The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-20
National DEF insse Prob lens
H-.compuL.ory MiIta1y Service
By Frederic j Haskin.


Were the military experts OF the
nation to speak their minds they
would ito man advise Uncle Sam to
fnaugurata q system Of easy but conn
|pulsory military service based upon
that in operation: in Switzerland. ~
The forthcoming report to PTesi-
dent Wilson of the secretaries OF wa r
and navyemay not contain such are
commentator because the expeTs,
know of the prejudice In the Amer
lean public mind against militardsm
and cdmpulsory service sounds mill
tartstfe. But they nevertheless be-
lieve that this would be the best solu-
ton of the question OF preparedness.
Tor Switzerland, most peaceful OF
nations, has sifted the absolutely es-
the world In training its military and
has developed q system which Ia
forty-fiv days. will convert the
youngster of the street or the farm
into a Rrst-class fighting man. II
the United States hadcth Swiss sys-
tenn in operation it Would be able to
call to arms in week OiOOupVVS
soldiers capable of meeting an army
of equal strength from any nation
In the world and giving an account Of
itself. Had it such dormant army 1t
lis claimed that it would be absolutely
safe from attack and would remain
forever at peace. 1t is Also held that
the training thus given the youth Of
the land would be vastly to its bene-
lit.
Is It, Training
What then. Is this system of Switz-
erland and is it Adaptable to the
needs OF the United States? Let us
see whether compulsory military Ser
vice Is "a burdensome tyranny upon
this admirable people.
In Switzerland every lad, during
the summer OF the year In which he
reaches the age of twenty, reports
for military service. There are de-
pots within convenient reach of his
home. He is carefully examined and
If he is found to be physically mt ne
has passed q milestone in his career
as a possible defender Of his country.
About half of those examined are ac-l
cepted. 1t is a Recommendation to a
lad to have passed these tests and it
reflects upon him II he has failed.
Prospective employers take note Of
success or failure in this test and,
since the demand for eugenfc parents
has come into being. the young man
who has been shown unfit to serve
his country may have difficulty in get
ting himself a wife.
Every lad hopes above all else to
be able topass his examination with
credit. The public schools give set
ting-up exercises and calfsthenics to1
develop the youngsters. There are
many military organizations among
the boys to train them for the test.
The effect is felt among the youth
of the land in its desire to: become
physically At. There is'also mental
examination In common school sub
jects and. where a led fails to pass
this, he is required to go to night
school and make up his Deficiencies.
Each young man is given book In !
which the results of these tests are
set down. The following summer.
that of the year in which he becomes
twenty-one, he reports for work In |
the cadet school. Here he gets forty |
five days Of very strenuous work inl
the few tasks which Switzerland re-.
CARDS as most essential parts OF a
military trainfng! These are field
work and shooting. It Is held that
is a man can do credit to himself
in the open, on the march, in camp
In preparation for battle, and IL he:
can shoot when the time comes to
fight, he is pretty good soldier.
Outdoor Training.
These young sters do not know what
a drill half is. All their training
takes place out Of doors. They learn
how to make camp, how to live prof.
per1y in the open, how 10 carry their
knapsacks, how to dig trenches. howl
to shoot, how to bear gruelingt
marches. what they learn of the
precision OF the drill ground is merely
incidental and picked up during
marches and other maneuvers.
Switzerland does not believe that
great amount OF this parade ground
nrec;sion is necessary.
During this first period of training
the recruit has fired 200 actual shots
with the sort of gun he would use
during war and his instructors have
seen that he handled his weapon cor
rectly. AS the weeks of vigorous ex-
ercise in the open have passed he
has felt his strength developing and
has grown to take pride in it. Fin
ally, toward the end, he is given two
DAYS and night of ceaseless, grind
test as he might be
called uponato meet in a great emer-
eency. He lie shown what hardship is,
how he may endure 1t, how he Will
recover from it. It is six weeks as
though he we're actually at war.
This is the major part OF the COM
p1alsory military service OF the young
citizen OF Switzerland. When he has
this record Is entered in
his book and he is sent home Hell
is assigned to battalion. He ISL
given his uniform. his gun. his full
.Z