Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-12-31
THE SWISS REPUBLIC
Can Mobilize $4,000 Men in Twenty
Four Hours,

THE SWISS REPUBLIC
Can Mobilize 100000 Men in Twenty
Four Hours.
Nowhere else in the world has the
art of self-defense better adjusted it
self to geographical conditions than
in the little republic Of Switzerland"
says a bulletin of the National Geo
graphic society.
while the subject of national pre-
paredness holds such a large place In
the minds of the American people, 1t
becomes of value to study the re-
markable system the Swiss people
have evolved-a system fitted to ma
tional ideals which do not accept the
doctrines Of militarism on the one
hand, and which reject the doctrines
Of peace at any price on the other.
The Swiss system Is particularly in
teresting to Americans because Of the
kindred theories Of government in
Switzerland and the United States,
the similar aspirations Of their peo-
pie, and the close relationship of
their needs.
although they have democratic
tendencies perhaps-stronger than our
own, although they believe in local
self-government perhaps more thor
oughly than we do, and although they
possess a very deep conviction that
central authority must not encroach
upon the rights Of the cantons. the
people Of Switzerland have made
a nation under arms, yet
a nation without the slightest thought
of adding a foot to its territory or of
that peace whose blessings
it loves and appreciates.
There Is nothing in Switzerland
to a regular army. One
might hunt for months around the
country without finding one man
whose profession is military; yet al
most as hard would it be to discover
one able-bodied citizen who has not
had some soldier training
. "While Switzerland has a popula-
ton smaller than that Of Massachu-
setts, with an area twice as large, 1t
can mobilize 100000 men in "a hours.
On the same basis, the United States
could put 100000 men into the field,
though Of course it would take long
er to get them to central points OF
Behind field army Of
100000 the Swiss have a reserve Of
equal proportions. The United States
could under Swiss system have a
trained army Of citizens reaching
grand total Of 100000 men Of all
arms. Uuder that standard we would
have 100 trained men from every
town of 1000 population; while a
of $4,000 inhabitants could
thus send 400 men to the front and
hold as many more in reserve.
There is no soldiery in the mill
tary world costing as little per man
as the Swiss.
This difference arises from the
fact that the army Of the Swiss con-
is in truth citizen army.
It is organized on what has been
called the voluntary compulsory sys-
tenn, to which the Swiss people have
freely resigned themselves in order
to guarantee the independence of
their country.
1.-THE Swiss boy, at the age Of ten,
is put into the gymnastic class at
school, and begins learning the ele-
ment Of the soldier drill on the
school house Fairgrounds. Long be-
fore he is old enough to be called
upon for service he has learned to do
the manual exercises and to go
much Of the drill that after
ward fits him for soldier.
When boy reaches II years he is
liable to service-a liability which
continues until he is so years Of age.
Even after that he may be liable, II
he is capable of doing any other army
work tha nsoldiering, such as acting
as baker or veterinary surgeon.
"Yet with all Of this universal
training, the only people in Switzer-
land who make arms exclusive pro-
fession are the commander-in-chie
selected by the Federal assembly, and
the general staff. These form the
brains Of the army. The rank and
file belong to the cantons, just as the
militia do to the state in this coun-
try.
cat the age Of 20 every able-bodied
Swiss youth becomes a unit in the
first line. During the first year Of
liability he must serve rs days or
more, and II days for each success
sive year he is called to the standard.
Services in the first line continues un-
til the citizen has reached the age
Of 32. Therefore he becomes a unit
in the Landwehr or First Reserve, in
which he remains until he is A. He
must give 9 days Of service during
each four years that he belongs to
the Landwehr. From A to so, he
serves in the Landsturm or Second
Reserve.
"Rich and poor serve side by side
in the Swiss army, and there is none
of the crack regiment idea to be
found. There is only one general, and
he is picked from a nation Of SOL
diers nor is his remuneration lordly
for his salary is only $40 a day. The
caste system has not been permitted
to creep into the Swiss army, for the
very essence of the Swiss military
idea is that all men start from the
scratch, and that brain and ability
must win the race.
Every commune in Switzerland is
required by federal law to maintain,
at public expense, a safe and suitable
target range Of not less than 1000
feet. All legally organized shooting
clubs Of the commune have the right
to use this range free Of charge. The
government gives 60 cents a year to
each club for each member doing a
prescribed amount Of shooting during
the year. The annual number Of shots
fired in target practice in the army