The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-24

hands of small farmers and fruit grow
ers. The vine is the most important
culture, but large quantities of oranges,
raisins, nuts and olives are exported
every year. Spain is rich in minerals,
the annual value of her mineral exports
being about e6,640, 600. She also manu-
features cotton goods. She has nearly
10000 looms. Her imports for 1869
amounted to s29. 1856. 906 Her exports
brought her in s34890, 400. The most
primitive conditions prevail in many
parts of Spain and in some portions life
is almost as it was when Columbus
Travelled the country roads on foot
leading his little son by the hand. This
is due to the meager means of commu-
nication, there being but 7,548 miles Of
railway in the whole country. This is
only 39 linear miles of road for every
100 square miles of territory. New Eng
land alone has as many miles of rail-
road as has Spain and her territory is
not nearly as great. The same area as
Spain picked out of the upper eastern
United States has nearly 10000 miles of
road. But the people of Spain still ad
here 70 their gayly caparisoned mules,
which, perhaps, make up in wornout
romance what they lack in speed.
CATHOLIC CHURCH ABSOLUTE.
The domination of the Catholic
church in Spain is almost absolute.
Nearly the whole population adhere to
that creed. Indeed, no other form of
worship is allowed to be practiced
publicly. The last census showed 3d. 435
priests living in the So dioceses of the
country. There are 1854 monks living
in 161 monasteries, and 1882 nuns liv-
ing in 1,027 converts. There are 65 ca
thedrals, 80 religious colleges and 1854
churches Besides these, there are
over 1000 houses devoted to religious
purposes. restricted liberty of wor-
ship is allowed the Protestants, but it
has to be kept very private, and no
public announcement of the fact is per-
nitted. The church dignitaries are
supported by the state.
A GORDON OF FORTS.
Spain is well defended from invasion
by a Gordon of forts and fortified
towns drawn completely around her
frontier. On the north there is Fuen-
terrabia, the fortified port of Passages,
and the military forts Of Santona, San
tander, E'errol Coruna and Vigo. In
the Basque provinces are Bilbao and
Vittoria To the left of the Ebro are
Pamplona, Tafalla, Jaca, VenasQua,
Monzon, Puycerda, SEQ de Urzel Bala-
quer and Lerida. Nearer the Mediter-
ranean are Cardona, Hostalrich, Cam
predon, Ripoll, Corona, Olot, Cartelfol-
lit, F'ieueras. On the Mediterranean
are Palamos, Barcelona, Tarragona,
Malaga, Almeria, Carthagena and Ali
cante. Logrono. Tudela, Zaragoza, Me-
quinenza and Tortosa are in the Ebro.
Burgos and Morella lie to the south of
it. Toro, Rodrigo, Valencia de Alcan-
tara, Albuquerque and Badajoz lie
along the Portuguese frontier, Tarifa
and Algeciras are in the Strait OF Glib
raltar, and CadiZ is at the entrance.
Not all of these could Withstand the
projectiles of modern great guns, but
quite the best methods prevail, and an
army of invasion would have some diff
ficulty in breaking through the bar
rier.
COULD MOBILIZE OVER A MIL
LION.
Spain maintains permanent army
She also has what is known as an ac-
tive reserve and a sedentary reserve
each of which should be relied upon
for support in time of war. Any Span
lard above the age of 10 is liable to be
called upon to serve in the permanent
array for three years. From this part
of the army the soldier passes to the
active reserve for three years service
and from thence to the sedentary re-
serve for six years service. By paying
1880 pesetas anyone may escape serv-
ice. The colonial army requires every
able-bodied subject to serve eight
years in the various reserves. Thus
most of the kings subjects are militia
men, and it is estimated that in time OF
need Spain could easily mobilize an eff
ficient army of 1,0S3,595 men. The
standing army numbers about lO,OUt
men, although recent levies make this
number nearer 10000 SPANS navy is
likewise capable. The following is q