The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-13
SPANS YOUNG KING
Il. Ircady Asserting Himself and
Takes Interest in Army.


Madrid Letter in New York Evening Post.
The young King of Spain has only been
on the throne three weeks, and he has al
ready revealed some traits of will and in
clination. II is in everything connected
with the army that he seems determined
from the beginning TO convince everybody
that he not only takes a keen interest. but
that he intends 10 be very much his own
master. No less a parsonage than the war
minister. Lieutenant General Weyler, of
Cuban fame, has learnt at his cost that
Don Alfonso intends TO have his own way.
At his first review Of military cadets from
the five academies of infantry, artillery,
cavalry. engineers and commissariat, the
King having noticed that General Weyler
had slightly altered the programme of the
field day. CURLY turned TO him and said:
Give Instructions for the original plan to
be carried out" Weyler flushed, saluted,
and obeyed.
After the grand parade Of Madrid garri-
sons in the presence of the court, the for
eign princes and ENJOYS OF all countries,
when Alfonso XIII rode back to the place
assigned for the march past, Weyler
pointed to the spot selected. The King
reined his horse in, as If moved by a sudden
impulse. then mOtiOned TO Weyler and the
staff TO follow him, and putting himself
at the head OF the advancing column, passed
the court gallery 10 salute his mother,
Queen Maria Christina. Then only he left
the head of the column 10 take up his
position 10 the left of her gallery for the
rest of the march past. Another day he
asked Weyler to place at the head of a
regiment of engineers Of the Madrid garri-
son a Colonel Canizares. Weyler objected
that this officer was low down on the list,
and would have 10 go over the heads of a
dozen seniors. The King replied quietly:
4 wish 1t 10 be so. Is he not the man who
so much distinguished himself in Cuba
The war minister fancied so young a mon
arch would forget this incident. So a few
days afterwards, in a heap of other de-
creeS prepared for the royal signatures, he
slipped one appointing TO the Madrid en-
glneer regimen the senior officer or the list
OF colonies The King looked at the decree,
and said: Il Will sign that when you correct
the name and put in that of Canizares." 1t
would have been interesting to see the face
of Weyler, but the latter obeyed.
The King startled Madrid this very week
by appearing one morning with a few Of
ncerS of his military household In the ar
tillery barracks of the docks at an hour
when the colonel, the field officers and most
Of the captains had not yet put in an ap-
pearance. He sent for the captain on guard
duty at the barracks and ordered him to
get the ~trumpeters to sound the call for in
slant muster of all the batteries. This was
done in the royal presence in tWenty-SeVen
minutes. and the four batteries. with the
guns, ammunition carriages, their fine
teams, non-cOmmissioned officers and men
| III IQl marching order were TedQN 10 mdTCn
with only six officers present. The King
gave fifty pesetas to the first man who had
appeared equipped and with his horse in the
yard, ten pesetas to the next man. and five
to ten other artillerymen. Then he placed
himself at the head of the corps and
marched through the principal streets of
the capital and paused, heading the column
under the palace balcony, where his moth
er stood waiting to see how quickly he
would accomplish what he had told her
alone he contemplated doing. In the Plaza
| de Oripnta before the na1aCo no Sanqrafp6
from the artillerymen, and he ordered the
officers to give the whole regiment extra
rations that day. a rancho extraordinary
minister, Weyler; the captain general of
Madrid, Duke de Ahumada. and of the
colonel of the -four artilleria ligera" when
they heard first that, unknown TO them,
somebody had mustered and taken out of
the docks barracks that distinguished corps
and, later on, that this somebody was the
generalissimo of the Spanish army, his
Catholic Majesty.
The effect in military circles and in po-
litical circles was tremendous, and nat
urally, there was much talk about army
etiquette, constitutional rules, ministerial
responsibilities. etc. The King must have
heard of these criticisms, as next day he
walked with his aids-de-camp into the
cavalry barracks Of San Gil, but there the
colonel was not to be caught mapping, bat
had mounted and mustered his men 10 well
come his King. Hardly a day passed with
out his thus showing his desire to make
the personal acquaintance of his regiments,
ana ne cOntrmS the general impression
that his training and education have made
him, above all things a soldier and a Cath
Ollie. The soldiers and officers like to see
among them a prince who, despite his
slender frame and delicate features, must
have staying powers in him, as he seems
TO resist fatigue pretty well, though he is
always on the go, and he sits his horse
well and is a graceful rider. They are
also pleased when they hear that he Is
frequently consulting the war minister
the heads of departments of the war office
and MANY cOmnp1Pnt generals outside
with a view to knowing what all the
branches of the service REQUIRE.