The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-01
THE ARMY OF SPAIN.
Chicago Times Herald.


learned at Washington that 10000 men have
thus far been killed. wounded. or other.
wise incapacita,cd during the present va,
In Cuba. AS to the pecuniary expense
Governor General Blanco has intimatcd e
the home government that he needs s.. 0oo,-
900 a month for the expenses OF his army
and si,o0o,oo0 every month to pay part Of
the nine months OF arresrs--aggregati
$50 600. o0o--to contractors. civil officials
and army and navy pensioners.
| The previous war in Cuba, from the ris-
| Ing OF cespcdes at Yara in 1868 10 the
convention or zanion in 1878. when it was
officially supposed to have been ended. lost
I Spain. according 10 a recent military work
by Don Repazax OF Madrid, 500 ,ooo.oo0 and
! 200 900 men
| Such figures, In view OF the results sc-
complished in Cuba, can not be fully un-
| ders;ood without some knowledge OF the
| Spanish army. The almost inconceivable
folly and Incompetence Spain has shown ~
dealing with Cuba are nowhere 70 strik-
| lngly shown as in connection with her
army The present Spanish force in Cuba
IS said TO consist OF $4,000 regulars. OF
whom not more than $4,000 are effective
for military purposes. In addition there
is volunteer army, mostly In the nature
OF home guard for Havana. consisting OF
30 600 men. AT home the Spanish army at
present, including dctaehments in nearby
possessions, is estimated at 100000 men,
which may be increased BY reserves to
ffO 600 men
But even this army is largely a paper
anair People accustomed 20 read of tho
great standing armies OF France. Germany,
Austria and Russia, and the. care that is
being taken to bring them to Ae perfection
of military minutiae In driis discipline
equipment etc, are likely to attach too
great Importance to official figures In the
case OF the army OF Spain. lis true con-
dltion Is known 10 It's more intelligent Off
GERS and to European governments. which
make IT their business to ascertain the
strength and weakness of the fighting ma
chimes and forces. the nayies and armies
of their nelghboring states.
An English writer visiting Spain last
year gave an account of his observations
Upon the Spanish army In the United Ser
vice Magazine. The real reason, one patent
enough. he says, 20 any foreign resident in
the peninsula. why the Spanish army has
pursued such tagging campaign in Cuba
is simply that cavalry, infantry, artillery.
ongineers-all branches of the service alike
Not man, from brigadicr general TO pri-
yatcr seems to have grasped The rudiments
of the science OF war as it Is understood in
other European countries. The troops have
no regular drill no practice in gunnery or
any branch OF military routine. AS re-
suit they are execrailic shots. and many
OF the raw recruits scarcely know how
10 shoot Even physically" saws the
Enalishman. they are The wretchedest Of
beings, wiry enough, hut undeveioped.
since nothing is done to strengthen, diet
or improve them. Il makes one sad to
sec the quality of the expeditions packed
on in hcartless shoals to Cuba; boys. to
lock at, OF Is and l6. who have never held
a rifle till this moment. aid now are al
most ignorant which end it fires. Coed
iads-too good to go to such uneven butch-
eTy--wlth cheerful. patriotic willing faces
but the very antithesis OF soldier"
or such material not much could be ex.
pected under any circumstance. The an
nuai contingent of recruits is liyed at s0.-
600 men, and all Spaniaras past the age OF
10 are liable to be drawn for the regular
army, when they pass into the first or
active reserve for three years. after which
they are included fer six years in the sec
ond service. On paper this scheme would
seem to be an admirable one. and adapted
~ give Sil1lH q ihIRc tHGrtlNe army IN 4
crisis. In reality, owing to nefficiency OF
administration of the army and also TO
the fact that payment OF 1900 pesetas will
purchase exemption from service, Spain
can at best mobilize big army OF UNI
drilled men OF little efficiency as COM /
pared with better drilled and armed tattal- /
ions Neither officers nor men possess
technical knowledge of modern warfare.
and seem TO rely SOLELY upon native dar. /
ing and courage, qualities which may read /
ily be conceded but are more likely Of
themselves to lead to q massacre than a
battle, with a we'll drilled and we'll Off.
oercd army MS opponents The army, also.
especially in Cuba, is deficient in cavalry.
and to this defect many of tho Spanish
themselves are inclined to charge their
failure In the Cuban war
Don Ropazas in his military study OF
The War in Cuba" presents picture OF
SPANISH military ineffciency almost as
claims that his countrymen In the wars in
Cuba have shown the essential qualities
Of the race towit courage. constnncy and
he also tells them their de-
fects have appeared so terribly exaggerat-
"a that the strongest spirit quails ON con-
templating them HACsa defects he sum-
terrible height, want OF reflection, wretch
I'D love al money and reward gained by
whatever means. This Indictment Is amply
justified by the record OF the Weyler
regime In Cuba, when mlsmanagement,
waste, eAtortion. bribery and treachery
were the rule and hut little care was taken
by Spain to reAenish his army.
Tho best thing that can he said OF the
Spanish soldier of today, Differed as he
Is. Is that he Is brave and patriotic, and /.
capable Of endurance on smaller rations
han any other European soldier would he
sonton,ed with. This latter quality Is
r,nIc necessary BY tho poor quality ana
character OF the Spanish commits sariat.
'.nglsh anu AntriIaa Itu1rS In liule OF
Nsr are The most literally fel. and cxpsri
encc has shown that an excellent commits
-griat Is ono OF thesolroes OF effectiveness
IA war. With Cuba devastated as it ~
Ioiay and all Spanish suispiiss 10 b. shipped
u IA "a IN