The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-12
SWISS ARWr REORG AVIATION.

army. or rather militia. for there Is
no standing army. only different classes
Of citizen soldiers more or lees subject
| to training and discipline and more or
ls-s liable 20 be called on for the national
defence. The plans are now under con-
/ sideTation 10y the Federal Council
! Another important military reform
movement was successful in 1917. rcferen-
dunn vote Of November J; hut it covered
another phase u the subject Il in
creased the number Of DAYS which the
/ recruits are obliged To spend in learning
/ the soldiers trade in the first year Of
their service IN the Auszug, OF picked
class 81 the militia the tim. noW ranges
! from siIty-five days for infantry Ia
ninety-two for cavalry and u provided
for annual drills for the entire Auszug
and Landwehr. or second class, reducing
the period Of liability for service in the
Landsturm, or third class. by way Of COM
pensltion These changes are regarded
az constituting an entirely satisfactory
reform ~ far a. the personnel Of the
fighting force - concerned The new
proposals contemplate reform of the
organization
The Swiss infantry con Insists az present
Of ninety-siX battalions II 100 men each.
These are grouped into regiments. three
TO a regiment. Two regiments make a
brigade and two brigades with suitable
allotments from the other arms ~ the
service make a division. Thus there are
eight divisions and these are divided
into four army corps.
The existing organization il based on
the models Of other European armies.
II is the conventional plan. but for
more than twenty years Swiss officers
have been dissatisfied with IL. However
advantageous IL may he in open. level
countries. IL has been found far too cum
bersome and rigid for efficiency in the
broken. mountainous country Of the Jura
and the Alps. Expert opinion has con-
stantly favored a simplification by abol-
ishing the army corps and making the
division the strategic unit.
According to the new programme the
force will be TearranRsd IN siN divisions.
consisting of three brieades 81 infantry
Of three regiments each These will all
have their headquarters in the regions
where they are recruited The first divi-
sion. which will he called the Division Of
the Simplon. will cover permanently the
frontier region betW zen Lakes Geneva
and Neuchatel. defending the passes Of
the Jura IN the canton ~ Wand One Of
It's brigader will also he detachable for
the defence Of the Nalais country to the
southeast Of Lake Geneva
The decentralization will prulong the
line ~ defence from the north 81 Lake
Neuchatel To Basel Behind these two
divisions will be stationed the third the
Division ~ l>otochheTg. ready 70 reen-
force either OF the others rapidly and ef-
fectually. a. need may arI-- This $40
ton u the frontier - evidently regarded
as the most vulnerable since. although IL
Is actually not much more than a fourth u
the whole line. half u the national force
10 devoted primarily To IT, defence
The fourth division. which will 10 re-
cruited IN the German cantons Of the
north and ortheas,, takes up the frontier
at Basel and covers II AS far as Lake Con-
stance II j. to IT, called the Division 81
Hausnstein The fifth division will sup
port the EASTERN portion u the fourth
division line on the German frontier. but
will also qua ri the section about Chias-o. /
the region Of Lakes Maggiore. Lugano and
Como on the Italian border. This seem
facility Il communication afforded by the
ST. GOthArd railway.
The sixth division is assigned to protect
the line u the Rhine and the southern
passes Of the Alps In the Grisons Small
attachments not included in the scheme
Of organ La'ion are to h. reserved as at
present for the garrisoning u certain for
tresses al strategic points.
Besides this general scheme the new
reform includes other improvements. II
~ an anomaly of the Swiss system that
although the country 10 the most noun
famous m Europe ~ has never had a
special corps 81 mountain fighters. The
manpuvres Of last year lccentuatcd the
need of such a BODY and Il il now designed
O. train four brig ides to operate in Alpine
country at elevations OF E? 90 TO , 90 yards
above sea level Zach brigade will be
made up Of two regiments u infantry with
two or three batteries " mountain artii-
Iery and specially organized and equipped
train.
Other interesting improvements IN the
Way of armament ar" proposed Several
mitraillelse batteries are 20 be created
Three Of these with four To- eight pieces
will be attached IN each division 81 the !
army The artillery IL 20 he augmented
Ivy twelve batteries ~ howitzerS The
) inch field guns are 10 be grouped m
batteries 81 four pieces each and viii bs
assigned to operate with the infantry
The cavalry will be- kept at It's present
strength Of four brIgades. bur will be
handled a. a separate force. having no
connection with the divisional organiza-
ton. except that a squadron or two will he
attached To each division stan for orderly |
and vedette duty 4 special mounted
artillery force will be- formed to operate
with the cavalry
This plan ~ elaboratei primarily for |
the Auszug. or elite militia. who moot
nearly coincide with the standing army IN
other countries but % course the Land |
weir. or reserve force. and Landsturm. |
or second reserve. will lie redistrihute,i
on the same lines According Co the Z,
latest figures the Swiss system affords an
effective total Of Ia. o6I men on the first
levy. the Auszug consisting ~ abou,
% .OOO infantry. 5000 cavalry. $40 ar
eaIl.ry 2 utnaara a -