Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-11
THE SPANISH SOLDIER.
The London Mail Says He IL slouchy
and Lazy and Dirty, but
Cau Efuht

and Lazy and Dirty, but
Can Fight.
The little. lissom 1inesmen, who in al
human probability are destined to meet IL
mortal combat the sturdy soldiers of Uncl,
sam, would be the despair of an English
| or German staff officer.
watch him as he slouehes along; hi!
tunic faded. torn, and probably minus {
| button or two; his red trousers frayed ant
threadbare; his feet cased in the clums,
hempen sandals of the country; and hi.
| hands muff1ed in huge green wooien gloves
between the top OF which and the sleeve.
OF his tunfc is usually to be seen two OF
three inches Of bare. brown. sinewy arm:
He carries his rifle anyhow: at the trail, a
the slope, muzzle foremost, slung at hi.
back. Not an inspiring picture! Far from
It. Nevertheless that the Spaniard car
been proved on many blood-stained field
At lgnalada, one of the fiercest battles OF
the late Carlist war. an entire battalion
surrender, and they selected the former
Despite his shuffiing gait, too, he marches
Te and %nsgmplainngy IN the
he is seldom out Of temper.
Two meals a day. served at a. m. and
P. m. constitute the regular commissariat
some corps with coffee and. soup in the
early morning. Bread, and bread only, al
the rate of pound and half per man per
additional food he has to buy from the the
regimental canteen. This is kept by a
civilian, but the scale of prices is regulated
by eegimensal Very little
Perhaps this is the reason his wounds heal
SO rapidly and easily. "A chunk of dry
black bread. q little oil and a Glove of
If to this he is able to add half a pint
Of wine that looks like red ink and tastes
like vinegar and water. he is in clover.
Nv i,u hnNr no fvx-{l ny,$
to do without. and that Is his cigarette.
Tommy will consume in the course OF
self, using a yellow. dry, dusty-looking to-
'bacco which possesses no more flavor to
an English smokers palate than would 60
In theory every Spaniard must serve his
twelve years IN the army; but there Is a
wide difference. in this case at all events.
with. any citizen can discharge his liability
to serve by the payment. in g lump sum.
Of LOO pesetas: ,,. 7 This sounds Ike "a good lot
to equal an English sovereign, SO that he
really has to disburse only about s4s.
Enormous numbers, even Of the peasant
OF the privilege. There has even sprung up
in many of the provinces special. class
of village usurers. who lend the Smart
drawn" Benefit ciahs having THE the same ssne
in s are Also rife In the agr,
Increasing the Spanish revenues; but from
a military point of view 1t Is deplorable.
Besides those who honorably purchase their
exemption, large numbers Of young men
obtain what are known as ''dispensations' -
absolving them from serving their time
Under any eirsgmstanses whateysr To get
essary to be either Drawer, wiser. or better
than ones neighbors. But one must have
what the Americans call "pulf' with the
1t ia scarcely to be wondered at that the
Spanish peasant tries his utmost to evade
the conscription: for. his treatment. from
until the moment te.is discharged, is Of
the ,vilest.' He Is b~lHed by his officers, ILL.,
treated by his non-eos !" and robbed by
all: Nominally his pay is Is centimes 71kd)
he does not handle that much money in a
month. The Spanish system of ':army
stoppages" is worked upon sliding scale.
The more money Tommy has coming to
the sum kept back for this, that or the
other.
And he dare not complain, for discipline
Is Is enforced with relentless severity that
IS neither more nor less than appall-
Ing. Desertion is punished by eight years
solitary confinement. For theft the penal-
ties are as follows: II the amount stolen
with hard labor for three years: from 10
to 200 reals (2s. to f2). ten years imprison-
ment; above 200 reals, death or hard labor
for life. In the Spanish military code Of
laws there are over eighty crimes, many
OF them Of the most trivial nature, which
are punishable by death. Nevertheless, or
ganized military revolts. known as Pro-
nunciamentos," are exceedingly common:
and the entire army is said to be honey
combed with secret revolutionary societies.
inc total available strength Of the Span
ish army at the present moment is believed
to be not more than about 10000 men; and
of this number not by any means ali are
are efficient soldiers. On paper, it is true
more than double this number are shown.
But 1t should be borne in mind that the
Spanish war Office authorities have a play
ful way of including in their annual re-
turns what are euphemistically designated
available recruits" These are really un.
drilled men. who have never been enrolled.
know the foresight OF rife from the trig-
ger guard. Their only claim to be desie-
mated soldiers is that they have each signed
paper, agreeing to Join the colors II called
upon.