The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-07-19
Luige Corti, American Citizen and
Spanish War Veteran, Explains
Military System Of Little
Mountain Republic
OUTSHOOT TEXAS
SHARPSHOOTERS
Two Roads Open to Lads to Learn
Art Of War; Jobs Of Men
Held Open; Easy to
Mobilize

Df WILLIAM u. SHEPHEHDs
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Chiasse. Switzerland. June 3.--(By
mail to New York. Luigi Corti owns
the biggest store in this town. He's
an American citizen; he fought in the
Spanish-American war in the Philip
pines; he lived fourteen years at Mar
shall, Tex. He knows about the Swiss
army, as well as the American army
and I'm going to put down little talk
! heard Luigi giving discouraged
Englishman, who was complaining
that Englishmen weren't enlisting. He
may furnish an idea about how to raise
a good army in the United States some
day.
.Englishmen don't enlist?" said
Luigi. "No wonder. They haven't
got any interest in their army because
their army never held any interest in
them. Do you know how we raise our
army in Switzerland"
The discouraged Englishman didn't.
I'm going to tell you about q 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
it out. So, every Sunday morning,
from o'clock in the morning until III.
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's given rifle. uniform
and all the fittings of soldier and
he's taught to shoot and do all the
other things that soldier is expected
to do He takes all his outfit home
with him and keeps 1t there. At q
moments notice he may be called out
to show how we'll he is caring for his
kit He is trained in gymnastics 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 its rifle ground The am
munition 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 oyerfEowing People will
come from all parts of the country.
Newspapers will get out extra editions
about the scores.
well, as soon as a boy is twenty
years old, he is called to serve 65 days
every year in some barracks or some
camp. This goes on every year until
he is thirty, though, If he began tho
Sunday drilling before he was twenty.
he gets considerable time off. every
year. after his first two annual en-.
campments. Between thirty and forty
ne serves fifteen days year.
rs it true" Luigi asked the English
man, 'that when man in your coun-
try enlists he's likely to lose his jobf"
why, yes, said the Englishman.
Good Lord, no wonder they don't
enlist said Luigi why. in our
country business men have to keep
the jobs open for their men and boys.
who are called away. There're half
| a million men in the Swiss army on
duty at the frontiers now but every
one knows that his job is waiting for
him when he comes back"
How do you mobilize in your coun-
try?"
| "Just send word around to the
homes that the men are waited at a
certain place at certain time Each
man gets out his uniform. his rifle.
his ammunition and his emergency ra-