Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-07-13
FIGHT TO THIN Front.
A SPLENDID LOT OF FIGHTING MEN.


Washington. July a. Mas. de- Grand
prey. military attnrAc 0f the French
embassy. has just returned from ihe
American headquarters near Santlago.
where h. has been observing for his
government the progress ~ military
operation. lie paid glowing tribute
to the ability OF our soldiers.
IL have the most c0mr'cte admiral
tion Tor your men" said MAI de
Grandprey 20 an Associated Press re-
porter today. "They ave o. superb body
individually and, rs an army. and /
suppose not throughout the world iH
thorc such a splendid Dot m nghtIng
mon. II Do the lighting Characteristic
Of the men which b. most apparent
They are aggressive. onrcr f1r aciiou.
never needing the voice of an uniccf
to push thOm forward.
Another marked Characteristic o.
the seif-rrlInnce ~ each man, Whnt
call the character ~ Initiative ~ d.
almost unknown lu European urmlr''
where oyory movement uni the move
o. meet each action pf The enemy wlllA
the Initiative N nu oiilcct. liut WIN
your men they fight t1 the front, mect'
Ing each emergency aH 10 at'seH, over
coming ohHtnclos hy their own lnltln-
tive. Such self-rullant nghtlng men
make an exceptionally lmpn iunuH
army. Tor every unit contributes To the
irrugintlhle forward movement.
"Thc spanish troops DO not have THIS
same characteristics. Thoy arr more
passive mora cautious BESIDES the i'm.
pCtuuualty NJ such nrhtlng material u
has the erect 81 Inspiring q morale
among the troops making them i,cl
that success Do assured, and ut the
same limo carrying disorder and de-
preston o. the ranks ~ tho enemy
NuJ de- Grundprey says the nghung
about Santiago lH something cuilf ~
different from the warfare NJ Euro
pOnn and other armies Of modern
times Tho dense vegetation ana tam
gle N tropical vines makes q impogsl-
bile 60 nhrcryr the usual military fore
NATIONS - result thrrU o. little or
no onoft 10 nHht IN solid formation.
Every man " Fighting Tor himself
pushing forward through the shrub
hcfy. vines ana tail grass. ~ iH lmp1a-
Hiblo To see the cncmv There ~ M
line ~ battle ahead against which the
assault u directed. only thruuEh the
reports of plckots and from the crack
Of rifoH here and thore ahead u II
known that u nrhtluc force la there.
This makes the shooting Irregular ~
II ~ seldom possible a. see any ~ the
opposing force. The main result ~
this ~ 10 bring tho two fighting forces
close together gradually, until they are
fighting az close range.
In this respect Mai de Grandprcy
points out that u ~ u ruturn 81 the
lighting ~ 200 years ugp, when the
short range ~ the arms then In use
compelled lighting nj close quarters.
A. IL always the ease nj cl1aU-riugr
fighting tho casualties are far Eruater.
with the usual open Held lighting ~
European armies. the range N long
and ~ RESULT the casualties arr not
rn great IN n given period. ~ has the
eject also ~ allowing time for each
side to gauge the strength OF ~ advcf.
rary. and In this way decisive results
nrc often achieved In lonF-rango hight
inr before a general assault has oc-
CURED. But u " impossible, Mai. dr
Gundprcy points out. Tor the Amrrl-
can or Spanish troops 90 take this
measure u each other, ne they zee
nothing ~ the general battle and meet
only when brought into close quarters.
MAI. Grhndprcy also speaks hlghly ~
the efficiency with which the American
troops and supplies We're started On
their expedition and drhlri0'i ln Cuhn.
This hnH cnme In Tor considerable crit
iclam In this country. but MAJ. DO
Gtandpruy says that. considering the
brief time allowed Tor ouulpplnr the
expedition. remarkable results worD b.
cured. European military expeditions,
such M those OF England or France o.
Aftica or other points, he SAYS, aru
planned HlN months ahead, which ole
lows ample time Tor working out the
most minute details
The first word OF C0ryprI'H rntsflug
Santiago hnrbur was ON Stay 10Th. and
the vast military preparations WIS Wrll
under way and the expedition started
early In the following month ~ June
This ana the inHlRnIncant loss of men
nnd animals In landing wa an cNcrp-
tonolly good showing, judged by the
beet military standards
lie says the foreign military obfrry.
Crn were mufp concerned with thlH
matter Of emharilinE and diHcmbarkinr
troopn. supplies AMI animals than with
the actual military mnncuyrrH. a. tho
moving NJ large forces constitutes one
Of the most important problems ~ mli-
itary science.
Mas. du Gmndrroy viii rrmhn here
for about r. week and VIII then roIurn
60 fantinrp, " tho place has not aur.
rendered hy that time. ln ease ~
surrender Doc viii proceed Go Porto
Rico, or such other points uH may be-.
come tho center uf military operations.
A. O. the probabilities uf surrender.
aud The political aspect NJ thf ntua.
zion, MAJ de lpniprry viii express
no public opinion, us ho fools that IL
would ho contrary 20 tho pruprlcy Of
Ms position,