The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-12-19
ALL SWISS MAY BEAR ARMS.
Entire Population Drilled and Liable
to Be Called On to Fight.

The army of Switzerland, theoret
fcally $4,000 strong, is practically in
visible except at some afternoon OF
rifle shooting or target shooting, on
the rifle range of the commune. Guar.
anteed in its neutrality, and land
bounded by the guarentors, Switzer.
land, says the Boston Transcript, has
really no enemies from whom mill
tary invasion is to be apprenended.
But the whole population is liable to
military duty all the same and duly
performs it, first and last. In all class.
es Of society. The elementary mil.
itary drill is taken by boys at
ten years of age as play and
gymnastics at school. At II all
the youth of Switzerland are taken
bodily into the army, every one OF
them, and from that age to so each
is liable for service in defense of
his country, and, in fact, does give
up OF his time from study, business
or pleasure, as the case may be, from
45 days year, when he Is 20 to 16
days every other year till he is 52,
after which the demand of the army
upon him is for only nine days service
In every four years until he is A.
The basic principle is that every able
bodied man should accustom him
self in the use Of arms and thus the
home of democracy claims at the same
time to be the first of the European
nations to introduce universal mill.
tary service.
Yet you seldom see a soldier in
Switzerland, where all the civilians
are by turns soldiers; It is another
case Of not being able to see the for.
est for the trees. The general staff is
the only permanent and visible part
of the half million military hosts. 1t
consists of the commander-in-ch
who receives salary of ten dollars a
day, and his staff. Yet the Tell legend
persists in enthusiasm with which
the Swiss citizen-soldiery take up
their tours of duty as they arrive to
each and all. The wealthy taxpayer
stands in the ranks side by side with
the mechanic; the broker from the
city and the peasant from the noun
tains share the same quarters and
equal hardships. There are no crack
corps; the career is open to talents;
each is assigned tasks according to
abilities; the son OF groom may
work himself to the position of the
only general, and the rich mans son
may graduate from the army as a
groom, tidying the barracks. 1t is
said that the Swiss enlisted men per
form feats of mountain climbing with
their mule-borhe artillery that make
available points of vantage which to
the ordinary military eye would seem
inaccessible. An army that makes the
smallest possible draft on the public
purse and on the labor supply of the
country and yet includes in its per-
sonnel all calllngs and every man
who Is physically fit and not more
urgently demanded, say as railroad
man or telegrapher, Is the ideal mill
taryl establishment for democratic
age.
"Dick Turpin's Tree"
The last remaining portions of a
fampus old elm, which was known to
all Overs OF Blackheatlr and the sur.
rounding country as Dick Turpin's
tree were removed to-day. Tradi.
tion goes that the famous highway.
man used to hover about near the
gigantic branches OF this elm, well out
of view OF his prey, whom he used to
10 adroitly "hold up with his horse
pistols and relieve of whatever loose
valuable they might have. The elm,
which had circumference of over Is
toet, stood close to Hyde Vale, almost
opposite "Ye Olde House" While 1t
was being cut up nail in perfect
condition. was found embedded In the
center pf the wood. od.-.London Globe