Evening star., 1912-09-08
sWITZERLAND's MILITIA.
Alpine Republics Democratic Army
Tip to Mercenaries.

From the New York Sun.
For Americans even more than Euro
peans there is unusual interest in the
present visit Of the kaiser to Switzerland.
for he goes to witness the annual ma
neuvers of the Swiss army, and Switzer-
land, like the United States, depends
upon it's militia for the actual defense of
it's territories in time Of war; The in
spection of a democratic army by the
commander Of the greatest standing
army in the world is thus an event in
military affairs.
The need of Switzerland for an army
large enough to defend its territory is
plain. Lying adjacent to France and
Germany. its territories invitingly open
to invading armies wishing TO reach
their opponents by outfianking the fort
resses on their frontiers, and, similarly
situated with reference to France and
Italy and Italy and Austria, 1t is clear
that only by the possession OF real armies
can the Swiss hope to prevent the use
Of their territories as the thoroughfare
Not wholly dissimilarly situated. Bel
gium and Holland have both maintained
a regular army for many years. but the
Swiss, after centuries in which their
citizens supplied European monarchies
with mercenaries who surrounded the
French throne and did battle for Italian
princes, have at last fallen back upon the
idea consistently followed in this country,
which risks it's safety on the eff1ciency
of it's militia.
AS compared with he American militia
the Swiss is in numbers out of all proper
ton to It's population, for 1t counts IN It's
first line, or auszug. l4O,OUO omcers ana
men, against approximately 1lO,O0U Tor
the whole militia of this country. The
<;xyo "a x
93,OOOOOO. Back of the auszug are the
landwehr numbering 10000. and finally
the landsturm, with about to.OUV. Inc
Swiss militia, therefore. counts over 2oO,o
coo. and of this number at least NO,vV
are counted available for immediate serv-
ice. 175,OOO for the field and the rest Tor
the forts in the Alps and the Rhone val
ley. - -.
The training Of the Swiss militia diff
fers indeed from that OF the american
Thus all Swiss citizens are liable to serv-
ice in the militia at seventeen, are ac-
tually enrolled at twenty, and are held In
one Of the three divisions until tney arc
forty-eight Only a few escape such serv.
twenty the Swiss youth is called to the
colors and serves In camp of instruc-
ton for a period which varies between
sixty-five days for the infantry and
ninety for the cavalry.
Following the preliminary training. the
Swiss citizen soldier must for seven
wears respond to an annual call Tor
eleven days Of service, after which, save
in the case Of officers and non-commis-
stoned officers, he is excused: The first
twelve wears are spent in the auszug,
the next sixteen divided equally between
the landwehr and the landsturm. In
the former one training period of eleven
days is required. In addition nilitiamen
are required to put in a certain amount
IF time at the rifle range each year.
such is the Swiss militia, and the esti-
mate placed upon it's value in actual
war as compared with the conscripts of
France and Germany. which the German
officers who accompany the kaiser will
make. has an interest for the American
student Of military. affairs which it is
difficult to exaggeTate.