The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-12-16
swiTEERLAND's EXAMPLE.


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-
markab'e 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 othar.
The Swiss system is particularly in
teresting to Americans because of the
kindred theories of government in
Switzerland and the United States,
the siminar 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
themselves a nation under arms, yet
nation without the slightest thought
of adding a foot to its territory or Of
disturbing that peace whose blessings
it loves and appreciates.
There is nothing in Switzerland
corresponding to a regular army. One
might hunt for months around the
country without finding one man
whose profes3io is military; yet al.
most as hard would it be to deliver
one able bodied citizen who has not
had some soldier training.
while Switzerland has population
smaller than that of Massachusetts
with area twice as large, it can mob
llize 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 longer
10 get them to central points of mobil-
ization. Behind a field army of 1000
the Swiss have a reserve of equal
proportions. The United States could
under the Swiss system have a trained
army of citizens reaching a grant to-
tai of 100000 men of all arms. I'm
der that standard we would have 100
trained men from every town of 1000
population; while a county of 10000
inhabitants could thus send 2400 men
to the front and hold as many more
in reserve.
There is no soldiery in the military
world costing as little per man as the
Swiss.
This difference arises from the
fact that the army of the Swiss Con-
federation is in truth a citizen army.
1t is organized on what has been call
ed the voluntary compulsory system,
to which the Swiss people have free
ly resigned themselves in order to
guarantee the independence of their
country.
THE Swiss boy, at the age of ten,
is put into the gymnastic class at
school, anl begins learning the ele-
ments of the soldier drill on the school
house playground. Long before he is
old enough to be called upon for ser
vice he has learned TO do the manual
exercises and to go through much OF
the drill that afterward fits him for
a soldier. -... ....
When a boy reaches II years he
is liable to SERVICES 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 than soldering, such as acting
az baker or veterinary surgeon.
yet with all OF this universal train
ing, the only people In Switzerland
who make arms an exclusive profes-
sion are the ommander-in- Chief, Sc
fectei by the Federal Assembly, and
the General Stan. These form the
brains of the army. The rank and file
belong to the cantons, just as the mil
itia do to the State in this country.
AT the age of 20 every able bodied
Swiss youth becomes a unit in the
first line. During the first year OF liza
bllity he must serve 70 days or more,
and IL days for each successive year
he Is called to the standard. Ser
vice In the first line continues ratil
the citizen has reached the age OF 80.
Thereafter he becomes q unit In the
Landwehr First Reserve, in which he
remains until he Is A. He must give
pine DAYS OF serv'ce during each four
years that he belongs 10 the Lani-
weir. From A to 50 he serves In the