The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-13

dreds OF sentinels that you find every
where at the Ministerio de la Guerra,
in Madrid. General Miles. dressed as
a civilian, politely receiving you at his
office, after you send him your card,
makes remarkable contrast to the
Spanish Ministro. dressed In n gala
uniform, who deigns to receive a for
eigner after making him wait a couple
of hours. surrounded bN armed SOL
diers. Spain, with all this fuss, con-
slders herself great military nation;
and yet she has lost all her wars, while
this plain. mattor-of-faCt nation has
never been defeated.
PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR.
If the moral and intellectual differ
encos between both armies are so
great, IL the Americans are so super
ior to the Spaniards in everything in
tcllectual, their superiority is no less
marked, physically considered. OBJ
serving the American army encamped
at Tampa, one cannot discover a man
who does not seem physically perfect.
When they drill they present a living
example of that ideal army of which
Napoleon dreamed so long and which
is described by Colonel Wagner in
ing the same physical and moral quail
ities, the same animating impulses,and
the same degree of discipline" They
are simply machines moved by a sci
entific impulse. Nothing more perfect
can be imagined, and, for a man who
has seen the Spanish army in peace
and war. it does not seem eXtravagant
to say that one American regular is
worth at least five Spanish regulars on
the field Of battle
1t was late IN November of 1885 when
the Spanish steamer Montcvideo
brought to Havana 1900 Spanish SOL
diers, a part of the 100000 that have
failed in Cuba to conquer the insur-
gents. They We're said by the Span
| ards to be the best troops coming from
Spain to Cuba. Martinez CampOs had
declared his great confidence IN them
because they were all under eighteen
years of age. lie said:
Boys fight better than men"
But what poor sight they present
| ed to the impartial observer! Sickly,
| anacmiC, thcy marched in a disoreerly
way from the pier to the barracks. Two
| days later they were engaged in battle
with MaccO at Nal TEMPO. Two hun
| dred Of them were cut to pieces by the
| machetes of the Cubans and they all
| left their arms and ammunition in the
| hands of the insurgents. They did not
| lack courage, but they were absolutely
| undrilled. They did not know how to
| use their arms. The modern rifle, of
| small Calbr", with smokeless powder,
| was Of less use to them in the affray
| than sticks could be. AS a rule, they
| are all such now. They have learned
to fire, but they rarely hit the mark.
| The experience OF the insurgent army
| is evidence enough for this statement.
RESULT PREDICTED.
| 1t is evident, therefore, what the re-
suit of the campaign in Cuba will be,
| Even without the valuable cooperation
of General Gomez, who, as soon as his
| mon are all armed, will be able to clea,
the country of Spaniards, no military
man here doubts that the 10000 Ameri-
| can regulars under General Shafter, il
that should be their number can dis
| perse on the battlefield all the troops
| Of Blanco, Pando, and ArOlas combined
and do so as easily and brilliantly as
| Dewey disposed of the Spanish tleet
and forts that defended Cavite.