of the army, tho CHILEAN army
n far from being as completely lnelli-
Client 90 the armies of most Of the
nelghboring States. The Gillian soldier
has two inherent qualities which rem.
der him superior 10 all other South
Americans, as well rs 10 many Euro
peans on the battlefield. He has
wonderful endurance and fcw needs
With little water and few
bites OF bread he IL able 10 preserve his
strength throughout forced marches
OF which the European soldier hardly
dreams. During the last war with
Peru he showed this quality Of endur-
ance 10 remarkable degree. Con.
siderable bodies OF CHILEAN Infantry
marched frequently thirty miles day.
Gillian cavalry, moreover, often
covered, marching day and night,
sixty miles mt n stretch.
The explanation Of this exceptional
physical energy OF the cavalry IN 10 be
found In the fact that every CHILEAN IL
at home On horseback, and that the
horses have staying powers when ON
the gallop (the only gait the cavalry
knowH) which European horses never
attain 10. The common conclusion,
however, that the ChilIans aro weak
on their feet because strong on horse.
back II entirely false. Not only IL the
average CHILEAN horseman an excep.
tionalIy per-everlng pedestrian. hut
often the fastest foot courier In the
world. The regular militia couriers
nre frequently able TO cover between
nfty and sixty milss "a day, and a
CHILEAN private OF only slightly extra
ordinary running ability has been
known TO make, often under u load ~