East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-07-19
BY WILIIAM q SHEpHERD,

ne All tAAtASA ANdlA SltiAclAs AV AuHoAN 'H
the Spanish-American war in the
Philippines; he lived fourteen Years
at Marshall, Texas He knows about
the Swiss army, as well as the Ameri-
can army and I'm going to put down
a little talk that heard Luigi giving
a discouraged Englishman, who was
complaining that Englsh-men weren't
enlisting. He may furnish an idea how
to raise a good army in the United
States some day.
"Englishmen don't enlist?' said Lu-
igi NO wonder. They haven't got
any interest in their army because
their army never had any interest in
them. Do you know how We raise our
army in switzerland"
The discouraged Englshman didn't
I'm going to tell you about a boy
that works for me. Every other Swiss
boy has the same experience that he
has. A Swiss boy has got two plans
to choose from; he can either wait
until he's twenty years old and take
his training in large doses or he can
begin when he's fifteen and spread It
out Pietro, my boy, wanted to spread
il out. So, every SUNDAY morning.
from six o'clock in the morning until
IL, he's at the barracks, being trained
with lots of other boys. Six months
every year he must do this, until he's
twenty He is given rifle, uniform
and all the fittings of a soldier and
he's taught to shoot and do all the
other things that a soldier is expected
to do. He takes all his outfit home
with him and keeps it there. At a
moments notice he may be called out
to show how well he is caring for his
kit He is trained in gymnastics and
in athletics and he learns all the rules
of warfare. BY the time he's twenty
years old he's got an interest in his
country and in its army.
Talk about sharpshooters in Tex
as" said Luigi, turning to me. Il love
Texas. but these Swiss boys can out
shoot any Texan ever saw. Every
village has got its rifle ground. The
ammunition is free. The government
gives medals, Every now and then
there is big shoot in some big town.
The interest in shooting is SO great
that the hotels in this town will be
filled to overflowing. People will come
from all parts of the country. News
papers will get out extra editions
about the scores.
We'll, as soon as a boy is twenty
years old, he is called to serve SIS days
every year, in some barracks or some
camp This goes on every year until
he is thirty, though, If he began the
Sunday drilling before he was twenty
he gets considerable time off, every
year, after his first two annual en-
campments Between thirty and forty
he serves fifteen days a year.
rs it true?" Luigi asked the Eng
lishman, that when a man in oul
country enlists he's likely to lose his
job"
why yes said the Englishman.
Good Lord, no wonder they dom
enlist" said Luigi. why, in oul
country business men have to keep thu
jobs open for their men and boys wht
are called away. There's half a mil
lion men in the Swiss army on dut,
at the frontiers now but every on
; knows that his job is waiting for hin
when he comes back"
How do you mobilize in you
, country"
Just send word around to tn
, homes that the men are wanted at {
certain place at certain time Eacl
man gets out his uniform, his rifle, hi
ammunition and his emergency rati
: Ons and goes to the meeting place
That's all there is to it,
How do you raise officers in you
, Swiss army"
, Any young man who wants to b
, an officer, can do SO, if he's intelli
gent and is willing to put extra tim
: on the job. The beauty Of being al
officer is that the government give
him a good position in peace times o
the government railroads or in tn
postoffice."
It's too late for England, said tn
discouraged Englishman. Przemys
had just fallen again, like Juarei
, Mexico, used to fall in Madero's time
and the Briton said frankly tina
things looked dark
We'll, it isn't too late for the Uni
} ted States said Luigi. TITS sys
l TEN that makes fine men"
> The strongest, finest, sturdiest sol
diers I have seen in Europe are thes
same Swiss. They're not bloodthiTst
professional soldiers created by mill
tarism; they're merely good, stron
Swiss citizens, trained to defend thei
e country If the need arises.
2 Travelling Mans Experience.
@ In the summer Of 1888 1 had
S very severe attack Of cholera morbu
q Tyn pbyefcIav,a vryorkad QUAR- v,a froy