Evening star., 1925-09-20

their term of office a jubilee under
their complete control of matters of
finance, justice and public welfare.
\ x i x
THE immediate cause. however, for
setting up local self governments
In the colonies was the repudiat ioE
by the Spanish people of their king.
Joseph, a brother of Napoleon. AL.
| though they protested their loyalty
to their imprisoned king, their taste
of freedom proved delirious draught
whose delights nothing could erase
from their memory. That was in
1SoS. and by 1923 the United States
had def1ed the world and flung a
protective banner over the republics
to the south In the form of the
Monroe doctrine.
But between those very dates
G809-1S2D were fought the wars that
won that guaranteed independence
and that threw upon the screen once
| more the stalwart figure of San
Martin. Although practically un-
known and without influence when
he arrived in Buenos Aires, powerful
friends of his associate, Maj. Alvear,
secured for him a commission as
tIeuleIldII COlOIlei IN the
although he was uncommunicative 1t
was known that he carried in his
brain a plan for the liberation Of
South America.
A well-drilled and disciplined army
was the great need. SO eight days
after the comforting of the commits
sion San Martin had established a
training camp for the youth So
great was the precision Of the first
squadron drilled that he used it as a
model for generation. His officers
he chose from his military friends
who had voyaged home with him, and
his cadets he drew from the leading
families in Argentina. French cav.
airy methods We're taught and his
first regiment of horse became the
famous Mounted Grenadiers." who
rode armed with the curving saber
of Napoleon's Cuirassiers That one
regiment fought furiously, gloriously
| In every one of the wars of indie
| pendence and furnished the Army OF
| the United Provinces 19 generals and
over 1000 officers. Ricardos was not
only q master tactician; he was a
superb instructor in his art.
7 San Martins next step was the
| quintessence of statesmanship. In ar
| address to the leaders Of the patriots
| of the principles for which the,
| fought, with the adoption of form OF
government and a flag. This, he knew
would concentrate otherwise diver
| gent efforts. AS a result a proviSiona
| government was established. princi
| pies were defined. all Spanish flag.
| replaced by Argentine banners, and
a declaration Of independence drawn
up. 1t crystallized both sentiment anc
allegiance so that the resultant deter
| mination shaped events to a happy
conclusion after severe fighting.
| While San Martin was exerting al
his powers to build up an army able tt
| cope with the veterans of Spain, hi
was only too well aware that thu
| enemy had fleet that terroriZed thu
| coast cities and the communities or
the larger rivers. AS a result a coas
city became a bristling fortress of al
most impregnable strength.
X Y
THE plan that brought on the frs
engagement was for the forces o
San Martin to attack Montevideo, de
| tended by 335 guns, a garrison Of 8 ,00t
men and IA warships. The United
! Provinces had not q single gunboat
I but they had the directing genius o
a San Martin to crown their effort
with success.
The Spanish fleet had sailed pas
| Montevideo and up the river to Ii,
under the high bluffs of San Lorenzo
From the belfry of a deserted monas
terry San Martin watched the royal
lists APPROACH. When they were within
striking distance. with saber in han,
| he rode at the head of the grenadier
| into the ranks of the enemy. His fin,
charger was killed under him, and h,
himself saved only by the quick ac
| tion of a trooper. With loss of mer
and guns and flag, the Spanish wer,
| driven back to the boats.
I 1t was the first engagement and it
| effect upon the men was electrical
1t made other victories possible, an,
it gave the United Provinces a firme
confidence in their leader in the field
The grenadiers had stood the hot
sharp action with Credit, much to tn
satisfaction Of their commander.
| When San Martin returned to Bue
nos Aires he was distressed to find
! given over to political intrigue S,
when the government sought a gen
eral to take over the armies Of UP
per Peru (Begrano. the general. lha,
met with serious defeat), San Martil
was eager to leave and escape tn
| jealousy and corruption in the cen
ter of the new government.
| There was only one way in which
Peru could be made free of Spanisl
rule, and that was by leading an arm,
from Argentina across the never mill
| tary-traversed Andes into Chile, ant
! free her: then, with friends and sup
porters in the rear, to free lower Pc
ru, and with her aid drive the power
full royalists out of upper Peru.
| The times were so uncertain tha
Martin dared not make this plal
known, but he could dream over it
working out in the laboratory of hi
T Splendid. brain the details of the ac
complshment of his one great pur
pose, while he went on drilling hi
men and teaching them the tactics O
the best generals in Europe.
Intrigue at home, inability to d,