Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1903-11-13
HANDICAP OF YOUTH.
Young Men Of Europe Forced Into
Military Bondage.
Rival Nations vying with Each Othes
tor Armed supremacy-Innu-
"a sncs Of the Service ON
a2lxEA, Subjsc .s..,

| HG&kAt 0MWbS0tss
Europeans who have resided in the
United States for any length of
time are usually struck by the large
number of young men who occupy
positions OF prominence and re-
sponsibility in business, professional
life or the service of the state. This
is due in great part to the fact that
the American youth has ample op-
| portunity to work at his chosen
craft or profession without the un-
welcome interruption of compulsory
military service. Conscription is a
state OF bondage which the young
man of the European continent must
undergo during the most valuable
years of his life. At period when
lad should be straining every nerve
to win place in the world he Is
compelled to give up the struggle and
conform his ideas and even his phys
ical development to the procrustesn
standards of military martnets, says
the Chicago Daily News.
In the various countries Of conti-
mental Europe military laws and
service are very much alike. Inter
national rivalries and ambitions are
ever urging these nations to keep
up with their neighbors in matters
OF national defense. Even the small
n af
have been armed by their big neigh
bors and proudly drag along their
burden of militarism. France, Ger
many, Austria and Italy compel
every able bodied lad of 20 years Of
age to devote two years of his life
to military service. Actually the
period of service required by law il
longer than two years, but financial
considerations limit the term of
training. In addition to this period
the European youth must perforcc
belong to the reserve and devote ac.
cording to his age longer or short
er part of his time each year to drill!
and maneuvers.
At the present day there are 1885,
oo0 young men engaged in actual
military service in France, Austria.
Germany and Italy. These figures
take no account of Russia, Belgium.
Spain and other countries, but sim
liar conditions prevail In and like
reasoning applies to those natiors.
or this large number of young men
snatched away from trade, craft or
employment 100000 are French, 510,-
900 German, $4,000 Austrian ana
100000 Italian. This vast amount OF
productive labor is annually lost
to Europe.
Only men in frst-class physical |
condition are accepted for military
service. From six to seven per cent. /
OF these men are permanently in
1ured by the seventies OF army life.
Many more are incapacitated from
the careers they had
mapped out for themselves. The
case OF one young German is sig
Dificant. He had devoted almost six
years to learning Matchmaking. He
had taken the greatest pride and
pleasure in his skill as a craftsman
and had become so expert in his
work that he saw before him the as
surance of prosperous career. Two
young sisters as well as his mother
were dependent on him.
This lad was drafted into the ar
tillery at 20. Handling heavy shot.
manipulating heavy guns, moving
gun carriages and other rough WORK
Incident to artillery drill ruined his
1elicate hands and untitled him for
'arrying on his old craft. When he
completed his term of service he saw
'efore him the necessity of learning
ome other business or being reduced
o the level of an unskilied lnborer.
Meantime the family he had labored
10 hard to keep together had been
One OF the worst features of milf
arv life IS the crnrlpiae influence it
xerts on young men endowed with
ny originality Of thought or native
lowers Of mind. VIII power, the
aculty Of criticism or analysis, pow
RS OF organization. invention and
lift for the simplification of labor
re not merely useless in European
rmies but even meet with the stern
st repression. Mechanic al obedi-
nee and unreasoning execution Of or
ers are the highest Military yir-
ues in Europe. Such training speedi-
Y units young man for making his
lark in the world of industry or {
ommerce. The young European may /
sf1~ u 4. 4
aired by its hardships, but he is !
kelly to be handicapped for the '
est of his natural days by the arti- 4
cial state of mind his training has
reduced.
While the military system is itself
n exemplification of the survival OF q
he fttest it encourages the survival
I weaklinQs in civil life. The halt. {