Wichita eagle., 1888-03-04
ARMIES OF THE SWISS.
THE LITTLE MOUNTAIN REPUBLIC
STRONG IN ITS SOLDlERY.

She Could Probably Put 100000 Troops
in the Field to Defend Her Ancient
Freedom-A Country of Gymnasts and
Marksmen.
If one asks amp well informed Swilzer
what show of arms his fatherland is pre-
! pared to make in case OF a general Euro
! peah war, the answer invariably is: I'VE
can put well equipped army Of 200, 900
/ men on the frontiers in ten days" This
means that abou: 7per cent. of the popu-
lation OF this little republic of 5000, 600
| people are prepared at an hours notice to
! spring to arms in its defense, and see no
! reason to question the assertion. During
the last twelve months, since the war
clouds have been settling down lower and
lower over central Europe, the Swiss gov
/ eminent has been keenly alert to the
! progress Of events, accurately informed in
regard TO diplomatic negotiations, and
! tlrelessly active, even to the most minute
details, in preparations for the mainte-
nance OF its traditional neutrality, in case
of the hostilities which at times seemed
about to break upon Europe at a moments
notice
! Under the Federal constitution every
able bodied Swiss citizen is liable to mill
tary duty from his Goth to his 44th
year, his first twelve years in the
regular army, the last twelve in the re-
serve or Landwehr. There is also a third
/ corps, known as the Landsturm, or, as
we might call it, q home guard, only Ii
able in case of great emergency. ard COM
posed of youths between II and 90,
and men between Al and so years
Of age. Each canton furnishes quo
tum of troops, based upon its popu-
lation, the aggregate regular force
amounting to ninety-six battalions of in
fantry of TIA men each, eight battalions
Of sharpshooters Of no men each, twenty
four squadrons of dragons of 124 men
each, forty-elght field batteries, each num-
bering 100 men. with six steel rified cam
non of eighty-four millimeters caliber,
two mountain batteries and ten companies
of heavy artillerists
TRAINING OF THE SOLDIER
The entire system is in many respects
similar to our American militia, or ma
tional guard organizations, with, how
ever, this difference, that here every able
liable on reaching his Goth year He re-
ceives, free of charge his weapon, equip
ment and uniform, which remain in his
personal possession during mis- whole term
Of service, being taken with him to his
home, and kept always within easy reach.
The training of the Swiss soldier begins
with his early boyhood. At 10 years Of
age, he commences gymnastic exercises
at the public school, attendance being
obligatory; at IL, drill with iron rods as
substitute for guns; and at IA, shooting
at mark with q species of bow gun, are
added. At Is, company drill in the school
Of the soldier is introduced; and between
II and Is, the rifle is put into the youths
hands, and he is thoroughly instructed in
its care and use. All this is part of his
regular school training and education.
His next instruction is acquired by
means of membership in some shooting
society, or schutzen verein. In these
volunteer associations for improvement in
maTksn3anship-an their name is legion
lies, in the Judgment of many, the best
guarantee of the efficiency of Swiss troops,
and consequently the government encOur-
ages them by paying a liberal share of the
powder and ball used in their incessant
practice. In return for this outlay the
government exacts that every citizen liable
for military duty shall fire off thirty bail
cartridges per year at target. If he does
not do SO, as a member of volunteer
schutzcn verein, he must 60 into barracks
and do it, and time so spent is not reck-
oned on his account OF compulsory mill
tary service, i. e., on his III days service
as an infantryman and so on. For in
stance, during the year 1885 there existed
in this canton Zurich alone no less than
2S5 of these volunteer associations, with
membership of over II 900 men, who man
aged during the year to shoot off as many
as 312, 900 ball cartridges, the government
contributing the handsome sum of %, 7S5
francs toward covering the expenses in so
doing. And all this in a single canton!
GYMNAsT AND MARKsMAN.
his Goth year, and already trained gym
mast, and practiced marksman, proudly
reports for duty as 8 defender of the be-
loved Fatherland, and goes into barracks
as a recruit. If in the infantry, he remains
for forty-fiv days, in the cavalry for sixty
days and in the artillery for fifty-six days
and then returns to his home, taking his
arms equipment and uniform with him.
The remainder of his barrack service is SO
distributed over his twenty-four years.
period of liability as to be scarcely felt in
his ordinary civil pursuits. In the infant
ry he serves in all for III days in the cav
airy 1888 and in the artillery 146 days-dur-
ing the entire twenty-four years
Possibly Swiss troops may lack that me-
chanical precision of drill which character
ICES the soldiery of their more military
neighbors, but their drill is, for all practi-
cal purposes, thorough and good enough,
while, in all that pertains to physical en-
durance, courage and craftsmanship,
they are probably unsurpassed by any
troops in the world. Another important
fact TO be borne in mind is that every Swiss
soldier is thoroughly acquainted with his
weapon. Its no new arm thrust into bis
hand when hostilities threaten; it has
been his companion and his reliance in a