Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-25
SOLDIERS OF EUROPE
HOW THE ARMIES OF THE CON
TINENT ARE RAISED.
Various Systems of Compulsory En-
listment-Artifcial Physical Dis
abilities to Avoid Service.

From Parsons Weekly.
We hear a good deal about CONSUMPTION.
but few people know what 1t actually
means. In no country is every person
who is able to fight drafted into the
army. All males who are liable to serve
undergo a physical examination. result
ing in only a certain number being passed
as At for service
No government has sufflcient funds to
draft the whole of these men into the
regular army, a selection is made by
ballot. the number of men enrolled vary
ing according to the funds in the hands of
the authorities.
The pay provided for the conscript is
necessarily very trfiing indeed and will
not compare with that paid to our vol
unteer soldiers. In fact. it is generally
true that the conscript must fall back
upon his private means
Men Who Are Exempt.
The methods vary in each country but
take the case of one continental power.
Every male subject not physically inca
pactated is liable to enter the army at
the age Of twenty. although those who
care to enlist may do so at eighteen
A register is kept of all 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 nat
ural inf1rmties which render them UNI
suitable for active service.
Other men also are exempt if they have
helpless dependents: thus. the only son OF
a widow or of disabled father the lat
ter category also including the only son
of father who is above seventy wears
of age. Then the eldest of a family Of
orphans Is exempt. and in the case Of two
sons only one is Bile. there being various
other exemptions.
The term served by the conscrpt is one
Of twenty-five years. three years being
spent in the regular army. six and half
in the army reserve. six in the territorial
army and the remaining nine and a half
years in the territorial reserve. all liability
to service ceasing at forty-fve.
The service is frequently so hated that
all manner of methods are adopted in or
tutes Ire provided by the wealthy. though
there are stringent regulations with re-
gard to the provision Of substitutes
In most continental countries military
malingering in order to avoid compulsory
military service has reached the stage of
fine art In fact. formidable list OF
new crimes has been added to the stat
utes as result and medical men fire.
duently have to suffer for their assistance
In this particular kind Of fraud.
Tamperlng With Eyesight.
Thus some time ago a number Of Co
logne doctors were arrested upon a charge
Of having administered pills to young
conscrpts. These pills consisted Of drugs
which produced the symptoms Of heart
disease so effectively as completely to
deceive the military authorities. with the
result that the conscripts were declared
unfit for service. In this case the fraud
was brought to light by one Of the con-
scripts diving az a result Of an overdose
Of the medicine
In Germany, where the conscript Is fire.
quently treated with the greatest harsh
ness. there are very few towns where
there are not specialists whose living de-
Ponds solely in inducing such a condition
Of affairs as will render young men ex-
empt by reason Of unfitness.
In the French army Il is quite common
for youths to feign all manner Of ills.
deafness being the usual ailment trusted
to In order to escape the service As a
result the military doctors have made an
feigned deafness and to trap the cunning
youth who acts the part Of deaf man.
Another common practice in France is
to tanper with the eyesight. though this
frequently results in permanent injury
For instance. short sight IL produced by
wearing powerful concave glasses for a
considerable time. despite the risk #
bringing about permanent blindness. 1t
IL no uncommon 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 order that
their sons may Be able to work for then,
boys are frequently ill-treated and 1t il
not at all uncommon even for their limbs
to be broken or their sight to be destroy
ed in order to prevent any likelihood Of
hat h. ia
Switzerland proha bly, has the cheapest
army and the least burdensome methods
Of oonscnption. the service being much
lighter than in the other continental arm
les Indeed. the eonscript In the infantry
army has TO undergo actual training for
only lbs days during the entire period Of
his service.
Switzerland's Way.
II 10 fixed by the constitution that no
standing army can be maintained within
the limits Of the confederation though
every citizen IL liable to military service
for a period Of twenty-five years In ad-
dition to this. all able-bodied men he
tween the ages Of seventeen and nifty
years are enrolled under a special cate
CORY.
The training during the first year is the
heaviest: afterward the man has to
practice with a rifle each year, while he
is called out for training every alternate
year Every man is compelled to fire
certain number Of rounds Of ammunition
under stringent regulations. In this way,
by constant rife practice. every man
knows how to handle rife. while a
large number are taught to ride, and all
have good knowledge OF drill.
The officers are taken from the rank
and file, but have to devote a lot Of time
to the practice and study OF military
opArA tons. Those persons who ara eY-
empt from service for any reason have to