The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1892-02-26
HOLLANDS MILITIA,
Queer State Of Affairs In the Land
of Dykes and bitches.
How the Citizen Army Is Drilled at Rot
terdEm, Amsterdam and Other Cities
-Droll Effects Produced by the
Ignorance OF Officers.

national defenses arA in dlsorganized
condition, and the Dutch would be un-
able to offer much resistance to any in
vasion. Reform is the cry on every
hand, and universal conscrtption
is advocated on all sides but
no one seems to feel disposed te carry
the matter through. AS things now are
no Dutchman need serve in the regular
army if he can pay for substitute.
The consequence is that the rich are OPP
posed to the universal conscription, be-
cause they do not wart to serve, and the
poor are against it because they would
no longer receive the large sums which
their children earn by serving as sub
stitutes. Every man, however, between
the age of twenty-five and forty is forced
to belong to tho militia. or schuttery, as
it is designated in Holland. The latter
numbers about two per cent. of the en-
tire population. But it is quite harm
less, and partakes to certain extent of
the nature of the opera comique.
Nothing can be more amusing than to
watch the schutters on their way to drill
late in the afternoon Of summer and
autumn days. They can scarcely be
described as presenting a martial APP
pearance in their blue and red uniforms,
with their shakoes percled rnliishly on
one side of their head, the chin strap
barely reaching down to the nose, a
cigar or pipo in the mouth, and an
Notwithstanding old musket carried
over the shoulder, butt end upward.
In winter when it rains or SHOWS the
monthly drill at Rotterdam, Amster-
dam and other important cities, usually
takes place under cover in the bourse
after the business of the day is over
The drill sergeants, however, dislike
this, Tor it doubles their work, since
the schutters devote far more attention
to the figures OF the afternoon stock
quotations, still chalked upon the
board, than to the figures Of drill.
The officers of the militia regiments
are exceedingly gorgeous creatures,
with their long, clanking sabers, their
plumed hats and their profusion of gold
lace. Their knowledge of things mill
tary is but one degree superior to that
of the men under their command, for
they have been forced to drlll for two
hours week during period of six
weeks with a regular line regi-
ment. Under ordinary circumstances
they manage to fulfill their duty
after fashion, but during the
annual maneuvers they are sub
jected to great trials. A schutter Cap
tain will be standing, in front of his
company, when corporal acting as
orderly approaches with the following
message: The enemy Is close at hand.
The Colonel sends you his very best
compliments and wishes to know if you
would oblige 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 the Imaginary en-;
emy. Suddenly his advance is checked
by shallow ditch filled with muddy
water. This causes his ferceness to
abate, for he would not for all the world
soil his uniform. He pauses for few
seconds. All at once a happy thought
strikes him. "Fire by volleys!'' he cries
to his men. Immediately the ramrods
are heard to rattle in all the enormous
barrels of the old muskets, and min
ute later the hammers fall with a
clicking noise of old metal. For the
militia-men are not only forbidden the
use of Cunpowder, but are even denied
percussion CAPS. In the middle of al
this the Adjutant of the regiment, who
is invariably an officer of the regular
army, dashes up on horseback and ex
claims in frantic tones to the Captain:
Good heavens! man, don't you know
that IN case of volley firing the officer.
must not stand right in front of the muz
zles of their mems guns?"
Nowise disconnected, the Captain
pulls his handbook of military regula
tions out of his pocket and, after care
fully glancing over several pages, re
plies in nonchalant manneE "Well
1 don't see any thing about it in here.
The face of the adjutant becomes
Y scarlet, he gulps down two or three biz
oaths and finally calculates: "Here
4 give me the book. See there! 1t i
page forty-eight." And then, with
: look of despair and shrug of his shoul
ders, he dashes off to some other equal,
] well-informed schutter officer.
Meanwhile the Captain has leisutrel,
returned his sword to its scabbard an,
has inscribed in his notebook the fol
lowing memorandum: I'm case of volle,
firing it is better for the officer to kee1
to the rear of the front, so as not t
come into contact with Ne. muzzles Q
his mems guns"
II The Majors, the Lieut6hants and tn
Golonels of the ''schutteryS are all GU
4 outof the same cloth as tAe Capital
above aortrayed' always ready to argu