The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-04-22
THE SOLDIERS OF CHILL
THEY HAVE WONDERFUL ENDUR.
ANCE AND FEW NEEDS
Able to March Thirty Miles a Day
Points of Interest About a South
American Army.

ADie 10 mdrCh Ihlfty hiicS Ddy-
Points of Interest About a South
American Army.
The news that a whole regiment and
three battalions of infantry stationed
near Pisagua, Chill, have shot their
officers and gone over to the insurgents
is generally regarded as especially omin-
Gus for the Chilian Government, which
has fewer troops to lose than usually
has been supposed. Even on paper the
entire standing army of Chilli contains
but 5719 men and 397 officers. These
troops are included in eight battalions
of infantry, one battalion of sappers and
miners, three regiments of cavalry, two
regiments of field artillery, and one bat
talon of coast artillery. The force was
distributed at the breaking out of the
revolution as follows: In the northern
provinces, Tacna, Iquique, and Antosa-
gasto, two battalions, one regiment of
cavalry, and one regiment of artillery;
near the middle of the country, that is
between Valparaiso and Santiago, three
battalions, two regiments of cavalry, two
brigades of artillery, and one brigade of
talions, a battalion of sappers and miners,
and one regiment of cavalry. The
effective strength of the Chilian army,
however, falls far below these figures.
In 1890 it was estimated at only 2305
men; since, during the period between
January 1 and November l, 115S
privates had deserted.
This rather desperate state of affairs is
due to several faults of army organiza-
ton as well as the persistent interference
Of influential politicians in the technical
management of the soldiers. In the first
place Chill is the only country in the
world that unites q regular volunteer
service with an obligatory militia SER
vice. All members OF the regular army
receive liberal pay, after the system
prevalent in the United States. Once
enlisted, however, the soldier is not
held so strictly to the duties of the SER
vice as with us. BY the personal in
fuence of friends, by petty bribery, and
in hundred other ways he may secure
his release withont incurring arrest for
desertion.
At the head of the Chilian military
organization stands Minister of War.
This Minister is known among the for
eigners in Chill as the most ''nomadic
official' in the Chilian Cabinet. 1t is by
no means infrequent that Chilian Min
istry falls five or six months after its
organization. Often, indeed, Ministers
resign four or five weeks after having
been named for office. This fickleness
of the head administrator, combined
with the division of responsibility be-
tween him and two Inspector Generals,
is regarded as one of the most fruitful
causes of the decentralization of the regu-
lar service. The drill, moreover, is con-
Quoted on the most Anticipated lines.
The cavalry, for instance, follows the
Spanish regulations of 1907. The
weapons of the troops on the other hand
are modern. The artillery has Krupp
guns, and the infantry Mannhcher rifles.
The arsenals and repair shops are under
the supervision of German officers. The
Chilian militia has a nominal strength
of AS, 602 privates and 2119 officers.
Last year, however, only 1855 officers
and 1000 men could be found for
duty. All the rest had disappeared,
the technical expression in Chill for de-
sertion. A source of weakness of the
recruiting service in Chill is the law
that whoever serves rs volunteer fire.
man shall be exempt from military obli-
cations. Hence it is that Chilli has the
largest and most willing force of volun-
teer firemen of all countries in the
world.
Despite all the deficiencies of the Or
ganization, and the wide gaps in every
division Of the army, the Chillau army
is far from being as completely ineffi-
cient as the armies of most of the neigh
boring States. The Chilian soldier has
two inherent qualities which render him
superior to all other South Americans, as
well as to many Europeans on the battle
field. He has wonderful endurance and
few needs. With a little water and a
few bites Of bread he is able TO preserve
his strength throughout forced marches
of which the European soldier hardly
dreams. During the last war with Peru
he showed this quality of endurance 10
a remarkable degree. Considerable
bodies of Chilian infantry marched fire.
quently thirty miles a day. Chilian cav.
airy, moreover, often covered, marching
day and night, SIXTY miles at stretch.
The explanation of this exceptional phys
ical energy of the ca yalry is to be found
in the fact that every Chilian is at home
on horseback, and that the horses have
staying powers when on the gallop (the
only gait the cavalry knows which Eu-
Topean horses never attain to. The COM
mon conclusion, however, that the Chill
ians are weak on their feet because strong
on horseback is entirely false. Not only
is the average Chilian horseman an ex-
cePtionally persevering pedestrian, but
often the fastest foot courier in the world.
The regular military couriers are fire.
quently able to cover between fifty and
sixty miles day, and a Chilian private
of only slightly extraordinary running
ability has been known to make, often
under load of forty pounds, forty or
forty-fve miles a day Y-NeO York Sun.
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