In ancient times many of the duties of the modern police were performed by the soldiers. In the early days of Persia and ancient Greece guards were stationed at the gates, and at night military watchmen were placed on the walls. Rulers and persons of affluence8 had in addition their own personal body-guards. It was not until the days of Augustus C?sar that the idea of a body of men trained and disciplined to maintain order for the benefit of the citizens at large was developed. The Romans were averse9 to the presence of soldiers within the walls, for fear that they might become a menace to public liberty. As a result of this prejudice a body of civil police grew up, a part of whose equipment were buckets of rope made waterproof11 with tar7, for they were the firemen as well. Because of this outfit12 the people in derision called them “squirts,” or “bucket-boys.” The Anglo-Saxon system of police was not perfected[248] until in the time of the eminent13 Sir Robert Peel less than a century ago. After several years of strenuous14 work in Parliament he succeeded in passing a law organizing the Metropolitan15 Police of London. Although this body of men gave security and protection to the citizens of that city it was considered an inroad upon personal liberty and the members of the force were termed in derision “bobbies” and “peelers,” names which have clung to them ever since.
It has often been a query16 in my mind whether we fully17 appreciate the work of the policeman. The soldier’s praise has been sung in every land and in every tongue, but the man who walks the city’s streets has not succeeded in inspiring the muse18 to any extent. The police are a mighty19 army in themselves. If one could shout the one word “Police!” so that it might be heard the world over, it would call together an army of more than a million men. Among these would be the stalwart “bobbie” of London, giant Chinese policemen from Hong Kong, barefooted Zulus clothed in English helmets and suits, tens of thousands of American “cops,” and last, but not least, the little brown policeman of Argentina. Buenos Aires alone[249] could furnish five full regiments20 of a thousand men each.
A POLICEMAN OF ARGENTINA
These dark-skinned, undersized men are always on duty. At regular intervals22 a sergeant23 comes along and signs the officer’s book, which is his record of service. The summer uniform is white, helmet and all. At night you will see one of these officers at every street intersection24. As far as you can see down the narrow thoroughfares one of these white sentries25 may be seen on duty at every corner. Should a disturbance26 occur he will blow his whistle and this will be answered for many blocks. Soon policemen will be seen running from the four directions, and in a few minutes quite a force can be collected. A call to the central station would bring an additional force. In this way an incipient27 disturbance could soon be checked. As these men are under the pay of the national government, they form a part of the defensive28 forces of the country and are a really creditable body. The mounted men are well mounted and have a very smart appearance as they canter through the streets.
Since the probability of war with Chile passed away the army of Argentina has not been kept as full as prior to 1904. The proportion[250] of soldiers to the population is perhaps less than in any other republic of South America, except Brazil. There are thirty infantry29 battalions30, nine cavalry31 regiments, eight regiments of the various branches of artillery32, besides the numerous special features. The cavalry in particular will compare most favourably33 with those of any other nation. They are recruited principally from the gauchos34, the cowboys of Argentina, who are born to the saddle and sit upon the horses with a grace and naturalness that only comes with familiarity to such form of locomotion35 from the very cradle itself almost. The infantry are well equipped with modern arms and accoutrements, but they will not bear comparison with the troops of Uncle Sam, Germany or France. They are fighters, however, when once aroused and interested in the cause for which they are fighting. There is in addition to the permanent army a reserve army of about one hundred and fifty thousand. By the provisions of the law every Argentine citizen, from his twentieth to his forty-fifth year, a period of twenty-five years, is subject to compulsory36 military service. Actual service, however, except in the navy, rarely extends beyond one year. Naturalized citizens[251] are exempt37 from military duty for a period of ten years after their naturalization. The fact that every one born on Argentine soil is considered an Argentine citizen has led to some unpleasant experiences among the foreign population, whose children have been born in that country. Many women have gone back to the home land so that their children would not become Argentine subjects.
General Leonard Wood, of the United States army, makes the following comment upon the Argentine army following a recent official visit to that country.
