The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-06-25
SWISS RIFLE CLUBS.
Method in Vogue in Little Republic
Which Makes Every One Soldier.

At a time when the question OF
military training for civilians is being
much discussed, a short account OF
the Swiss system, from the Manchester
Guardian, may be of interest. Every
man in the peaceful and democratic
country of Switzerland is soldier in
modest way, befitting small nation.
The ablebodied Swiss enters the
army at 20 years Of age, and serves 65
days in his first year. For the next IL
years he trains for three weeks every
alternate year. At 80 he enters the
Landwehr, and has eight to ten days
under arms every fourth year until, at
so, he retires, and is required to fur
nish no further service except in case
of war
What the Swiss militiaman lacks in
military orthodoxy he far more than
makes up by skill with the rife. 1t is
not too much to call the Swiss ma
ton of marksmen. The training periods
are occupied only with drill and tao
tics; the all-important matter of shoot
ing is left to the individual soldier to
carry out at other times, and he does
it under the auspices of the shooting
societies which are such feature OF
Swiss life.
These societies, under government
control, are called neutrality-suspicious.
ten in the German, and Societies de Tir
in the French cantons. They are vol
untary associations, varying in size
and Importance with the town or vii
lage they serve. Those in the larger
towns possess completely fitted ranges
and Clubhouses; the small villages do
their shooting in any field backed by a
suitable hill. Every peasant and towns
man has easy facilities for shooting.
and each man has his service rifle al
ways in his possession.
Every man between the ages Of 20
and 80 must fire 80 shots in four COM
pulsory exercises every year, and the
societies receive a grant of two francs
for every soldier shooting this course
on their ranges. The income derived
| from the grants generally suftices for
the current expenses of the society,
supply of targets and pay of marker.
There is no entrance fee nor subscTip-
tion as a rule and heavy expenditure,
such as that incurred by the construc-
| tiOn of new ranges, is met by special
grant from the government.
Rules as to spectators, methods OF
loading and conduct on the ranges are
stringent, Loss of grant is incurred
by any breach or neglect of regula-
| tions.
In addition to these exercises, many
competitions are held between diff
| ferent villages towns and Cantons. In
summer the trains and streams are
crowded with jovial bands of marks
men going to and from their shooting
festivals. The whole system of Swiss
shooting is good example of co-opera-
ton between government and indi-
vidual Every Switzer has his army
rife; he can use it when and where
he will, provided he does not endanger
other lives he is insured by govern
ment against all accidents on the
ranges, and through his society he can
secure the services Of qualified mill
tary officers to organize and control
his shooting.
BY treating rifle-shooting as a sport,
and it is as popular as football is
with us, and far more generally prac-
ticed, the Swiss have removed it from
it's usual warlike associations; but
should occasion arise, that which has
been learned in sport would be used
| in earnest.