The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-28
THE SPANISH SOLDIER.
He Is a Politician First and a Fight
/er Afterward.
From the New York Press.


From the New York Press.
At this moment, when our Boys in
Blue" may expect encounters with the
Spanish regulars at any time, either in
Cuba or Manila, the following character
ization of the Spanish Tommy Atkins by
European army officer Baron Reiber,
formerly Austrian military attache in
Madrid commands especial interest. Baron
Reiber publishes his observa tons in a
prominent Vienna journal He says:
THE principal fault have to find with
the Spanish soldier is that he is a politi-
clan first and a soldier afterward.
The entire officer corps and almost
every one of the non commissioned officers,
as well as tens of thousands of the men
in the ranks, have carried arms, at one
time or another, in the numerous Spanish
civil wars, or else they have been used to
quell local instructions. Now, this cir
cumstance has undermined the military
spirit of the Spanish soldiery, for, there
being no principles at stake in those civil
wars and instructions, most of the fight
ing was done for loot Besides, the SOL
diers were constantly asked to shoulder
arms against people with whom they were
perhaps on the most intimate terms, and
some of whom they would meet later in
friendly intercourse
This circumstance caused a certain
loss of earnestness of purpose in the Span
ish soldier. He looks upon war as a polit-
zeal game, his commander being the stake
holder
1--WE have seen the effect of such mill
tary education year ago-in Greece. The
Greek soldier is personally as brave as
any other, but his political antecedents had
unnerved him for active use in the field.
Each Spanish private wants to be as
h q To-. IL
cannot issue pronunciamentos like the lat
ter, but in his estimation it is his inabili-
~ TO write and compose that hInders him
not his personal insignificance.
ITO European officer this state of
things becomes patent at once. A Spanish
soldier will be seen to pass by a hundred
officers before he salutes one, this one
person being his direct superior. In the
same way most officers in uniform pass by
one another without exchanging the Gus
tomary salutation. They are probably DO
htical enemies, and therefore do not rec
ognize any obligations of comradeship.
Year after year the Spanish minister
of war issues one or two proclamations
threatening heavy fines unless the ordi-
nary courtesies of life are observed among
the officers and unless proper discipline
be observed by the men, but nobody pays
the slightest attention to these commands
The fact is, the members of the Spanish
army have no respect for one another and
refuse to be bullied. Weyler is a typical
Spanish officer.
LAS to the officers corps, many of it's
members hold their commissions by virtue
of the part they have played in the civil
wars. don't want to say that these men
are all venal, but II is a well known fact
that the general conduct of Spanish Of
ficers during the civil wars was dictated
by promises or expectations of personal
be7efits.
1.-THE Spanish budget is overburdened by
claims of army officers created during the
civil wars. Whenever there Is a change in
the ministry, a great number of army Off
GERS are placed on the retired list, while
others, whom the previous ministry had
dismissed, re-enter active service. Neither
discipline nor general efficiency profits by
that nefarious system.
AS to the general appearance of the
Spanish soldiery, il is not an imposing one
The Spaniard of the nineteenth century is
outwardly a weakened, puny individual
His complexion Is dirty yellow, his feat
ures are often drawn and the private SOL
der has always a sort of hungry look
about him. Hungry is the mildest term 1
can find; others style it 'wolfish' look
When ! first became acquainted with the
Spanish soldiers / thought them badly
nourshed, emascuiate and surly. But this
idea gradually lost significance with me
Most Spaniards look that way.
THE crack troops-the Guardia Civil. the
Carabineros and others-are not more DOW
erful physically, than the men Of the
line Young Spaniards are never feshy;
they walk with a STOPPING gait, and, gem
orally speaking, do not impress one as
soidierly.
But for all that / do not deride the
Spaniards military qualities. If the Span
ish soldier is not strong, he Is an enthus-
last, temperate, persevering, a great
marcher, capable of much endurance, and
a good fighter For his bodily comfort he
needs scarcely more than a Turk. Though
well fed in times Of peace, he will content
himself with an onion, a piece of bread
and glass of wine in the field.
"A Spaniard Is generally a morose per-
son, but, when facing danger, is liable to
become almost hilarious I have observed
Spanish troops on the march during the
Carlist wars. They seemed to enjoy the
war business immensely. In respect TO
patriotism, too. they are as enthusiastic
as the Turk. Maybe also as fanatic and.
what Is still more Of moment as much in
clined to fatalism.
''The Spanish soldier is courageous TO