Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-03-08
OLD WORLD ARMIES
Drafting Methods by Which Their
Strength Is Maintained.
TRICKS OF THE C0aScRIPTs,

Hateful TO Them.
We hear good deal about conscrip.
ion. but few people know what II nc.
tuaily means. In no country is every
person who is able TO fight drafted
into the army. All males who are Tia.
ole 10 serve undergo a physical exam.
ination. resulting I'm only certain
lumber being passed as tit for service
40 government has sufficient funds
% draft the whole OF these men into
the regular army, 80 a selection Is
made by ballot the number OF men en-.
rolled varying according TO the funds
IN the hapds OF the authorities.
The pay provided for the conscript
Is necessarily very trifilng indeed and
will not compare with that paid to vol
inteer soldiers. In fact. IL is generally
true that the conscript must fall back
upOa 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 at the age OF twenty, al
though those who care to enlist may
do so ut eighteen.
register Is kept OF all llsS yeouthl
who reach the age OF twenty IN the
particular year. Men under Eve feet
TWO inches in height are exempt from
service. as well, OF course, a. hose
who suffer from natural infirmIties
which render them unsuitable for ac>
tive service.
Other men are also exempt II they
have helpless dependents thus tho
only son OF widow or OF a disabled
rather, the latter category also includ
Ing the only son OF a 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 tx liable, there being various other
exemptions.
The term served by the conscript IL
one OF twenty-five years. three years
being spent inthe regular army, six
and Qne.half In the army reserve. six
In the Territorial army and the r.
manning mine and half years In III,
territorial reserve. all liability TO serv
ice ceasing at forty-dve. e,
The service Is frequently so hated
that all manner or methods are adopt
ed In order 10 avoid it. In man;
cases substitutes are provided by tn,
wealthy, though here are stringent
regulations with regard To the prt
vision of the substitutes,
In most european countries military
tnalingerins IN order to avoid compul
Sory military service has reached III.
stage 81 q fine art In fact, torrnidn
he list of new crimes has beea addc
20 the statutes as a result. and medlca
iien frequently have Ia suffer for thei
assistance in This particular Kind 0
fraud i", so4
Thus some time ago 4 humber G.
Cologne doctors were arrested upon l.
charge OF having administered pills u
young conscripts. These pills consist
ed or drugs which produced the symr
toms of heart disease so effectively o,
completely 10 deceive tho military an
thOritipS. with the result that the Gel
scripts were declared unfit for Servic,
To this case the fraud was brought
light by one OF fhe cOnscripts dying
a result OF an overdose OF the med
cine.
Ia Germany, where the ConSclipt
frequently treated with the create.
harshnPSs. there are very few town
where there are not specialists who's,
living depends solely i'm inducing sue
condition OF affairs AZ will reudei
young men exempt by reason of unfit
ness
IN the French army II is q..te com
mon for youths t. feigu all manner OF
Ills. deafness being the usual ailmeu
trusted TO In order To eScupe the sprv.
ice. As result The military doctors
have made au especial study Of meth
obs Of detecting fpigued deafness and
To trap the cunning youth who acts
the part Of deaf man.
Another common practice In France
Is 20 :nmper with the eyeslght. though
this frequently results in permanent
injury For instance. short sight Is
produced by wearing powerful con.
rave glasses for cOrstaprnble time
despite the risk OF bringing -hOrt per.
muncnt blindness. II is no uncom.
mon occurrence 10" men to commit sui.
eide rather than submit TO forced serv.
tee ia the army rN3"F'
In eastern Europe most brutal meth.
,ds are aeopted by parents I'm order
hat their sous may be- able 20 work
'Or them finsteEd ~ serving ia this
army The boys are frequently IN
treated. and IL IS not at all uucommo1
even for their Limbs % be broken on
their sight.to be destroyed I'm order 20
prevent any likelihOOd'of their having
to become soldiers.
switzerland probably has the cheap
at army and the. least burdensome
methods ~ confcgipuOn. the service
being much lighter tHDn in tho other
continental armies. Indeed, the con
srript I'm the lnfauiry army has 10 Or.
dcrgo actual trainiDg for only 1876 days
during the entire period Of his service.
Philadelphia. Lcdgcr