Rock Island Argus., 1911-07-01


If 1t is my IA re TO fight why. then, GER
tainly 1 must know how to fight. What
might be called the polished lighting
of trained armies, those of Italy and
Germany and France, the British ar
my and the Austrian-that is, most ad-
mirable in certain ways, but l believe
better training for a man like me lies
in commanding forces of this kind.
Nondescript my little regiment may be,
but 1t is tremendously in earnest.
There is not 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
enceT"
1.-The experience will be valuable, but
the cause is worthy too"
The Men He Was Leading.
"It has been a queer experiment" he
continued in answer to a question
about the qualifications of the Med-
cans for self government, "a republic
which has been far more q monarchy
than the assured monarchies of many
European countries. Diaz was a mon
arch from the start. 1t is said that at
the beginning it was necessary that
the country be controlled by some
thing of the nature of a despotism. 1t
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 hun
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 have
ever visited. There are other men
who are not only prosperous, but real
ly very rich. They are fighting in the
ranks, some of them, and taking what
comes with the rest.
ct 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 fnsurrecto Scldiers because
they could secure a livelihood in no
other way. This revolt in Mexico has
not been political. 1t has not been
fomented by the agitsto It is a
universal and an almost involuntary
protest against intolerabIe conditions
Against such conditions humanity has
always risen"
Garibaldi's visitor asked him what
work he had done in preparat ton for
his unnamed task. This was his an
swer:
'T was a Wild boy in an Italian col
lege, but had already settled on my
Iifework, and as soon as the Greek
war broke out left my studies of naval
and engineering and be-
came member Of the foreign legion.
Ny father was an officer in the same
STmy, puI was Inuch OppOSSQ 10 nav
ing me among his soldiers l served
throughout the war, however, and
when il ended he made me a corporal.
''As a private 1 saw three engage
ments during this campaign, but was
not wounded. The officers were good
to me and thought my father bit Sc
we're in keeping me in such inferior
position. I thought so, too, but father
answered when the officers petitioned
him: "A corporal he is and must re-
main, so far as this Greek service is
A Garfbaldi must be Ell
Their In full command or be q corporal
In South America.
After the Greek war went home
to Rome and proceeded with my
studies for six months. I could not
see thar they were helping me toward
what / had In mind and still have on
my mind, 50 I abandoned them and
went 10 Buenos Aires. First of all, I
fancy, wished to see the world, but
also wished 10 see what use all the
things which haG learned in college
were and find out II I could get on
alone. l became a craftsman on tbs
Buenos Aires and Belgrano Electric
then a civil engineer on the
Nics rag1ian railway. It was fine
ground for me 20 visit. for NY grand
father fought nine years in Uruguay !