The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-06-29
Soldier of Fortune School,
ing Himself for a
Definite Work

ket in the insurrecto camp,
near the Mexican border, and talked
OF fighting men and campaigns the
World over, lingering all the while the
polished cartridges that filed many
loops in the double belt engirdling him.
Nearby stood McCutalisson, bandit,
who a few days later, in a fit Of jeal-
Ousy, tried to kill the Italian soldier Of
fortune, and from the canyon came
the challenges of ragged sentries. The
grandson Of the Italian iberator had
visitor, the correspondent Of the
Houston Daily Post, and to him he
ronfded an unnamed ambition.
II am preparing,'' he said, ''for GER
tain great and definite work to which
I long ago deliberately dedicated what
there is or may be in me Of energy and
ability
First of all he expressed his frank
opinion about Americans and their
country. "Your independence Of the
other nations Of the world is admira-
ble," he remarked, "but you lie pros
frate, unresisting, humble in the pres
ence of financial power. The worship
of Americans for money is unfortu-
nate, I think, and it apparently is al
most universal.
Fascination Of Fighting.
Il have known so many fine Ameri-
cans in my own country where each
year increasing numbers go as tour
WI
and eventually become resident, have
known so many and such splendid,
able Americans at Panama, have met
such fine young fighters among the
Americans here in the foreign legion
of the insurrecto army that I don't like
to criticise you. Let US rather talk
about the situation here in Mexico
have found it a most fascinating ex-
perience to work among and fight
among these patriotic Mexicans."
'But why should you fight at all? Is
it for pure love Of fghting?
II don't know that 1 love fighting
more than most men," he replied, "but
1t seems to be my fate to fight, and
if it is my fate to fight why, then, GER
fainly must know how to fight. What
might be called the polished fighting
of trained armies, those of Italy and
Germany and France the British ar
my and the Austrian-that is, most adj
mirable in certain ways, but I believe
better training for a man like me lies
in commanding forces of this kind.
Nondescript my little regiment may be,
IN
There is not a single uniform in it,
neither is there a coward Even the
foreigners, most Of them Americans,
are fighting for the cause and not for
money. That's pretty fine when you
come to think Of it,
And you are fighting for expert
ence?'
1.-THE experience will be valuable, but
the cause is worthy too
The Men He Was Leading.
ut has been queer experiment." he
continued in answer to a question
about the qualifications of the Mexi-
cans for self government, "a republic
Which has been far more a monarchy
than the assured monarchies of many
European countries. Diaz was a mon
arch from the start It is said that at
the beginning it was necessary that
the country be controlled by some
thing of the nature of a despotism. It
is not possible for one Of Garibaldi
blood to really believe that this was
true, but if there ever was a time
when it was even partly true that time
has passed long, long ere this. The
men Of my command here are of every
class
There are untutored peasants among
them who have never owned a hum
dred dollars or any sum approaching
that in all their lives, and they are of
as high an average intelligence as the
untutored In any land which I have
ever visited. There are other men
who are not only prosperous, but real
~ very rich. They are fighting in the
ranks, some Of them, and taking what
comes with the rest.
II have heard no more complaints
from them-and there have been times
in plenty since the war began when
all Of us have really been very hungry,
when we have been worked to the
point Of absolute exhaustion, and
there has been as real cause for great
discomfort as any situation could pro-
duce-than have heard from the poor
farmers, some Of whom undoubtedly
became insurrecto soldiers because
they could secure a livelihood in no
other way. This revolt in Mexico has
not been political. It has not been
fomented by the agitators. It is a
universal and an almost involuntary
protest against intolerable conditions.
Against such conditions humanity has
always risen.'
Garibaldi's visitor asked him what
work he had done in preparation for
his unnamed task. This was his an
sWer:
''I was a wild boy in an Italian COL
lege, but 7 had already settled on NV