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

| ins Of others. II seems that In switssriand
| the hours OF school-going are relatively
| early. Seven o'clock In summer and 8 In
winter Is the usual time for reaching the
ella rs room. AS a rule the business Of the
day begins much earlier In. Switzerland
than II does in England or the United States.
The pale faces Inc shrunken forms OBJ
served in so many Swiss children are. no
doubt, due partly to the drudgery which
is imposed upon them out OF school hours
but should be partly attributed TO the fact
that the Houses of the peasantry. though
picturesque to look at. arc far from being
all that could DO wished from q sanitary
point Of view. 49,.
The Swiss military system IL, In one re-
spect at least, unique, The British army
costs over s5oo per ma per annum; the
Russian a-.ny, about Sis, but the Swiss
army, only s35 per man. Tn Swiss were
tho first nation in Europe to introduce uni
versal liability to military service. By an
article Of the Federal Constitution every
male Swiss IL liable to military service;
the law fixes the liability between the ages
Of II and SIS. Long before he has reached
the age Of II. however, the Swiss boy has.
as a rule, learned to march, TO perform
manual exercises and TO go through much
Of the military drill; all these things are
taught In the school playground. The
Federal forces are distributed In three d.
visions. named respectively the Elite. the
First Reserve and the Second Reserve.
In the E lite all young men from the age
OF 20 to 80 are liable to serve.
At the age last named a man passes into
the First Reserve. 10 which he belongs until
he is a. To the Second Reserve
are assigned all those from the age OF
II to so, who are not Incorporated In
the Z ito or in the First Reserve. Even
men over so years Of age are not exempt.
II they are capable Of service. The only per-
sons relieved from the liability are men,
bors OF the Federal Council. some Of the
members Of the Federal Tribunal. doctors,
and officials connected with hospitals.
prisons and the postal and telegraph Offices.
All the brothers In a family are liable to
serve, and there Is no exemption on the
ground thai a family is dependent on a man
for support. On the other hand, no one
Is enrolled, II he is under five feet one and
a half inches In height, unless by reason
Of special qualifications he is deemed eli
gible for particular branches OF military
work. Those who pass muster constitute
a little over sixty per cent. Of the entire
manhood Of the country. In a recent year
the levy produced 1l7.i79 mon for the Elite.
and s4,04e men for the First Reserve. There
Is no picking and choosing In the Swiss
military service. That is 10 say, a recruit
cannot select this or that arm. or this or
that regiment, because IL is more respec-
table or more fashionable than another.
As a rule. each man Is placed where he will
tell TO the best advantage. Thus a civil
engineer becomes a military engineer; a
civil veterinary surgeon Is put into the
cavalry or artillery; while a butcher or
baker Is drafted into the commissaHat de-
part ment. There Is one exception to the
rule that a recruit cannot choose the branch
Of the service into which he will enter. He
may elect to join n cavalry regiment. This
latitude Is granted because. under certain
conditions, the cavalry soldier has 70 pro-
vide and keep his own horse. We add
that. the system being territorial every
man serves In the division OF regiment
belonging 10 his own district. There are
eight territorial divisions, each furnishing
one complete infantry division.
The years recruits, as soon as they Join.
nv F-fN W Oit W 'lBilf iAihiNo w
whom they undergo six weeks training.
Afterward they are only required TO go
up for sixteen DAYS training every two
years. Each year, however, every one
belonging TO the army is expected to do
a certain amount of practice with the rife
to keep his hand in. and every commune
throughout the country Is provided with
a rifle range for that purpose, The officers
80. - ~ ,,,I 90 NIo tar nominated
by the cantonal authorities, but. before
they are accepted. they must have satisfied
the Federal military authorities as to their
fitness for the rank TO which it is proposed
to appoint them. Officers Of higher rank
thar Major hold their commissions from
the Federal Council.
Switzerland POSSESSES no special military
college like West Point. or Woolwich, or
~Sandhurst. but every soldier before he
can become an officer, has to attend the
courses Of instruction held at regular in
tervals In one centre or another. At Basel
is n school for the training Of infantry in
structors. There are other schools for
other departments. such as, for instance.
ambulance work and for shooting. At
Thun there is a central military college
for the instruction Of officers of the general
stan, anu another Tor reglnental Objects.
Here. also, are the principal artillery and
cavalry barracks. II should be noted that
while the infantry, the field artillery. the
cavalry and certain other troops are re-
cruited by the c~antons, and are known as
cantonal troops, the engineers, guides,
sanitary and administrative officers, and
those in charge Of the army train, are en-
rolled by the Confederation Again, arms
are supplied by the Confederation; but
equipments and uniforms are furnished
by the cantons, for which they are after
ward reimbursed by the Federal author
tiles. Even Oh a peace footing the Swiss
army Is absolutely complete in every de-
partment. The medical. commissariat ard
veterinary departments are thoroughly
organized. There is a fitting proportion
of cavalry, artillery. engineers and trans
port. Every battalion is kept up to its
full strength, and in readiness for service.
In short, under the Swiss system OF ad-
ministration. all the adjuncts for making
the army mobile are in complete order.
There are no supernumerary Generals
drawing pay in Switzerland With the ex-
ception of those holding posts on the gem