Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-04-20

FttSburg Dispatch years
age the French government. seriousl!
cor 2erned by the growth in the mum
bel Of men exempted by physical con
dit.0ns from compulsor service in the
army, condition OF affairs which
aiken in conjunction with the absence
of ally increase in the population
threatened TO impair the military
strength OF the nation, took steps (
repeal these immunities in SuCh a
tasnion that men medically unit tol
reg.mrntal duty are no longer able &c
evade their military obligations o.
are allowed 20 go free, but are as
signed to work in connection with the
non-combatant branches OF the army.
Emperor William, although race
suicide is unknown in Germany. where
each year shows d phenomenal aug
mentation OF the BIRTH OF future
soldiers OF the fatherland, mas now
gone a step further than France in the
direction of securing fresh military re
sources. For he has devised mos
remarkable scheme of protund in
tersst TO womea throughout the
civilized world, the ultimate ann oil
which is nothing more nor less than
the rendering OF the fair sex liable It
compulsory service in the army
True, he does not propose that they
should swell the ranks OF his mounted
body guard OF Amazons, which he Is
alone among European soyereigns tc
possess, or does he intend that they
should be called upon to shoulder
the rifle, to WELD the saber or tc
serve the guns. But he has in view
the fulfllmeat of those particular
duties in connection with the non
cOEbataut departments OF the army
such as, for instance, hospital am
clerical work, the preparation OF sup
plies, etc, for all of which training
10 ne furnished by the government is
reQuired.
Women already figure on the
strength of the English and Other
European armies as nursing sisters
ana hospital superintedents. Bun
they are now drawn exclusively from
the well-to-do and educated classes By
means of voluntary engagement an
are so few in number compared t,
the necessities Of the situation that
especially in time of war, it has al
ways been necessary to call in from
The outside an assistance neither
s. ed nor organized. In fact, In
Sou-l Africa the women who yolun
teered their services to reinforce the
-overworked nursing sisters of the
regular arm STAFF became source Of
so much trouble and confusion as tC
excite scathing denunciation on the
part of the principal medical officers
in the field.
What Emperor William has in view
is that, inasmuch as women are quite
as patriotic as men and just as anx
ious to be of service to their country
when the latter is in danger they
should receive such training in times
Of peace as to render their assistance
of real value in war, and that. enrolled
in the army, they should constitute
component parts of its organization
with thorough knowledge as to where
and in what manner to respond to the
call of duty when the order is giver
for mobilization,
There are many women OF birth an
breeding on both sides of the Atlantic
who have devoted some of the spare
time that hangs so heavily on theil
hands to taking a sort OF elementary
course Of ambulance training. But i
has usually been of a too desultorJ
nature to endow them with anything
like efficiency, while lack of system
ana ignorance of the necessities O
military discipline, for which not ever
good will and enthusiasm can atone
render them in time of war Otter
worse than useless. Properly organ
lied, possessed Of q thorough know
edge of the work required of them as
we'll as of an appreciation of the value
OF order and Of military obedience
these members of the fair sex Nigh
become nevertheless invaluable In the
event of hostilities.
But these women of the affluen
classes constitute, after all, but /;
small minority. The scope of the Kai
sors project takes in the women o
the masses, who are every whit az
patriotic as those of their sisters wht
happen to be in easier circumstances
TO them the training in times o
peace for service to their countr!
when war is raging would prove O
srlll greater advantage.
Even the most bitter opponents o
the present system of compulsor!
military service in Germany are com
PEELED to recognize the value from al
educational point Of view OF the year!
spent with the colors They serve t
endow the German citizen with senti
ments of discipline order respect TO
the nationally constituted authorities
and with a feeling of moral re
sponsibiIity which in the majority o
case he would have obtained neither
a home nor at school.
Of still greater benefit would tern
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