The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-25

forced. The most arduous gymnastic ex-
ercises are practiced, so that the bodies of
the men are like iron, and so that to-day
there Is not an army in the world that is
more ready and better fitted to take the
field than that of Chile. The buildings of
the army and navy at Santiago and VAL
paradise cover acres, and they are among the
fine buildings of the country.
Just opposite the Moneda or the Chilean
White House is the headquarters of the
Presidents guard This consists Of two
hundred cavalry, Who are mounted on some
of the finest horses in Chile. During my
visit the commander held a review of the
troops that 1 might see what the Chileans
can do on horseback. They are among the
best horsemen in the world, and it is a
common expression that the Chilean is born
on horseback. The Presidents cavalry
moved as one man. The companies of troops
went galloping over the hedges and bitches
and hurdles, which are kept in the large
court of the quarters for practice. Dummy
soldiers in uniform were scattered about
the ground to represent the wounded on
the field of battle, and these the men
pierced with their lances as they went gall
.oping by. At the military school, or West
Point of Chile. saw the sons of the best
families Of the country undergoing the most
rigid gymnastic and military training. Boys
of from fifteen to eighteen, whose fathers
are worth millions, were marching through
the same exercises as the recruits Of the Ma
tionaI Guard. They handled their guns well
and the discipline was perfect. There is a
naval school at Valparaiso. There are mill
itary and naval clubs here. and Chile has
military and naval journals subsidized by
"a Cfaf T,ara Sc 1,,o - tel 1srf4
and the ambition in military way of both
old and young is boundless.
Speaking of the necessity for immediate
action on account of expense, Senior Jorge
Asta-Buruaga. the son of the former Chill
can minister to the United States, and for
time Chilean secretary of the legation at
Washington, accompanied me on my tour of
military inspection here. During the day
remarked several times on the splendid
training and equipment of the men, when
Senior Asta-Buruaga said: Eyes, they are
very fine, and they look very well, but
Chile must use them soon if at all. We are
like man who has twenty-five fine car
riages and nothing with which to keep
them UP. He may have the carriages
brought around to his door every morning
and the people will open their eyes and say:
See what magnificent turnouts that man
has, while all the time may be starving in
the kitchen. These soldiers are very fine,
but Chile can't stand the expense long"
This is true. Chile has all told only 100000
people, not as many as a number of our
American States. Five-sixths of these are
poems or laborers. who pay practically no
taxes, and the burden of the military es-
adjustment comes on but few. The coun-
try does not grow in population to any ex-
tent and it's tillable territory is compare
lively small. 1t has, however, good credit,
and it has always promptly paid its foreign
Indebtedness.
PATRIOTISM IN CHILE.
I have not yet seen the soldiers of the
Argentine. but doubt whether their army
will compare with this for effective work
The Chieans are natural soldiers They
would rather fight than eat, and when the
call was made for the members of the Ma
tional Guard between the ages of seven
teen and twenty to come to the field for
the present drill more than 50 per cent
above the quota asked for applied. BUSH
ness men tell me they could not hold their
employees. and that thousands were ready
to enter the ranks who could not get in
1t is said that Chile could put 10000 SOL
diers in the field within a week, and by
the organization of the National Guard ac-
cording to the law of 1896 every Chilean
from twenty to forty years of age must
serve. By this system the fighting force of
Chile is now over $4,000, and the 10000
and more young fellows now in training
are under those ages. The Argentine mil
tia and National Guard are more numerous
than that of Chile, but 1t is believed here
that the men are not such good soldiers,
and that they are anxious to escape service,
while the Chileans court it. At recent call
of troops in the Argentine about half of the
number failed to appear. The Argentine has
about 100000 more people than Chile, but
among these there are tens of thousands of
Italians who have been warned by their
home government to keep out of the Ar
gentine army. There are tens of thou
sands of Germans who still hold their al
legiance to the Kaiser, and tens of thou
sands of English who are out here to make
money and who will not fight for anything
else. Buenos Ayres alone has more than
100000 people of English blood, and these
have almost no patriotic regard for the
country. Here in Chile there are compare
lively few foreigners and every Chilean is
a patriot. There is no country of the world
which has so many fiagstaffs on it's houses
as this, and the people are wild with en-
especially so among the higher classes, the
people who run the government, who own
almost all the property and are the leaders
in everything. They are as intelligent and
as well educated as we are. Few of them
have any Indian blood in them, but they are
to 81 man ready to fight for Chile.
WAR WILL BE A BLOODY ONE.
If the war occurs it will be one of the
bloodiest of history. 1t will be fought with
the latest improvements in arms and with
all the savagery of the middle ages. In the
war with Peru there was not much need of
hospitals. The Chileans stabbed the wound
ed to death with their lances or cut their
threats as they lay on the field. have told
cling wounded dummies in the review
imagine that the Argentines would not be
much better in this respect and it will be
war to the death. 1t is hard for one who
has not seen the Chilean peon to understand
him. He is as tough a knot, and he can
endure all sorts of hardships. He can sleep
on the ground for weeks at a stretch, and
can live for months on rations of handful
or so of toasted flour for his meals He
comes of the best Castilan blood crossed
with that of the bravest Indians of this
continent, and he will stick to his COM
mander until he falls. He seems to care
nothing for life and little for pain, and will
do the most foolish things rather than be
thought coward One day last week two
poems were drinking together with a crowd
of their fellows. when one said to the other
that he thought him a coward. You do?"