“Instruction in this army is vigorous and thorough during the entire period of service. They have a good general staff organization, and a superior school of war for training staff officers and special training of line officers, under the care of specially38 selected line officers. In Argentina there are excellent relations between the officers and the men. There are few court-martials and insubordination is rare. Their infantry is of a sturdy type, good marchers, well uniformed and equipped. The cavalry is well mounted and they are good horsemen. The bulk of the cavalry is armed with sabre and carbine, and there is also one regiment21[252] of lancers and one heavy regiment of cuirassiers. They are all very smartly turned out and make fine troops. Compulsory service, it has been found in Argentina, as elsewhere, is useful not only in making good soldiers, but also good citizens are so made. Men from remote districts, after a year’s service with the colours, have a greater respect for the flag, for the authorities, and the national government. These men have also benefited physically39 and acquired habits of promptness and exactness. They return to their communities in every way improved by the service. All who enter unable to read and write are taught during their service. After the year’s service with the colours men are called out at intervals, gradually decreasing in frequency, for short periods of service with the colours during man?uvres, usually about six or eight days a year. Careful track is kept of the reserves, who are almost immediately available in case their services are needed. Sufficient equipment for them is held in reserve.”
In travelling over Argentina one sees very few soldiers. A man in a navy uniform will be encountered much more frequently. The standing40 army only numbers twenty thousand men,[253] while the active naval41 force is not less than twenty-five thousand, most of whom are young men of twenty and twenty-one years of age. This force is kept recruited by conscription. All citizens are registered at birth and a number placed opposite the names on the register. Numbers are drawn5 each year of the young men who have reached the age of eighteen. The higher numbers pass into the navy for two years, and the lower numbers enter into the army for one year. Then after their discharge from active service these men pass into the reserves, where they are kept enrolled42 until they are thirty years of age. This keeps a large reserve force ready for duty in both army and navy. The Escuela Naval Militar, a naval college, is maintained where young men are trained to take positions as officers in the navy, similar to our own naval school at Annapolis. In nearly all the public schools the boys are given a military training under the direction of retired43 naval and military officers, and are allowed the gratuitous44 use of firearms and ammunition45. Nearly every city and town has a shooting range where target practice is carried on under the direction of officials. The tactics are German, but the uniforms[254] in both army and navy are of French design.
The Argentinians are very proud of their navy. There is a great jealousy46 between that republic and Brazil, and a consequent rivalry47 in building up a navy. A few years ago Brazil ordered three Dreadnaughts from English builders, the first two of which have just been received, and the other one will be delivered very soon. These boats were supposed to be the most powerful representatives of this style of war vessels49 ever constructed, but the Argentine naval experts believe that their new marine50 monsters will be still more effective. They considered the proposition for a long time, and maintained a committee in Europe for a year in order to peruse51 plans and keep in touch with the very latest developments in naval construction. The plans finally adopted were the result of this careful and painstaking52 study. The boats will be seventy feet longer than the Brazilian Dreadnaughts, twenty-five hundred tons greater displacement53 and will have a guaranteed speed of one additional knot.
A twenty-two million order for battleships was not a bad thing for American ship builders. And yet that was the contract given them by[255] the Argentine Republic, after a fierce competition in which twenty-five firms from five of the leading nations of the world were engaged. The Eagle may well scream a little, for it is the first time that the United States has been considered a serious competitor in the building of battleships. The European nations used every influence, including that of their diplomatic representatives and a “knocking” of American manufacturers, to secure the order, but all to no avail. The American builders were the lowest bidders54; they promised the boats in a shorter time; and the visit of the fleet a few years ago showed the Argentinos that we could build first class battleships. The writer was in Buenos Aires when the contract was let, and it awakened55 the people of that section of the world to the fact that the United States has become an active competitor in all lines of business.
These “Dreadnaughts,” which will be known as the “Rivadavia” and “Moreno,” will be 604 feet long, with a displacement of 20,500 tons, and a speed of 22? knots will be generated by engines of 40,000 horsepower, and the normal draught56 will be 27 feet. The height of the turret57 above the water will be 26? feet and[256] at the poop it will be 17 feet. The armour58 will extend for 250 feet in the centre, 4? feet above and 3? feet below the normal water line with a uniform thickness of one foot. The total weight of the armour will be 7,000 tons. The outward appearance of these two leviathans will be very similar to the “Arkansas” and “Wyoming,” of our own navy. The armour both above and below the water line will be heavier than has heretofore been in use, while the bottom will be well protected against submarines by nickel steel. The armament will consist of twelve thirteen-inch guns in six turrets59, twelve six-inch guns in the central casement60 and an equal number of four-inch guns well located. The coal bunkers will have a capacity of four thousand tons, besides several hundred tons of petroleum61. Both of these leviathans of the deep will be delivered early in the year 1912.
