The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-10-21


 created by royal decree to reorgan- ize the entire army system in Spain When General Weyler was sent to Cuba in February, 1896, he had had years of experience with re- bellions in nearly all of the Span ish colonial possessions. Born on the island of Majorca in 1888, he was a student in an infantry school at Toledo at the age of 15, and he | was brought up on the traditions of warfare practised by Cortez and , Pizarro.
 During the Civil War in America he was military attache of the Spanish Legation at Washington and followed General Sheridan in several campaigns. After that he rose rapidly in the ranks of the Spanish army. From 1868 to 1872 hel served brilliantly against the Cuban rebels, and returned to Spain asI rigadier-general. He figured later in loyal support of the ruling house of Spain in the Carlist uprising. .i He was rewarded with the post of captain-g general of the Canary Is-s. i lands, and in 1888 he was sent tol Philippines to put down a native uprising. He was captain-general at Catalonia, making himself the ter TOT of the anarchists and socialists there when he was sent to Cuba to succeed Marshal Campos, whose dealings with the insurgents were regarded at home as too concilia- -1 tory.
 Weyler immediately inaugurated policy of memorable repression. He was author of the famous concern tration edict requiring all the in-l habitants of the insurgent provinces to concentrate within prescribed distances of military camps. This forced hundreds of thousands of persons out of their regular em- Iployment and massed them in such, numbers that they could not be properly fed or sheltered. General Fitzhue Lee, Consul General of the United States at Havana, is author ity for the estimate that probably 100000 of the rural population of Cuba died of starvation or from resultant causes during this period of concentration.
 Storm of Indignation
 Weyler's policy raised storm of indignation throughout the United States and led finally to a demand for his recall. Under pressure, this was granted by Spain, and Weyler left Cuba in October, 1897, after less than two years of his merci- less rule. In Spain his reputation as a strong and ambitious loyal soldier seemed to have suffered no setback, and to the time of his death he played prominent role in army affairs.
 General Weyler figured promi- nently in plot against the gov- ernment of Primo de Rivera in June, 1926, but was acquitted by a military court in April, 1927 H When the plot was discovered a large number of arrests were made and General Weyler, who was then at Palma, Island of Majorca, was held under surveillance. Police were reported to have found among his possessions copies of manifecto to the country, calling for the un- doing of Primo de Rivera The aged soldier was said to have been one of the Signers
 Previous to the military trials Primo de Rivera fined a number of the alleged plotters, the amount assessed against General Weyler being reported 100000 pesetas
 After that incident General Wey- Ter lived quietly at his apartment on the northern edge of Madrid. There early in 1928 he received nu- merous callers who offered con gratulations on the 18th anniver- sary of the beginning of his mill tary career as a student at the infantry school at Toledo.
 Il AS the remaining captain gen. eral of the Spanish Army he was regarded as still in service, although having no active connection with Spain's military forces for several years past. He continued after pass l ing his 90th birthday anniversary |, Ito take a daily horseback ride.