Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-12-16
OLD WORLD ARMIES
Drafting Methods by Which Their
Strength Is Maintained.
TRICKS OF THE CoNSCRlPTS.
All Manner Of DOdses Are Adopted by
the Eligible Young Men to Avoid the
Enforced Military Service That Is So
Hateful 20 Them.


Enforced Military Service That Is So
Hateful 60 Them,
We hear good deal about couScrip-
ton. but few people know what It ac.
tually means. In no country Is every
person who Is able to light drafted
into the army. All males who are Tia.
BILE 10 serve undergo a physical exam
ination. resulting in only n certain
number being passed as GIG FOR service.
No government has sufficient funds
10 draft the whole OF these men iuto
the regular army. SO selection is
made by ballot, the number OF men en-
rolled varying according To the funds
I'm the hands OF the authorities.
The pay provided for the conscripl
is necessarily very trining indeed and
will not compare with that paid IL vol.
untcer soldiers In fact. Il is generally
J true that the conscript must fall back
upon his private means.
The methods vary I'm each country
But take the case OF one European
| power. Every male subject not phys
ically incapacitatcd is liable To enter
! the army ut 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 Meu under Eve feet
two inches in height are exempt from
service. rs we'll OF course. ~ those
who suffer from natural innrmltlos
which render them unsuitable for nc
tive service.
Other men are also exempt IL they
have helpless dependents thus the
only son of a widow or of n disabled
father The latter category also includ.
ing the only son of "a father who is
abov" seventy years Of age. Then the
eldest OF a family OF orphans tx cX-
rmpt. ANA In the case Of two sons only
one is liable, there being various other
| exemptions
The term served 10y the Conscript is
| one of twenty-five years. three years
being spent In the regular army six
and one half i'm the army reserve. six
I'm the territorial army aud the re-
mining nine and half years in the
territorial reserve, all liability to scrv-
ice ceasIng at forty-nyc.
The service is frequently so hated
that all manner Of methods are adopt
cd I'm order TO avoid II. In 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
malingerng i'm order TO avoid compul-
sorry military service has reached the
stage Of fine art. In fact. Il formida.
bic list of new crimes has been added
10 the statutes as a result. and medical
men frequently have 10 suffer for their
assistance I'm 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
cd Of drugs which produced the eymp-
toms Of heart disease so effectively MS
completely 10 deceive the military au-
thori,ics. With the result that the con.
scripts were declared unfit for service.
m This case fhc fraud was brought TO
light by one Of the conscripts dying as
q result OF am overdose of the mcdi-
cine
Ia Germany. where the cougcIipi is
frequently trrnrd win th" greatest
harshncss. there are worry few towns
where there are not specialists Who's"
living depends solely 100 inducing sucb
"a condition 90 affairs as VIII yruIlG
young men cycmpt by reason oi r.it
ness
Ia The French army 10 is quite com.
, mon for youths 10 fci2u all manner of
ills. deafness being the usual ailmcnt
trusted 90 In order 10 escape the scry-
ice As result the military doctors
, have made ann especial study Of meth
DDS Of detecting feigncd deafness aud
10 trap the cunning youth who acts
the part Of q deaf man
, Another common practice Zoo France
is 10 tumprr with the cyrsight though
this frequently results ip permanent
injury For instance short sight is
} produced by wearing powerful con
cave glasses for considerable time
despite the risk OF bringing about per
mGncnt blindness - is mo- lincoln.
, mon occurrence for men 60 commit sui.
eide rather tnan submit To- forced sery
loc in tho army
lu eastern Europe most brutal motb.
, obs are adopted Dos parents lu order
That their SONS rls bc able To- WorE
for them Instead az serving u lhc
army. The boys arc frequently iU
, treated. and 30 s. not at a'l uncommon
. even for their limbs tD bc broken OF
their sight to BE- destroyed il order o.
prevent amy likelihood OF their having