Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-31
Miseellaaeuus Reaaiag.
OLD WORLD ARMIES.
Drafting Methods BY Which Their
Strenoth In Maintained.

OLD WORLD ARMIES.
Drafting Methods BY Which Their
Strength ls Maintained.
We hear a good deal about conscrip-
ton, but few people know what it ac-
tually means. In no country Is every
person who Is able to fight drafted
into the army. All males who are liza
BILE to serve undergo a physical exam
ination, resulting in only certain
number being passed as At for service.
No government has sufficient funds
to draft the whole of these men into
the regular army, so a selection Is
made by ballot, the number OF men
enrolled 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
volunteer soldiers. In fact, 1t is gem
orally 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 ply
sically 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 five feet
two inches In height are exempt from
service, as well. Of course, as those
who suffer from natural infirmities
which render them unsuitable for ac-
tive service.
Other men are also. exempt IL they
have helpless dependents-thus the
only son Of widow or Of disabled
father, the latter category also includ-
ing the only son Of father who Is
above seventy years Of age. Then the
eldest Of family Of orphans is ex-
empt, and In the case Of two sons
only one is liable, there being various
other exemptions.
The term served by the conscript Is
one of twenty-five years, three years
being spent in the regular army, six
and one-half in the army reserve, six
In the territorial army and the remain
ing nine and half years in the terri
torial reserve, all liability to service
ceasing at forty-five.
The service is frequently so hated
that all manner Of methods are adopt
ed in order to avoid 1t. In many cases
substitutes are provided by the veal
thy, though there are stringent regu-
lations with regard to the provision
of the substitutes.
In most European countries mill
tary malingering In order to avoid
compulsory military service has reach
ed the stage Of a fine art. In fact, a
formidable 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 par
ticular kind of fraud.
Thus some time ago a number Of
Cologne doctors were arrested upon a
charge of having administered pills to
young conscripts. These pills con-.
sisted of drugs which produced the
symptoms of heart disease so effec-
lively as completely to deceive the
military authorities. with the result
that the conscripts were declared un-
fit for service. In this case the fraud
was brought to light by one of the
conscripts dying as result Of an
overdose Of the medicine.
In Germany, where the 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
a condition Of affairs as will render
young men exempt by reason of unfit
ness.
In the French army 1t 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. AS 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 a 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
suicide rather than submit to forced
service in the army.
In eastern Europe most brutal
methods are adopted by parents In or
der that their sons may be able to
work for them instead Of serving in
the army. The boys are frequently
Ill treated, and 1t is not at all uncom-
mon even for their limbs to be broken
or their sight to be destroyed In order
to prevent any likelihood Of their hav-
ing to become soldiers.
Switzerland probably has the cheap
est army and the least burdensome
methods Of conscription. the service
being much lighter than In the other
continental armies. Indeed, the con-
script in the infantry army has to un-
dergo actual training for only 13b
days during the entire period OF his
service Ledger.