The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-06-22
GENERALS OF SPAIN.
TEN MEN WHO HOLD THE HIGH.
EST RANK IN THE ARMY.

Though Lacking Naval Ohicers, Spain Has
900 Generals In Her Land Forces Draw.
ing Full Pay-GeneraI Dominique, Her
Foremost Soldier, Is Feared at Court,
However deficient Spain may be in
naval officers, of whom she does not
possess a sufficient number to equip the
feet Of auxiliary cruisers which she
proposes to put into commission, she is
certainly not lacking in field officers for
her land forces. There are nearly 900
generals, some Of them belonging to
the reserve forces, but most Of them or
the active list and drawing full paw.
At the head Of the list are ten captain
generals whose rank is equivalent TO
that Of field marshal In other foreign ar
mics. In several instances this grade is
Of purely honorable character. It is
held by the young king, who is a boy
only y years old, and likewise by his
grandfather the old ex-king, Lon Fran
els of Assist, the husband Of Cuees Jsa-
bella. He is a dwarf in stature and on
" little taller than his grandson. King
Alfonso XIII. Among other captain
generals are General BlancO, marquis
Of Pena Plata, who is now in chief com
mand III Cuba, and who is too well
Known to need more than passing men
ton; Martinez Campos, who as one Of
his predecessors at Havana is equally
familiar to people in the United States:
General Primo de Rivera and General
Lopez Domiuguez.
1t is General Dominguez who is gen
orally regarded at Berlin, Paris. Vienna
and other military centers as the clever
est and strongest Of ali SPANS gener-
ais, and who in any grave emergency is
likely to be invested with the chief com
mand Of the Spanish army or else with
the portfolio Of minister Of war. He has
been justly described as a mixture Of
the celebrated Russian General Skoiye-
left and Of the French General Chanzy.
and. like them, he is the idol Of the
rank and file Of the army to which he
belongs. He is q nephew Of the late
Marshal SaTrau0, who rose from the
humblest beginning to be dictator. re-
gent and president Of the republic Of
spain. He has been the author Of near
ly all the reforms that have taken place
III the last 20 years, and in consequence
has come to be looked upon as the sol /
der friend. If lie has been kept in the
background Of late years, it is because
ministers and even the court dread his
popularity and his ambition and fear
that the latter IN moment Of crisis
might lead him to avail himself Of the
former to secure for himself some such
dictatOrial power as thatrepeatedly pos /
sessed by his uncle, SerranO.
Infinitely less popular in the army,
but more liked at court, is Captain Gen I
eral Primo de Rivera, the very type Of !
the polished scoundrel, who by his 4
smooth tongue and talent for intrigue |
has managed to win to a marked degree /
the confidence of the queen. Indeed, she !
has apparently forgotten the circum-
stances which led him TO be shot at |
some eight years ago and severely /
wounded by one Of his officers, a major /
who had been subjected TO persecution /
of the most incredible character at the
hands Of the general at the instigation
of a demimondaine whose anger the
major had incurred, and who had the
general completely under her sway.
The major, who was driven by despera-
ti0n to the act, was sentenced to death
and executed, leaving a wife and chill
dren IN 81 pennLess condition, while the
queen seems to think that the general
was shot at and severely wounded while
in the performance Of his duty and
therefore Possesses a claim upon her
good Will Even WeyLsr, with his bru-
5aIity, is preferable to PriIao de Rive
IA. for while WeyLer VIII have man
hanged or shot, giving the order for his
execution with a gross oath or a coarse
gibe. Primo de Rivera viii order the
most tiendish fortunes TO be inflicted,
couchiug his instructions in the most
courteous, suave and gentle language.
smiling genially the while. Only those
who have been out in the far east 0nd
who have knowledge Of the atrocities
committed by his orders and under his
very eyes when lie was vIeeroy Of the
Philippine islands can realize the true
character OF this man.
Another general who ID likely to make
his name known abroad it the present
war LASTS sufficiently long il Cassola,
one of the few officers who have never
been. nn1pIiaated in amy Bronuncla1nent0.
Efa las sometimes been called the Span
Esh Molhl1a. owing ta bis ceaseless and
fz.sl..a.s Il zi--assIls Activity ami " - ~