The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-28
OLD WORLD ARMIES
TRICKS OF THE c0NscRIPTs.

the Eligible Young Men to Avoid the
Enforced Military Service That 10 So
hateful to Them.
We hear q good deal about conscrip-
ton. but few people know what 1t ac-
tuaily means. In no country Is every
person who is able to light drafted
into the army. All males who are liza |
BILE to serve undergo . physical exam
ination. resulting in only a certain
No government has sufficient funds
to draft the whole Of these men into /
the regular army. 90 a selection IL /
made by ballot. the number Of men en- |
rolled varying according to the funds !
in the hands Of the authorities. |
The pay provided for the conscript |
is necessarily very trifing indeed and |
will not compare with that paid to vol |
unteer soldiers. In fact. 1t Is generally
true that the conscript must fall back |
upon his private means.
The methods vary in each country.
But take the case Of one European
power Every male subject not phys
ically incapacitated is liable to enter
the army at the age Of twenty, al
though those who care to enlist may
do so at eighteen.
A register is kept Of all the youths
who reach the age Of twenty In the
particular year. Men under i've feet
two inches in height are exempt from
service. as well. Of course, as those
who suffer from natural infirmities
xuh;nh r>adnr than ,,n@,aitA hlo for a..
tive service.
Other men are also exempt II they
have helpless dependents - thus the
only son Of q widow or Of . disabled
father. the latter category also includ-
ing the only son Of a father who Is
above seventy years Of age. Then the
eldest Of q family Of orphans 10 ex-
empt, and in the case Of two sons only
one il liable. there being various other
exemptions.
The term served by the conscript 10
one Of twenty-five years. three years
being spent in the regular army. six
in the territorial army and the re-
naming nine and half years in the
territorial reserve. all liability to serv-
Ice ceAs1ng at 1orty-nve.
The service is frequently % hated
that all manner Of methods are adopt
ed in order to avoid it. In many
cases substitutes are provided by the
wealthy. though there are stringent
regulations with regard to the pro-
vision Of the substitutes.
In most European countries military
malinEering in order to avoid compul-
sorry military service has reached the
stage Of q fine art. In fact. a formida-
BILE list Of new crimes has been added
to the statutes as a result. and medical
men frequently have to suffer for their
assistance In this particular kind OF
fraud.
Thus some time ago a number OF
Cologne doctors were arrested upon
charge of having administered pills to
young conscripts. These pills consist
ed of drugs which produced the symp-
| toms Of heart disease so effectively as
| completely to deceive the military au-
| thorities. with the result that the con-
scripts were declared unfit for service.
! In this case the fraud was brought to
light by one Of the conscripts dying as
| a result Of an overdose of the medi-
cine.
In Germany, where tho conscript Is
frequently treated with the greatest
harshness. there are very few towns
where there are not specialists whose
living depends solely in inducing such
q condition of affairs as will render
young men exempt by reason Of unfit
| ness.
| In the French army it is quite COM
mon for youths to feign all manner of
ILLS, deafness being the usual ailment
trusted to in order to escape the serv-
ice. Az a result the military doctors
have made An especial study Of meth
DDS of detecting feigned deafness and
to trap the cunning youth who acts
the part Of q deaf man.
Another common practice in France
Is to tamper with the eyesight. though
this frequently results in permanent
injury. For instance. short sight Is
produced by wearing powerful con
cave glasses for a considerable time
despite the risk Of bringing about per
manent blindness. 1t Is no uncom
mon occurrence for men to commit sui
eide rather than submit to forced serv
ice in the army.
In eastern Europe most brutal meth
DDS are adopted by parents In ordel
that their sons may be able to wort
for them instead Of serving in thu
army. The boys are frequently IL
treated, and it il not at all uncommon
even for their limbs to be broken o.
their sight to be destroyed In order t
prevent any likelihood Of their havin,
to become soldiers.
Switzerland probably has the cheap
est army and the least burdensom'
methods Of CONSUMPTION. the service
being much lighter than in the othe
continental armies. Indeed. the con
script in the infantry army has to IN
dergo actual training for only 1875 day
during the entire period Of bis service
philadelphia Ledger.
Knew Her Minutes.
Bridget-Win yea have your Dime
: now, SORT. or wait for the mtssus
Head Of the House-Where is you