Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-18
Stories of the War
The Swiss Army.

The Swiss army, in the opinion of
the Swiss Federal Council. is the most
efficient, most economically managed
and most democratic, in Europe.
It's efficiency is evidenced by the
fact at the beginning of the European
war, This little nation of less than four
million inhabitants, had completed the
mobilization of her army I->.ore 9th
er Germany or France. In the first
week of war she was able to post on
her frontiers over 250. 900 trained SOL
dlers, a larger force than Great Bri-
tain was able to throw into Belgium
after many weeks of arduous labor
The comparative cheapness Of main
tenance of the Swiss army is shown in
the budget returns. The army costs
annually in peace time 1920 per head
of population. Germany's peace ex-
penditures for the same purpose is
S4.75 per head.
The Swiss army is in the strictest
sense democratic service. Every
would-be officer starts as a private
with the ordinary recruits course, and
promotion to the commissioned and
commissioned ranks is by merit.
and nat by seniority, except that it is
conditioned on four years service in
each rank. There are no generals in
the army except in time of war, the
highest peace time rank being that of
Colonel. The General appointed at
the beginning of the present mobiliza-
ton is the first which Switzerland has
had since 1870, when the republic as
serted its neutrality by disarming and
interning the army of the French Cen
eral IbOurbaki, which was forced over
the frontier.
Switzerland has universal military
service-along with such modern ideas
as the referendum and initiative. Ev-
cry male Swiss citizen is a potential
soldier, and those who for reasons of
health or otherwise are excused from
the usual course of military training
must pay a special tax and must also
be enrolled in the supplementary ser
vice" army.
The striking force of the army con-
sists of about 100000 men, divided
into three classes-the Elite, men of
twenty to thirty two years; the Land
weir, 80 to 40 years, and the Land
strum, 40 to As The supplementary
services number 200, 900, making a to-
tai fighting force of half a million men,
or one-eight of the entire population.
The military training begins with
gymnaStic drill and rife practice in
the public schools. Between the ages
of 20 and 80 the young man gets a
regular yearly period of training, ten
to twelve weeks the first year, and
about a fortnight for the seven follow
ing years, when he passes into the
Landwehr. This division is called out
for eleven days training every four
years. The Landstrum is only called
in time of war.
Rich and poor serve side by side in
the ranks. There are no fashionable
regiments" Officers are given sup
Elemental training in the schools at
Thun or Basel, but there are no war
colleges like West Point.
Every soldier when he Is out of
training keeps his rifle and equipment
in his own house, and he is encouraged
to keep his craftsmanship up to re-
quirements by constant practice. Rifle
shooting, in fact, - the great national
pastime, and visitors to SWITZERLAND
always note the sound of gun-fire on
Sundays, holidays and saints days.
No one is paid for his service in
peace time. as a soldier. OF the Of
ficers, only the few who are on the
General Staff receive remuneration,
and their pay is small. In time of war,
the COMMANDMENT Chief is by law en-
titled to SO a day, while the private
receives about fifteen cents.
There are SIX divisions or army
The first and second divisions consist
of French speaking citizens; the third,
fourth and fifth are from German
speaking sections; the sixth is italian.
divisions were modified: at present
At the beginning of the war all six
only the End, 4th, and 9Th are under
arms.