The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-06-30
Col. Garibaldi Talks Of
Campaigns and Fighters
Soldier of Fortune School
ing Himself for a
Definite Work

h.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-s-
- Me starlit night, just before the
III battle Of Juarez, Colonel Giu-
seppe Garibaldi sat on blan-
ket In the insurrecto camp,
near tho Mexican border, and talked
OF lighting men and campaigns the
world over, lingering all the while the
polished cartridges that filled many
loops in the double belt engirdling him.
Nearby stood McCutalisson, bandit,
who few days later. In fit Of jeal-
ousy, tried to kill the Italian soldier OF
fortune, and from the canyon camc
the challenges OF ragged sentries. The
grandson OF tho italian liberator had
a visitor, the correspondent of the
Houston Daily Post, and to him he
confded an unnamed ambition.
IL 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
trate, unresisting, humble In the pres
ence of financial power. The worship
Of Americans for money Is unfortu-
nate, think, and 1t apparently Is al
most universal.
Fascination Of Fighting.
"I have known so many fine Ameri-
cans in my own country where each
year increasing numbers go as tour
lists and where every year more linger
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 don't like
to criticise you. Let us rather talk
about the situation here in Mexico.
have found 1t most fascinating ex-
pericnce to work among and fight
am ng these patriotic Mexicans."
"But why should you fight at all? Is
It for pure love OF fightingW
more than most men," he replied, "but
1t seems to be my fate to fight, and
II 1t Is my fate to fight why, then, GER
tainly 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 ad'
mlrable In certain ways, but l believe
better training for n man like me lies
in commanding forces OF this kind
Nondescript my little regiment may be
but it Is tremendously in earnest
There Is not n single uniform In It,
neither Is there q coward. Even the
foreigners, most Of them Americans
are lighting for the cause and not fol
money. That's pretty fine when you
come to think Of It,"
"And you are fighting for expert
enceY'
THE experience will be valuable, but
the cause Is worthy too"
The Men He Was Leading.
at 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 monarchy
than the assured monarchies Of many
European countries. Diaz was mon
arch from the start. 1t is said that a
the beginning it was necessary tina
the country be controlled by some
thing of the nature Of despotsm.
is not possible for one Of Garibald
blood to really believe that this wa!
true, but II there ever was a tim,
when 1t was even partly true that TIM
has passed long, long ere this Th
men of my command here are Of ever.
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 o
ms high an average intelligence as tn
untutored in any land which I hav
ever visited. There are other me,
who are not only prosperous. but rea
ly very rich. They are fighting in tn
ranks, some Of them, and taking wha
comes with the rest
81 have heard no more complaint
from them-and there have been time
in plenty since the war began whe
all Of us have really been very hungry
when we have been worked to tn
point OF absolute exhaustion, an
there has been as real cause for grea
discomfort as any situation could pr'
duce-than have heard from the poe
farmers, some Of whom undoubtedl
became insurrecto soldiers becauS
they could secure a livelihood in Il
other way. This revolt in Mexico ha
not been political. 1t has not bee
fomented by the agltators. 1t is
universal and an almost involuntar
protest against intolerable condition
Against such conditions humanity hi
always risen."
Garibaldis visitor asked him whi
work he had done in preparation (,
his unnamed task. This was his a
swer:
81 was a wild boy in an Italian &C
Ioro hpt 7 boH SattlnJ ~, y,