Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-14
.SERVIA HAS fine
FIGHTING FORCE
IN PRESENT WAR
The Seasoned Veterans,
Well Disciplined in ALI
the Arts of War, Can Be
Counted On.

Washington, Aug 14.-'Tf the United
| States should call to the colors as many
men in proportion to the population as
Servia has, it would mean an army up
ward of eight million men," says a
statement issued by the National Geo
graphical society, at Washington, d.
c.. today. "and this does not take into
account the fact that the recent wars
| in the little country have made such
fatal inroads into the percentage of
adult male population. Probably, If the
United States called as many. men to
the colors in proportion to the adult
male population, 1t would mean an
army of 100000 men.
These figures show what a heavy
hand Austria Hungary laid upon the
little country whose army gave such
Z. remarkable account of itself during
the two wars it has just passed through
before this third one descended upon
it, How terrible the ravages of the
wars in the near east have been is in
dicated by the census of conquered ter =
ritory taken by Bulgaria in the early
months of the present year. That
count showed that where, previous to
the wars, there had been a population
of 702. 900 there is now a population of
only sol 900. OF course. Servia did not
suffer that much, but these figures are
indicative OF the great wars IT had
to face.
Fine Fighting Force.
Military critics everywhere admit
that in matters of discipline, leader
ship, adamantine spirit, and elan, there
is no army its size in the world that
can make a better showing than the
Servian army made during it's wars
with Turkey and Bulgaria. 1t is a
fighting force that is conceded to have
every quality of strength that a mill
tary machine may possess.
Its plan of organization is dis
tinCtive Compulsory service is per-
sonal for all able bodied men and pc
cuniary for all who are incapable of
personal service. These latter must
pay an indirect tax of so per cent adj
ditional. The military forces are d.
vided into a national army and the
Landstrum, which forms the last line
of defense. Service in the national
army begins at 81 and ends after 40
In the Landstrum 1t begins at II, ends
at y, begins again at 46 and ends al
SO.
The national army consists of three
school through which every able
bodied men between q and 81; the
second ban all between 81 and Ss, and
the third those between 50 and 10.
Must Serve His Term.
The first ban has its carde. g
school THROUGH which every able
bodied man of 81 must pass. No one
is allowed to change his nationality
while belonging to the first ban; mol
can any member thereof receive any
outside appointment or become ever
a monk until he has served his tern
in the army.
THE term of service in the standing
cadre is two years in the cavalry and
| artillery. and one and a half year:
in the other branches OF the estab.
hshment There is a six months serv.
ice for those in the schools of tn,
country who can pass an examination
for lieutenant of reserves. There il
also a six months enlistment for re
cruits from whose homes at least twI
others have served the full time.
"All those who possess cattle ant
suitable carts are under obligation Il
turn them over to the army whel
needed. Those who do not posses
cattle and carts have per cent adde'
to their taxes for the remount fund.