The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-13
TRIBUTE FROM A FRENCHMAN
MILITARY EXPERT PRAISES
AMERICAN ARMY.
Not Throughout the World Is There
Such a Splendid Lot of Fighting
Men-Operation at Santiago.

Washington, July 12.-Major de
Grandprey, military attache of the
French embassy, has just returned from
the American headquarters near Santi-
ago, where he has been observing for
his government the progress of mill
tary operations. He paid a glowing
tribute to the ability of our soldiers.
Il have the most complete admiration
for your men," said Major de Grand
prey to an Associated Press reporter
| today. ''They are a superb body indi-
vidually and as an army, and l suppose
not throughout the world is there such
splendid lot of fighting men. 1t is
/! the fighting characteristic of the men
which is most apparent. They are ag-
gressive, eager for action, never need
ing the voice of an officer to push them
forward.
Another marked characteristic is the
self-reliance of each man, what l call
the character of initiative 1t is al
most unknown in European armies,
| where every movement and the move
to meet each action Of the enemy waits
the initiative of an officer. But with
your men they fight to the front, meet
/ ing each emergency as it arises, over
coming obstacles by their own initia-
tive Such self reliant fighting men
make an exceptionally impetuous army,
for every unit contributes to the ire
sistible forward movement. The Span
ish troops do not have this same char
acteristic. They are more passive, more
cautious Besides the impetuosity of
such fighting material, it has the effect
of inspiring a moral among the troops,
making them feel that success is as
sured and at the same time carrying
disorder and depression to the ranks OF
the enemy"
Major de Grandprey says the fighting
about Santiago is something entirely
different from the warfare of European
and other armies of modern times. The
dense vegetation and tangie OF tropical
vines makes it impossible to observe
the usual military formations. AS a
result there is little or no effort to fight
in solid formation. Every man is fight
ing for himself, pushing forward
through the Shrubbery, vines and tall
grass. 1t is impossible to see the en-
envy. There is no line of battle ahead
against which the assault is directed.
Only through the reports of pickets and
from the crack of rifles here and there
ahead is it known that a fighting force
is there. This makes the shooting irreg
ular as it is seldom possible to see the
opposing force. The main result of this
is to bring the two fighting forces close
together gradually until they are fight
ing at close range. In this respect
Major de Grandprey points out that it
is a return to the fighting of 200 years
ago, when the short range of the arms
then in use compelled fighting at close
quarters.
Major Grandprey also speaks highly
of the efficiency with which the Ameri-
can troops and supplies were started
on their expedition and debarked in
Cuba. This has come in for consider
able criticism in this country, but
Major de Grandprey says that, consid-
ering the brief time allowed for equip
ping the expedition, remarkable results
were secured. European military eX-
petitions such as those of England and
France to Africa or other points, he
says, are planned six months ahead,
which allows ample time for working
out the most minute details. The first
word of Cervera's entering Santiago
harbor was on May 16 and the vast
military preparation was well under
way and the expedition started early
in the following month of June. This
and the insignificant loss of men and
animals in landing was an exception
ally good showing, judged by the best
military standards. He says the foreign
military observers were more concern
ed with this matter of embarking and
disembarking troops, supplies and ami
mails. than with the actual military
maneuvers, as the moving of large
forces constitutes one of the most i'm
portant problems of military science.