The evening times., 1898-05-30
THE SPANISH ARMY.
1t In Reci uited by Ccnscriptfon
Active and Reserve Forces.

Active ana Reserve Forces.
(From the London Morning Post.)
Conscription is enforced In Spain. Every
Spaniard is liable to be called to military
service on attaining twenty years of age.
About a hundred thousand men come
within the provisions OF the laws which
govern the system Of universal service
annually. This number does not include
that proportion Of the population physi-
caily or medically unfit to serve in the
Army or Navy. nor yet those engaged in
! the few professions or pursuits in which
special exemptions are made in favor of
those following them. The ordinary re-
quirements OF the country are not such
as to necessitate that the whole of these
| hundred thousand men should take their
places in the ranks. For some time the
| number who have actually been drawn
has averaged between seventy-five thou
sand and eighty thousand annually.
Voluntary service in the Spanish army
is accepted at eighteen years Of age, but
the number of young men. except those
who have been trained for the commits
stoned ranks, who choose the military
profession as a calling is remarkably
small In addition to the standing army
there is a reserve: 1t is Of two grades
the active and the inactive or the sed-
entary. A man serves three years in the
standing army. He Is then passed on to
| the active reserve list, on which he re-
mains for three more years. This active
reserve is occasionally called out for
training and would be the first to be re-
quired to join the standing army on the
forcoo hefn0 vunhfltvad ho fret
was called out last year for maneuvers.
Service In the inactive, or sedentary. re-
serve Is of six years, SO that Spaniard
is free of his military Responsibilities at
the age OF thirty-two.
The latest returns slaow-that the peace
strength of the army is Ii. 153. This num-
Der includes about twenty-eight thousand
men who are employed as gendarmes and
in the custom service. The war strength
Of the army is 1888, but this total by
no means exhausts the resources Of the
country. which 1t is calculated are possi-
BILE of producing close on q million men
capable Of bearing arms. Indeed, ar
rangements are now In progress to COM
plete an organization whereby, should It
be necessary, at any time to raise SO
large force. the war department will be
able to do SO.
The head Of the army is the minister of
WoAs AAC 40 0AWayS q 0OAUlcEp UUl the 0D-
pointmeent is a political one, and il
ceases on the resignation or downfall OF
the government by which it may have
been made. The peace organisation Of
the army is eight army corps, each pro-
vided with large and elaborate stan. al
the head Of which there is a lieutenant
general The peninsula Is grouped into
eight military districts, each consisting
Of number OF provinces. The basis Of
the system IL that Of population rather
than area Recruits join. and in normal
times perform their military service, In
the districts to which they belong. While
serving the Spanish soldier IL not over
burdened with cash. He receives a peseta
day and free bread ration Everything
else he has to provide out Of his pay, which
Is about equivalent to 1od. Hence It Il for
tunate that his tastes are simple The
reservists receive no pay. except at such
times as they may Be embodied for traiu-
ing or emergency service.
Entrance to the commissioned ranks i
BY competitive exaNina&3on. 4 young