THE ARMOURED CRUISER, “PUEYRREDON”
The navy of Argentina aggregates62 over thirty vessels, and some of them are very good boats. Among these are four armoured cruisers, all of which are 328 feet in length. Two of these, the “General San Martin” and “Pueyrredon,” are twin ships of 6,773 tons displacement; the “Garibaldi” and “General[257] Belgrano” have a displacement of 6,732 and 7,069 tons respectively. The oldest one, the “Garibaldi,” was launched in 1896, and the newest one, the “Pueyrredon,” in 1901, all of them being built in Italian yards. They develop 13,000 horsepower with a speed of twenty knots, and have a daily coal consumption of one thousand tons. All carry a crew of five hundred men, except the “Garibaldi,” which carries only three hundred and fifty men. The cost of these vessels averaged about $3,500,000 each. The “Almirante Brown,” named after the famous English-Argentine admiral, an older boat, is what is generally known as a central battery ship, and is a considerably63 smaller and less effective boat. There are also four cruisers. Three of these, the “Buenos Aires,” “Nueve de Julio” (Ninth of July), and the “25th of May,” have a speed exceeding twenty-two knots; the “Patagonia” is a smaller vessel48 with a speed of only thirteen knots. The coast defence vessels number two, the “Independencia” and “Libertad.” The “Espera” (hope), “Patria” (fatherland) and “Rosario” are torpedo64 boats with a speed of twenty knots. The “Sarmiento” is a training ship which has twice visited the United[258] States in recent years. Fifteen new torpedo boat destroyers have also been ordered which, with the new battleships, will place the Argentine navy in a very effective condition.
The entire fleet is mobilized for four months each year. An annual review, which is held about the first of June, is made the occasion of great display. The President boards one of the vessels, which is then made the flagship, and the other vessels pass in review before it and man?uvres take place. Target practice is held and mimic65 engagements are “fought.”
What to do with these big monsters now building is a problem which is seriously engaging the minds of the naval department. At the present time there is only one port in the republic which they can enter, and that is the Puerto Militar, at Bahia Blanca. They will not be able to reach Buenos Aires, because the waters of the La Plata are too shallow. The same is true of the other naval bases. It looks as though they will be obliged to stay near Bahia Blanca, or else anchor out on the broad Atlantic the most of the time.
In the writer’s opinion Argentina has little use for a big navy. It cannot be placed on a par10 with European navies, and it is a big burden[259] of expense. She has only one city on that coast, Bahia Blanca, and has not many vessels engaged in commerce, except on the La Plata and its affluents66. Buenos Aires is protected from the Dreadnaughts of other nations because of its shallow harbour. One great item of cost is coal, of which great quantities are consumed, and all of which is imported either from Europe or Australia, the cost per ton being very high. The new Dreadnaughts will have a coal-consuming capacity of sixteen thousand tons per day. The annual expense at the present time of the navy is $7,500,000, and the new ships will increase this by at least $4,000,000. This will make a per capita cost of nearly two dollars for each man, woman and child in the republic. It simply resolves itself into a jealousy of and rivalry with Brazil. If the United States builders will construct Dreadnaughts that will have better armour, greater speed, and more powerful guns than the new Brazilian boats, then American manufacturers can get anything they want in Argentina.
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1
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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waterproof
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| n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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intersection
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| n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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gauchos
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| n.南美牧人( gaucho的名词复数 ) | |
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locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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compulsory
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| n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的 | |
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exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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41
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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42
enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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44
gratuitous
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| adj.无偿的，免费的；无缘无故的，不必要的 | |
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45
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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46
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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47
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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48
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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49
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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50
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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51
peruse
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| v.细读，精读 | |
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52
painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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53
displacement
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| n.移置，取代，位移，排水量 | |
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54
bidders
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| n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 ) | |
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55
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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56
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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57
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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58
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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59
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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60
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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61
petroleum
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| n.原油，石油 | |
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62
aggregates
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| 数( aggregate的名词复数 )； 总计； 骨料； 集料（可成混凝土或修路等用的） | |
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63
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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64
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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65
mimic
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| v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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affluents
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| n.富裕的，富足的( affluent的名词复数 ) | |
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