Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-12-22
OLD WORLD ARMIES
Drafting Methods by Which Their
Strength Is Maintained.
TRICKS OF THE coNScRIPrs.

All Manner OF Dodees Are Adopted by
the Eligible Young Men 10 Avoid the
Enforced Military Service That IL So
Hateful TO Them.
We hear a good deal about conScrip-
ton, but few people know what II ac-
tu2lly means. In no country Is every
person who Is able TO fight drafted
Into the army. All males who are La
BILE TO serve undergo a physical exam
ination. resulting I'm only a certain
number being passed as lit for service.
No government has sufficient funds
TO draft the whole OF these men into
the regular army. SO a selection 10
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 trifiing indeed aud
will not compare with that paid TO vol
unteer soldiers. In fact. II 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 ut the age OF twenty. al
though those who care TO enlist NAV
do 50 at eighteen.
\ register is kept OF all the youths
who reach the age OF twenty I'm the
particular year Men under Eve feet
two inches I'm height are exempt from
service. as well. OF course. us those
who suffer from natural infrmities
which render them unsuitable for ac-
tive service
Other men are also exempt If they
have helpless dependents thus the
only son OF a 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 4 family OF orphans is ex-
empt. and in the case OF two sons only
one * liable there being various other
exemptions.
The term served by the couscript is
one of twenty five wears. three wears
being spent Ia the regular army. six
and One-haif in the arm, reserve. six
i'm the territorial army aud the re-
naining uine and half years i'm the
territorial reserve. all liability TO scrv-
ice ceaSing at forty-Iive
The service IL frequently 80 hated
that all manner OF met hods are adopt.
ell in order TO avoid 1t. Ia many
cases substitutes are provided 10y the
wealthy. though there are stringent
regulations with regard To- the pro
vision of the substitutes.
In most European countries military
malinSering In order To avoid compul-
sorry military service has reached the
stage of n tine art. In fact. formula
bic list OF new crimes has been added
10 the statutes as result. and medical
men frequently have To suffer for their
assistance in this particular kind OF
fraud.
Thus some time ago number Of
Cologne doctors were arrested upon a
charge Of having administered pills to
young conscripts. These pills consist
ed OF drugs which produced the symp-
toms OF heart disease 80 effectively as
completely 10 deceive the military au-
thoritieS. with the result that the con-
scripts were declared unfit for service
In this case the fraud was brought 10
light 10y one of the conscripis dying as
a result OF an overdose OF the medi-
cine
lu Germany. where the conscript is
Frequently treated with the greatest
harShne>S. there are very few towns
where there are not specialists whose
living depends solely In inducing such
n condition az affairs as will render
young men exempt by reason Of unit
ness.
In the French army il 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
10 trap the cunning youth who acts
the part of n deaf man.
Another common practice in France
Is To tamprr with the eyeSghi. though
this frequently results In permanent
injury For instance. short sight is
produced 10y wearing powerful con-
cave glasses for considerable time
despite the risk of bringing about per
umnent blindness IL Is no uncom-
mon occurrence for men TO commit sui
eide rather than submit 10 forced serv-
Ice in the army
In eastern Europe most brutal meth
DDS are adopted by parents in order
that their sons may he able 10 work
for them instead of serving in the
army. The boys are frequently Ill
treated. and il is not at all uncommon
even for their limbs TO be broken or
their sight TO be destroyed in order 10
prevent any likelihood Of their having
TO become soldiers.
Switzerland probably has the cheap
est army and the least burdensome
methods of CONSUMPTION. the service
being much lighter than in the other
continental armies. Indeed. the con-
script in the infantry army has to IN
dergo actual training for only 1875 days
during the entire period of his service.
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