The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-07-21
MEXcO'S STANDING ARMY.
An Esta blishment That Has Been ire
ated Since Diaz Became
President.

Wide diffused as is the periodical
| literature of to-day and varied as are
the subjects of which it treats, how
little do We know about the actual So
cial, domestic and political conditions
OF the countries in which we have not
travelled! How strong the tendency to
look upon our next-door neighbor as
just little less civilized than we! How
many in the United States know any
thing about the organization of the
Mexican army, the excellent police
force of the country, the progress the
nation has made in the last 20 years,
the working of the government ma
chinery, which stands for the greater
part of the progress made in this time
Certainly a very small number. Yet
all these things, and more, we should
know before we venture to either
praise or blame any country, says Mod
ern Mexico.
The most interesting feature in con-
nection with the modern progress of
Mexico is the army. The present chief
executive found it disorganized body
of guerrillas led by few ambitious
men who were, in too many cases, not
prescriptions as to the means they
used to secure their positions and to
attain their political aims. In few
years this disorganized body has been
organized and disciplined, and the mil
itary school has supplied it with
trained, educated and intelligent Off
GERS, many of whom would be a credit
to any military organization. But
above all, the government has done
away with the old spirit of political
ambition to be attained through revo-
luton. The nation is now almost a
unit in its adherence to peace and the
policy of the present chief executive.
The soldiers of the standing army
Of which there are $4,000, are subject
to strict daily routine of military ex-
ercise to fit them for actual war, or fol-
military expeditions which the govern
men has for the past few years been
forced to take to keep in subsection
some of the more rebellious tribes
which only within the past year have
been brought under complete govern,
ment control.
Everywhere the government has now
established primary schools for the ed.
ucation of the regular soldier, and al
who have not attained a certain educa.
tional standing are forced to follow the
course laid down for these schools. In
addition to this, inducements in the
way of promotions are held out tt
those who, more ambitious than theil
fellows, carry their studies further
than the law actually requires.
Not only has the army been disci
plined, but it has been reinforced with
men and equipments in modern arms
uniforms, etc. From being a lawles!
body it has come to stand for law anG
and order of the country.
Instead of being made up largely o.
robber chiefs and their followers, it!
mission now is to hunt down any ont
who sets himself up against the estab
lished order of things. 1t is an organi
cation possessed of spirit to be found
in no other Latin-American country.
Mexico possesses one of the fines
military museums Of any country il
the world and journey (for it is I
Journey through it will we'll repa!
even the casual pleasure seeker wh'
has no higher aims than to use,
things"
Every town and village Throughout
Mexico has stationed within it some o
the regular standing forces. General!
these belong to the "rurales," O.
mounted police, which serve much thu
same purpose as the mounted police o
Canada. Early in his career as gov
ernor of the Mexican nation Gen. Dia:
bought off many of the robber chief
tans and made them leaders of a rura
police at good salaries. These wer
used to hunt the other robbers, VIII
preferred an Independent life to accept
ing a salary from the government
This was the origin of the famous ru
rales, or interior soldier-police. tt
this force was due, to a great extent
the early pacifcation and security o
the country, and it's members are still
the guardians of the peace in the in
terror