The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-20

years old he retains his uniform and
gun and is subject to call by his
country. M
Sixteen Days Service.
Within a year or two years he VIII
be required to do service with ahts
regiment and swirl spend sixteen days,
also In vigorous 1ieldswork. with the
other men OF his kind IN his COM.
munity who go TO make up that parti-
cular part of the army of the nation
After that heTrepUrts for sixteen days
of service each two years until he
reaches the agesof thirty two whenshes
becomes member of the Slandwehr
and Is called upon to fdrt II but eleven
days in each four years until he Is
forty. All this with variations for
the different services. Then he en-
tiers the andstrum where he remains
subject to call il needed until he IS
fifty "a,
= Although the citizen of Switzerland
gives about six months OF his life 70
his country. This six months is spent
out of doors in the most manly and
health-giying sort OF work. Every
youngster is taken away from his:
mothers apron strings just as ne
comes to maturity; is set upon his
feet, taught hygiene, the virtues OF
physical exercise, the possibilities or
his own physical prowess, is straight
ened up, hardened. The approach OF
other terms Of service make ftneces-
sary thatthe should keep in condition,
affect the whole of his life. Aside
from the benefit that state derives
from thus securing for itself the
equivalent Of a; strong standing army,
It profits through the added health
and ef1ciency of It's manhood.
Z Z To akFNve
All OF this training takes place
under the eye of highly skilled mill
tary instructors Switzerland has al
most nc. regular army but corps Of
these officers acting as instructors
and the non-comnissloned officers
who act as drill sergeants and in such
minor capacities. It has such corps
as the experts claim the United
States should develop for the train
ing of volunteer army even though
nothing Is done toward general mill
tary service.
4 During all these services OF the citi-
zen of Switzerland he receives his
subsistence and ten cents a day to
cover any incidental expense.
The man who is exempt for any
reason from military service, not
only suffers the humiliation of the
brand of unfit esS. but is subject toI
three separate taxes in addition to
those otherwise borne. He must pay
q poll tax of six francs, a material
property. tax and tax of one and
one-halff per cent on his income.
There are exemptions under certain
minfmums for the benefit of the at-
hicted' and very poor 81
AS a result OF this syStem Switzer-
land. with a population of $500 900
Ad
and properly equipped soldiers in
twenty-four hours. Back Of these
would be another body of similar
size, partially armed and trained, but
not of the, first line. In any com
munity call may be published today
and tomorrow morning the elite. in
uniform and bearing arms, will re-
port for service at prearranged
point, and by noon a battalion may
be entrained and hurried to the front.
All Switzerland may thus fly instant
ly to arms.
If the Swiss system we're in opera
ton in the United States it would
produce, Judging from the results
try, 5.59000O lighting men between
the ages Of twenty and forty, rea-
sonably trained and ready for service
tomorrow Basing an estimate of the
cost of developing this fighting force
upon the cost IN Switzerland. the
United States would need spend about
$3.50, O00, 900 q year upon it
Formidable Organization.
Military authorities say that an
army of this sort, made up of the men
who are the backbone Of the nation
men of intelligence Sand initiative,
would make the most formidable
fighting organization in the world.
They assert that the Swiss army of
100000 men which might be called
out tomorrow would be better force
than would be the same number qf
regular soldiers who had been in the.
ranks for years. They would have
more snap, enterprise. ingenuity, pat
riotism, -to-conque In them than.
any regular Organization and ) they
would know the essentials.
1t is also held that an American
army made along these lines would
be particularly effective for the Amer
tcan learns quickly, is normally a
man of enterprise and ingenuity. IS
more accustomed to outdoor life than,
the citizens of most nations
Compulsory service would also end
one of the most trying conditions that
arises from volunteer system such
a. til that existing in the United States,
Enlistment III the volunteer army on
the small bay offered Is regarded by
many as carrying with It q reproach
that follows the man who wears the
uniform. We're service compulsory
those OF highest social rank would
be FOUND drilling beside the most low
~ ana the youngster might fight for
his country without coming beneath
the social ban.
But, should the American people
decide that 1T Is patriotic enough for
its men to give few months out of
their lives for the safety OF, their