The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-03

\ az the public schools In the States. These
I 1ittle fellows are, however, good fighters.
THE majority Of them, among those now
over twelve years of are, fought In the
last revolution. They nre esteemed by
the officers, who claim that they can
glide through the swatnps ana juhsies
which alternate In making this an NJ
most impossible country, With grea ter
ease thnn can growt, men, and there ~
no discounting the fact TINT they can
4 ana wilt fight. They don't know enough
Stc run away said IN officer when
Questioned their worth as soldiers.
S.'They often have to stand against trees.
continued this officer, ITO keep the re-.
coil Of their guns from Knocking them 4
down: bit when II comes to standing on
the firing line ] would rather have them
thnn men," And calling to u dimnuuvo
sentry. the officer gave message IN
Spanish. In a few moments, IN response
10 the summons, there appeared before
us a lni of not more than eleven years
\ OF age. This boy. who could not nave
weighed more than forty pounds, fought
through the closing days OF the last
revolution, and won tho PRAISE 'of ms
Officers by his performances at the SIX.
days fight ut the railroad bridge JUST
utsdc of Panama the last encounter IN
that revolution. The little fellow Went
through that fight with dauntless cour-
age. loading and firing regularly and Ell
5fectlvely, and never once showing the
sign Of the white feather.
So 1t is with nearly all tho others IN
this army. General I1uertas is himself
mn example of the boy soldiery Of PAN
anna. Although but thrty-two years ola
1 he Is now the comlnandor-in-chiefo or tho
army. In which he has served since ne
was nine and one-half years old.
record OF twenty-five and one mali years
rre. r,nx
tive years old could not be Matched ~
any other country except this, where the
unusual and the unexpected Is to DC found
upon every hand. &s5y
1. THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
XIII General IIucrtns Is one Of the churac-
tiers Of Panama. ! have already told
how he came to deliver the army over 70
5the separatists There IS BACK OF tnne'
however, the mans personal story. un-
educated and iliternte, he knows abso.
.4lutely nothing Of the art Of war or of
military science. All his grndes, from
n Int Of non-commissioned officer 70 d
full Pledged general. were won during the
last revolution. AS brave and re-
8sourceful fighter along the oushwacklng
A,ne,hods in vogue here his reputation Is
\ SECOND to that Of no other man IN the
army. yet he knows nothing of military
discipline. and If his life depended upon
At he could not drill q full regiment OF
5troops. He lost his right arm during the
last revolution and now wears cork
appliance where his arm should be; put
this physical deficiency does not prevent
him from appearing as q gorgeous spec
4tacle when he dons his full dress uni
form.
ss5 In his Ignorance or military forms and
HnsaCes and the art OF war, General
sIIuertas is on a. plane with all the other
stofficers OF this remarkable army Cen
4cral Domingo DiuZ, division COMMANDER
I Is not better equipped to direct Military
h operations than Is Huertas. and the
whole army reflects the weaknesses oil
ats commanders. 1t Is pTac,,cany NJ w
Il drilled und unlisciplined. Llfo III ne
barracks is like holiday, and the or
canization OF the establishment Is RI
8dIculous In It's shortcomings Under me
Colombian regime these troops were pald
ST n day In Colombian silver The re-
public has won great favor IN their EYES
because it has Increased the pay to s.
IN day. With this wage the men are
required to provide their own ratlons, the
Y government being supposed to furnish
E1hem with their uniforms and arms.
N i5 JJNIFORMl4,~ THE TROOPS.
8 How well the government does It's work
lin the matter of furnishing uniforms was
very forcibly demonstrated the other day.
AS a rule, the soldiers are bnretooted,
#but herculeah eilor. - pe'n , ~ 49,
PROVIDE them WIN snoes a..a ~ 49,,
accessories o. CON- p4eto ,'rl'.' -
little tabor shop ~ - nuHs ma
ing plouses ana ttouseis' ~. w $40
iit is diflefTht proposi.to''--'i'ey n''' ~
be purchased rcady-faaoe.
81. happened iI.to, one OF .lle ie%iuins,
stores OF Panama Gay OF - ago, aIi"
found In the rear Oh tiie room s'A SUI
diers In command OF corpora,. iney
had come up from the quarter 70 pe titteu
with shoes. Barefooted they han h'aleh-
cd up through the mud. The store fur
nished one sock. and soldier no began
the trying on process. lie slipped the
sock on his foot and after one or TWO
TRIALS got pair Of shoes that gave prom
,sc of fitting. He then removed the sock.
passed 1t on to"solder No. 2, and slipped
his sockless :9ot INTO the SHOES DOL
dier No. . used the sock while trying on
shoes, and when he got n pair that fit
ted his bare foot went into them. while
.ho sock was passed OH to soldier No. 3;
and so it went until the six men had
sheen shod the one sock furnished by
tho store doing duty for the six men.
el,, n,,il n,t1 ri