The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-11

of the Spanish men-not Of the women.
In the days gone by the women Of
Spain We're the mainstay of the Dons,
ENCOURAGE aiding and abetting in
every possible manner. The present
government of Spain has changed all
this. The women of Spain are not
Spartan mothers.
The Spanish soldier, who may yet
face the men who wear Uncle Sans
blue as an enemy, is to be pitied. He
is a young chap, ordinarily, and his
careless, free and happy life has fitted
him for nothing like the stern duties
of war. 1t is an actual fact that many
of the boys who now make up the Span
ish army when they first put on the
uniform hardly know which end Of the
gun the bullet comes from, and
strange as the fact may seem, they
have learned very little more of their
military duties.
I was watching in the Plaza the
other day the attempts Of several Of
hcers to drill some of the new recruits
who have just been brought in from
the interior 1t was painful, amusing,
tragic. For these were the men-or
bCys-on whom Spain is forced to de-
pend to maintain her supremacy. I
have witnessed the drill of troops, raw
and regular. in many countries, but l
am free TO state that I never saw any
thing approaching the spectacle on the
Plaza Imagine if you can line of
men-or boys-a line as crooked as a
wriggling serpent. The new soldiers
shuffled when they moved and were
evidently in very great fear OF the
weapons they carried.
AS I looked at this stumbling, shut
fling line of cOuntry-bred lads, fifteen
or sixteen. years old, the most of them,
I wondered what manner of man the
officer would be who could make a
genuine soldier out of even one. Then
/ watched the officers. They all wore
gorgeous uniforms and clanking
swords Those are the two marks of
the Spanish officer. As a rule it is all
that he has to distinguish him by, for
nature has not gifted him with either
physique or brains. Having some ia
1niliarity with military commands, l
approached as near the recruits and
officers as possible that l might be en-
Hghtened as to the Spanish manual.
I give the commands as 1 heard them
u
THIS lieutenant of infantry, who ap-
peared 50 be the senior officer in charge
Of the drill, stood very erect and looked
hard at the boys before him, evidently
with the idea of seeking to impress
them with his Nnaagnificence as SOL
der. attention. he called. All the
boys looked at him, naturally. They
would have looked at me just as read
lily if 1 had shouted.
Plight, dress" The boys still
looked at him and never moved. He
called them all sorts of names and then
what was my astonishment to see him
walk over 10 the tallest recruit, who
stood in the center of the line, and de-
liberately turn him and his face left
dress. l thought the man must be
making game of the boy. but no. He
stepped back a few PAGES, again gave
the order. and succeeded in inducing
the majority of the recruits to assume
the attitude of left dress at the COM
This was a sample of the way in
which he put those poor fellows
through a manual of arms Which would
have made a student of UptOn's tactics
roar with merriment Even despite
nv surroundings I could not keep back
the laughter and Immediately became
pers0na non grata with the uniformed
watched the drill for fully fifteen
minutes. and I do not think l ever saw
such marvellous stupidity and 1gnor-
ance shown as these Spanish ofncers
displayed.
1t seemed to me that these men must
be an exception to the rule, ana 1oT
the purpose of satisfying myself on
this point l inquired OF a friend VINO
is thoroughly posted in such matters
h. inf
few exceptions the Spaniards were lg-
rOrant of the most ordinary principles
Of the military drill When the re-
CIlits are brought in from the mis-,
or from whatever portion of Spain they
can he gathered, they are supposed 70
be what Tommy Atkins sergeant cans
clicked into shape" But no Spanish
soldier is ever licked into shape now
adays unless il is when ne meets lhe
Cubans.
The courage and the innocence Whlch
these boys clothed in Spanish uniforms
exhibit challenges your admiration anc
YOUR sympathy at the same time. IheF
have been told, when gathered III 10y
the military rake, that II is really only
a pleasure excursion lheE are COINS -
fake and that they will run no rlsh
of death or anything unpleasant. II
tha face of this they are shipped on
IN Cuba where, in fever breeding
swamps. huddIed together in beastIy
fashion half clothed and deprived OF
the necessaries of life. they are KEEP
until either dead or wrecked by III
ness Runors of the truth are begln'
ming 10 penetrate even the Businesses
of Spain and if I mistake not Ihe ell
feet will be tremendous.
7 am enabled to state upon very SooC
authority that agents of the mlllaf!
arm of the government are now scat
tered through the provinces enueaVoi
{ncr 10 make final draft Tor d couI
he main that is expected TO take piacS
e. the event of serious trouble WITH
the United States. The boys VINO a.
ra1,ch+ in the drag net are 10 be moDll.
I7ad at whatever point it is deem &c
most necessary to show q strong from
n any force of United States troops
or sailors The extent of this force
no one can tell, because no one KNOWS
how many boys who have hitherto eS
ranad the draft have been capIureC
fhis time. From all can learn L o'
no+ think it will be very great
M there is another element viii
z7-bich the Spanish government MS
contend and that is the matrons =
Sora oOssa Spartan mothers they-Sna!
he tn . certain extent, but the Wone1
0f no government on earth VIII al
submit to having son after son loIi
from their firesides and sent to oeall
and destruction. These women nav
seen their boys, innocent happy. light
hearted fellows. on whom their hopes
have been built, march away to TIT
transport ships, and, so far as home
father and mother are concerned, dis
appear forever These incidents ar
not by dozens, but by thousands. /
# 2 wonder then that the mothers WIZ
s+iIl have their offsprings with then
are clinging to them and cherishing
bitter hatred against the government
that would take from them that which