The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-06
A NEW SWEDISH ARMY.
Formidable Armament to Be Based on
Militia System.


Stockholm, Aug. 6.-As result OF
the quarrel which for time threatened
war between Sweden and Russia last
winter. new armament bin has beer
laid before the Riksdag, which, while
opposed by extreme Socialists, has the
approval OF the dominant agricultural
and fishing classes Although the new
scheme is based on the militia system
II includes both voluntary and COM
pulsory service. The regular peace
footing will amount To 100000 officers
and men, with a pure militia reserve
of about 100000. Thus nearly 100000
men can be put under arms at twelve
hours notice.
Under the existing law the infantry
recruits train continuously for l5C
days, and they afterward come out for
periods OF thirty days in each of the
following three years; II is now pro-
posed to make the preliminary train
ing 240 days instead of $50 days, and
this increase of three months in the
length Of the infantry recruits prelim-
mary training is one Of the most i'm
portant features in the new defense
bill. In the cavalry, artillery. and en-
gineers the preliminary recruits train
ing lasts at present for 2S0 days, fol-
lowed by two annual trainings, each
lasting forty-two days; but under the
defense bill the periods are to be some
what altered and upon the whole
heightened.
Thus cavalry recruits training is In
future TO last for S0l days, the annual
trainings remaining az at present; but
field artillery are to do only 249 days
preliminary work, while, on the other
hand, the gunners will do three annual
trainings, lasting forty-two days. in
stead OF only two, as at present.
1t is arranged that the trained men
are all called out for training at the
same time in the autumn, and that by
that time the recruits contingent for
the year shall have been got rid Of;
this enables the units to muster for
autumn exercises and manoeuvres in
sufficient strength to approach TO a
war footing, and at the same time to
be unhampered by the presence OF in
efflcients.
The detailing OF the annual contin-
gent OF conscripts to the different
branches OF the service il arranged on
the principle that the numbers for
services Gncluding the navy other
than infantry are definitely indicated
by the war office, and that the men
left out are absorbed into the infantry.
But at the present time 1t is not the
practice to absorb the whole of the
available contingent, after excluding
the unit and the specially exempted.
$4,000 have been taken for the last few
years. although the total available
generally comes to rather over 10000.
1t is proposed in future to take ALL
and this will make a substantial addi-
ton to the total number of men serving
and also, in course OF time, to the total
number Of trained men available to be
called out on mobilization 1t may be
observed that an annual contingent OF
10000. coupled with a liability to serve
for twenty three years Gas is contem
plated In the defense bill), should even
tually produce a total OF between $50,
900 and 5000 allowing an ample mar
gin for casualities-say, half "A million
If the permanent eadre be added in.
The active army ought TO include
quite 100000, men available. and this
is far more than sufficient to mobilize
the first line Reserve units also exist
but mainly on paper at present; one
OF the objects Of the defense bill Is to
develop these by providing "A sufIiclen-
cy OF reserve officers and by creating
skeleton cadres.