The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-05
RY MNRRILL A. TEAaUE.

(Gtaff Correspondent of The Advertiser. )
 Panama, R. F., December 21.-The army and navy of the Republic of Panama are institutions that belong to the mod ern comic opera stage. They have in- herent natural fighting qualities: but no manager, in his striH gs after the gro- tsque, ever produced on that mimic world which lies back of the footlights aggre- gations better calculated to excite the disabilities of those who come from the haunts of Northern civilization and pro- gross than are these, which are supposed to uphold by force of arms the dignity of this new nation.
 The army of Panama, with one small battalion stationed here, and separate companies distributed in other centers of population throughout the isthmus. Is one of the most remarkable organiza- uCns with which any man ever came in contact. Its equal can be found nowhere unless 1t is in some other Latin American republic. and even among these coun- tries it would be impossible to match all of it's ludicrius details
 Ask at the government building, and they will tell you that they have 1.2OO superior men in their army. Go investi- Gattng on your own account, and you will discover that this army consists of about 700 officers and men, the numker of officers being out of all proportion to the number of men. Pursue your in- vestigations little farther. and you will be assured by those in authority that If necessary the Republic of Panama could put from 10000 to 50.G0O men fin the field to resist an invasion or put down an in surrectoion. Apply yourself to an effort to gauge this populace. and you will come squarely in contact with the fact that 1t would tax the resources of the re- public to the utmost to arm and equip 1,500 men for active service. and that even this number would have to go into the field without uniform and with a most varied assortment of arms.
 A Juvenile Fighting Force.
 The long and short of the matter is that the army of the republic is little more than a name. The Colombian Bat talion-for by this name it Is still known which, under the command of General Huertas, effected the arrest of Generals Tovar and Arnaya and gave substantial form to the revolution, was, during the old regime, a really effective organiza- ton. It was recruited principally in the province of Cauca, where the men grow to goodIy size and where they take nat urally to the profession of arms. It was well-uniformed, well-equipped and fairly well drilled. Although it numbered only 200 men 1t was able, when turned out or parade in gaudy yellow, blue and gold uniforms. with it's multiplicity of gen. erals, colonels and captains, each one dazzling in his gold-lace and resplendent aceoutrements, to impart a showy ef- feet to any scene But since the birth of the republic of the isthmus it has lost much of it's identity
 Tn the hurry of setting up the new gov ernment there was a natural eagerness to recruit the strength of the army. Lit tic judgment was exercised in enliStinG men for service, and to-day the Pana- maian army looks very much like a high school cadet corps. It is not exaggerat- ing fact in the least to say that in this army there are to be found large num- Der of boys under 15 years of age than there are persons over that age.
 A visit to the barracks of the Colom- bian Battalion, or to the Quartet, the new barracks opened under the republic fmparts the same impression as would 8 visit to a juvenile institute. Before General Huertas~ offices at the barracks when called there the other day, a lad of 10 years of age was standing sentry