The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16

at tho oantonal rife meetings. he 10 Obliged
10 attend q three days course OF shooting
under military supervision.
While, with the few exceptions above
mentioned. no one Is paid In peace time
for the service he gives the State as a sol
dier, he 10 put to no expense while he Ia
under the colors. When he Is going up for
drill, his uniform serves in lieu OF a rail-
way ticket. A Swiss soldier Is held en-
titled TO no pension for the service he rem
ders his country: but II while under the col
ors, he has been 30 much injured as to be
incapacitated for work, he may claim some
support In case Of need. II he is killed. his
family will receive some assistance should
they require IL. Apart from the few who
are exempted from service because OF their
calling, every male Swiss who, from phy-
steal disqualification, does not perform
military service Ia subject TO an N
tax In lieu thereof. This, whether he re-
sides In the Confederation or not. The tar
amounts 10 six francs per man, with the
addition Of a franc and a half for every
thousand francs Of capital he may possess
or for every hundred francs Of income,
until the taxpayer reaches the age OF s2i
from hat age until the g OF ~, he pays
one-half as much. We observe, lastly
that, while the Swiss Army IL pronounced
by military experts an admirable instru-
ment OF war, IL IL an instrument forged
and kept In repair at the smallest eS-
pense to the community. whether the cost
in money or the drain entailed upon civic
life be considered. In Switzerland no
man is constrained TO spend some OF the
best years OF his life In garrison.
1t seems that In Switzerland the habit OF
newspaper reading has grown enormously
Of late years. Half a century ago the Post
Offoe had to deal with between ten and
eleven million new spspers and periodicals
annually. In 1895 the number had grown
to SO, 500, 900, which, for a population
Of 5000 600, was a respectable figure
During the last six years., however. the
number has largely increased. In 1890
there were zoos newspapers and serial
publications appearing simultaneously In
Switzerland, and the number has since
been considerably augme nted. OF these
5s4 are printed In German,
500 In French, SO In Italian. s In Romansch;
the rest are bilingual, or published In other
European languages. The most important
newspapers In the Confederation are: In
French, lie Journal de Gensre, the Gdsend
do Lausanne: In German, the Bdsier Mach
richten, National Zeituno and the AH9eHe'ne
Schpeizer Zeitung Of Basel; Der Bund and
the Berncr Tagbldt Of Berne, the Neue
Zlrcher Zeitung and Die Zarcher Post OF
Zurich, and the Vaterldnd Of Lucerne'
The Vateriand Is regarded as the special
organ OF the Catholic Conservatives oil
German Switzerland. while Der Bund is
the mouthpiece OF Radicalism throughout
the Geruan-speaking cantons. In general
the Swiss paper not only discharges a
political function, but fills for Its readers
the place occupied in the United States or
England by the popular magazine. We
are told that It's literature Is often Of q high
order. This might be inferred from the
fact that some Of the foremost names In
Swiss literature are identified with news
paper editors and contributors. Among
the newspaper distinguished for their
purely literary contents the Journal do
Genkpe has long ranked among the first.
In the concluding chapter on Types and
Characters the author does not fail 10
recognize the merits OF Alpine guides. II
can hardly be said that these men form a
class apart, because Iney arc l"o~
origin. and most peasants will on occasion
act as unprofessional guides about their
own mountains. Some are more expert
| however, In this sort Of work than others,
and so become better known, and arr
more frequently employed. In the authors
opinion all or most Of these men are clar-
acterized by their large-heartedness. There
Is hardly any risk they will not run. scarcely
any exposure they will not endure 70 save
life or to help those who are in difficulty
or danger. The average native of east
Switzerland gives one the impression Of
being rough and a little hard, but the guides.
rugged though they are in eSternals, car
be as gentle as women. Our author would
describe them collectively as "a providence
haunting the most p~erilous places Of the
Alps NJ W H.