Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-04-16
HOLLANDS MILITIA.
Queer State Of Affairs in the Land
Of Dykes and bitches.

tsrdam. Amsterdam and O.her Cities
-Droll Effects Produced by the
Ignorance Of Omccrs.
Holland is becoming exceedingly
adgety about her militia affairs, says .
letter in the New York Tribune. The
national defenses are in q disorganized
condition, and the Dutch would be IN
Ible to offer much resistance to any in
Tasion. Reform is the cry on every
hand, and universal CONSUMPTION
10 advocated on all sides; but
40 one seems to feel disposed to carry
The matter through. AS things now are
40 Dutchman need serve in the regular
Lrmy If he can pay for substitute.
The conseQ uence Is that the rich are op-
posed to the universal CONSUMPTION, be-
,ause they do not want to serve, and the
poor are against it because they would
40 longer receive the largo sums which
.heir children earn by serving as sub
'titutes. Every man, however, between
tho age of twenty-five and forty is forced
70 belong to the militia, or schuttery, as
t Is designated in Holland. The latter
numbers about two per cent. Of the en-
are population. But 1t Is quite harm
less, and partakes to q certain extent Of
khe nature of the opera oomique.
Nothing can be moro amusing than to
watch the sohutters on their way to drill
late in the afternoon of summer and
autumn days. They can scarcely be
described as presenting q martial ap-
pearanoe in their blue and red uniforms,
With their shakoes perohed rakishly on
,ne side of their head, the chin strap
barely reaching down to the nose, .
,igar or pipe in tho mouth, and an
Notwithstanding old musket carried
over the shoulder, butt end upward.
In winter when 1t rains or SHOWS the
monthly drill at Rotterdam, Amster-
lam and other important cities, usually
;akes place under cover in the bourse
sfter the business of the day is over.
The drill sergeants, however, dislike
his; for it doubles their work, since
| The schutters devote far more attention
20 the figures of the afternoon stock
quotations, still chalked upon the
BOARD, than to the figures Of drill.
| Tho officers of the militia regiments
ire exceedingly gorgeous creatures,
With their long, clanking sabers, their
plumed hats and their profusion of gold
ACE. Their knowledge of things mill
sary is but one degree superior to that
If the men under their command, for
they have been forced to drill for two
nours a week during period Of six
weeks with regular limo regi-
nent. Under ordinary circumstances
.hey manage to fulfill their duty
after a fashion, but during the
annual maneuvers they are sub
iected to great trials. A schutter Cap
;ain will be standing in front of his
company, when corporal acting as
orderly approaches with tho following
message: 1.-The enemy is close at hand.
The Colonel sends you his very best
compliments and wishes to know if you
would obltge him by leading your men
TO attack" All at once the latent pa
triotism and military ardor of the Cap
tain blaze forth. He draws his sword.
and, calling on his soldiers to follow
him, rushes to meet tho imaginary on.
envy. Suddenly his advance is checked
by shallow ditch filled with muddy
water. This causes his flerceness to
lbate, for he would not for all the world
soil his uniform. Ho pauses for fow
seconds. All at once happy thought
strikes him. "Fire by volleys!' he cries
to his men. Immediately tho ramrods
arc heard to rattle in all the enormous
barrels OF the old muskets, and min.
ate later tho hammers fall with a
clicking noise Of old metal. For the
nilitia-men arc not only forbidden the
use Of gunpowder, but arc even denied
percussion caps. In the middle Of all
This the Adjutant of the regiment, who
Is invariably All officer of the regular
army, dashes up on horseback and ex.
slams in frantic tones to the Captain:
"Good heavensl man, don't you know
that in case of volley firing the officers
must not stand right in front Of the M uz.
lies Of their mems guns?"
Nowise disconnected, the Captain
pulls his handbook Of military regula-
lions out of his pocket and, after care
fully glancing over several pages, re.
plies in a nonchalant manner: "Well,
don't see any thing about 1t in here"
Tho face of the adjutant becomes
scarlet, he gulps down two or three big
paths and finally ejaculates: Here,
give me the book. See there! It is
page forty -eight." And then, with a
look Of despair and a shrug OF his shout
lers, he dashes of to some other equally
welinforned schutter officer.
Meanwhile tho Captain has leisurely
returned his sword to its scabbard and
has inscribed in his notebook the fol-
lowing memorandum: ''In case Of volley
Airing it is better for the officer to keep
TO the rear Of the front, 80 as not to
come into contact with the: muzzles OF
his mems guns"
The Majors, the Lieutenants and the
Colonies Of the "schuttery" are all cut
,ut Of the same cloth as the Captain
above portrayed; always ready to argue
the point with their superior officers,
and producing the drollest effects by
sheir utter ignorance of military taotioe.
There is even "schutter" General who
Is . retail tea merchant. None OF the
officers or men are acquainted with the
| ,neoh MAN of a modern rife. and there