Cadet Corps, School of Sergeants.
This gives the total strength of the Effective Army as—378 Senior Officers, 2,611 Officers, and 82,881 Troops, or 138 Battalions, more or less.
The Government, on the advice of the late President, General Figueroa, have devoted the closest care and attention to the question of military instruction, and the system at present in force is the outcome of the intelligent study of similar systems in force in other countries, and the adaptation of the best features existing in each. A very high esprit de corps exists among the Salvadorean troops, and, for the most part, they enter upon their schooling and training with both zeal and interest. It must be remembered that a great proportion of the troops are merely Indians; and it speaks well for them that they should take so kindly to a course of what really amounts to mental and physical restriction, which, after all, is an experience somewhat different to what they and their ancestors have been accustomed, except when serving as serfs under a brutal Spanish dominion.
Conspicuous success has attended these courses of military instruction, especially in regard to the 1st Infantry Regiment, which is quartered at San Salvador, and to the 1st Artillery, which is quartered at Santa Ana. Here the men punctiliously attend the lectures upon military subjects which are delivered by the regular officers, as well as by means of ordinary instruction classes. In other garrison towns night classes are held regularly each evening of the week, the instructors in these cases being the officers quartered with the garrison, as well as an eminent German Professor (Herr Alfred Vischer) who was engaged from Germany especially to impart military education to the Salvadorean troops.
A School for Sergeants and Corporals has also been established, with the idea of training these non-commissioned officers for appointments to higher rank in the army. This school was some time ago joined to the Polytechnic Institute, and placed under the command of the Director and Sub-Director of the latter institution; but subsequently, owing to a disastrous fire which broke out and destroyed a portion of the Zapote Barracks, in which the classes were customarily held, the two schools had to be separated and conducted in separate establishments.
It is characteristic of the broad-mindedness of the Salvadorean Government that among the instructors engaged was Colonel Armando Llanos, of the Chilian Mission, who for a considerable time had been Instructor of the Polytechnic, and later was appointed Director and Commandant of that school. In addition to the Director and Sub-Director, the School for Sergeants and Corporals has a Doctor, a Paymaster, two Captain Instructors, eight official Company Ensigns, and two Civilian Professors. All of the officers who serve in this corps have to enter through the Polytechnic School, and among them have been many distinguished cadets.
For the use of the officers there exists a very agreeable Club, at which they can procure their full meals and all kinds of light refreshments at moderate prices; while the usual amusements, such as drafts, cards, billiards, etc., are provided for them. So comfortable is this Club made that the officers, as a rule, find very little inducement to visit the larger towns in search of their amusements; a matter of great importance is this to them, in view of the fact that the barracks are, as a rule, situated at some distance from the City, and railway travelling is, under any circumstances, rather expensive.