New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-26
CONSCfIPTION IN EUROPE.
THE TERRIBLE SENSE of BONDAGE TO
WHICH EVERY MAN IS SUBJECTED

THE TERRIBLE SENSE of BONDAGE TO
WHICH EVERY MAN IS SUBJECTED.
Conservation Is the curse Of the Old World. IL
is system that has carried ruin and desolation
into many a home, and that is responsible not
only for the enormous National debt but also
for the appalling burden Of taxation beneath
which most European Nations are staggering
taxation so heavy thai It IL FORCING thousands
upon thousands of useful citizens whose remain
ing at home would have constituted source OF
strength To their native country TO expatriate
themselves. Consumption converts into mere
fallacy the doctrine of freedom. and, curiously
enough It dates from that very French revolt
ton Of 1894. which is generally supposed to nave
begun an era Of liberty. equality and cnlighten-
ment for the people Of the Old World. Prior to
tn. last decade Of the eighteenth century, MIL
itarv service in every part Of Europe volun-
tarv and armies were raised by means OF en-
listncnt It was the revolutionary Government
which preceded the first empire at Paris that
began the method Of compulsory military SER
vice for every citizen. and to-day there is nor
single one of the European Powers Which
has not adopted conscriptlon in a mere or less
drastic form part and parcel OF It's military
system The majority Of works upon the SUD-
ject declare that compulsory service liz the army
exists everywhere In Europe save in Great
Britain. It Is wrong. however. to except England
from the list True. Dor regular standing army
Is raised by means Of voluntary enlistment
PM her militia. which Is almost double the size
Of the former IL constituted by means or con-
scripton or II II is not. at any rate there are IN
existence laws providing for its organization ~
compulsory means. Until the number OF
of
ain has exceeded the demand. But should there
be any falling off in this respect, the Govern
rcnt has the right to call upon each parish
throughout the country to furnish a certain
quota OF men for the militia who are then
chosen by lot Just in tho same way that used
IN be the case in France before the war OF 1870
ANY man who after being chosen by lot. de-
clines to serve in the militia. is compelled 70 pay
"A relatively heavy fine. which. OF course serves
10 defray the expenses involved by the autnoi-
tiles in finding for him substitute.
In Germany. France, Spain. Russia and par,
tlcuarly I'm Italy. CONSUMPTION Is In vogue. ana
conscrptlon too. Of the most severe and strln-
gent character From the very moment That a
young fellow attains manhood. unless he nap
pened to be tho Only son and support OF
widow he becomes liable to compulsory mill
tary service. The latter extends over number
OF years. the average term being three years
with colOrs. and four years with the reserves,
which entails annual military training Oh
some one or two months There are no exemp-
tons and In France. as well "a In Germany ana
Italy. those who are declared by the medical au-
thorities to be unfit from physical point OF
view 10 be enrolled in line regiments. are now
utilized for service in the hospital, commissarlat
and paymaster's department. So stringent are
the laws Of cOnscripton that even the young
theological students studying for the Church
are taken from their ceAs, their mass-Doohs ana
their beads TO do their turn Of military ser
vice No excuse Is accepted save In the case OF
widows only sons. and any young man who
leaves his native country for the purpose OF
avoiding these three years OF military slavery IS
placed upon the police record as deserter, ana
liable 10 be imprisoned az such the very moment
that he returns to his native land
In spite Of the heavy legal penalty prescribed
by the laws Of the various countries OF nuIops
for those young men who expatriate themselves
for the purpose OF avoiding conscrption the
number Of these so-called deserters increases
every year. There are few men except mos
eager for military glory who relish the IDEA OF
giving up the finest three years OF their entire
life To- the service Of the State. a service when
is little better than slavery sine II dsprVey Is,
man OF every vestlge of liberty. renders MN
subject to all kinds OF petty tyranny. ana tehus
TO unfit him for every ether occupation EURO
pean soldiers at any rate those on tne oon'i
nent are treated with a considerable amount OF
brutality by their officers, brutality altogether
beyond the conception OF native-Dorn Amerl-
cans and when II Is taken into CONSIDERATION
that military service in France and In ltaIy en-
tails service in tropical climates. such as those
OF Western Africa and Cochin-China IN the case
OF the French. and Abyssinia IN TIE case Oh .ne
are so eager at all cost to avoid conscriptlo"'
even at the risk Of disgrace and imprisonment.
At the present moment thousands upon .hou-
sands OF Italians are focking TO this western
hemisphere solely for the purpose OF avoiding
compulsory military service. II Is not so much
the dread OF the service itself that causes them
To take to flight, but the horror at the idea OF
their being sent to Abyssina. whence 50 many
of their comrades have returned mutilated and
tortured by the fierce natives In the most nlde
Gus fashion. OF course. compulsory military ser
vice possesses certain advantages. among 9TH
ers that Of impartng not only elementary IN
struction but also notions or order. morallty
and OF discipline to a class OF people who would
otherwise pass through life without any knowl-
edge of these qualities. 1t, moreover, tends 10
knock the conceit out of man and to render
him democratic since once in the ranks as
simple soldier the peasant Is every bit as good
and subjected to identcally the same treatment
os the nobleman 1t brings classes Of society into
a contact eventually useful which would other
wise never have known one another. But
there its benefits may be said to end. and they
scarcely constitute compensation for the hor-
ribl, sense Of bondage TO which each citizen OF
the Old World feels himself subjected by The
laws OF CONSUMPTION.