Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-07
Preparedness Essential.

But to insure our splendid future
our constant thought and effort mus
De preparedness, preparedness, pre-
paredneSs.
We need to be aroused to the fac
Of our national interiority in means o
/ defense. to say nothing OF ofense.
! We should begin now with a system
; based on those of Switzerland. Aus
tra!ia, and New Zealand, with i'm
provements and notifications suggest
ed by their experience and our par
, ticular case.
The Swiss System which results il
a large citizen soldiery ready for in
i slant duty at 4 most moderate ex
pense is often mentioned.
The following information in regart
i to it may be of interest. The fact
arc on the authority of an ex-Swis
officer.
! BY way of introduction l may sa.
that on the third of August last Swift
! zerland, the oldest of the Republics
snow ed tho wo.lJ that within As hour
sn.. could mobiles her army Of 100000
9.c1 End have it distributed on tn
-, stogically important points aion!
e trench German Austrian Italia,
der
he population Of Switzerland il
100000. The same relative percent
GO would give US an army Of 1890.
40 men.
only a small fraction of the TIM
,o.~---- in the training of the bes
s,trr-'',~ armies of Europe is used il
,it col nr
tu he same or greater degree OF Ell
f, orcy, and by all who have sough
i. the answer has been found in tn
stfools Of Switzerland.
AT the age of eight every Swiss
sc..ooi boy begins his course of physi
cal training. 1t gradually takes VI
more of his time until he completes
lis sixteenth year.
THE whole course Of physical in
struction. even during the years of i'm
maturity, is under the supervision o
is but one primer for the physica
training in the schools and that is is
sued and edited by the War Depart
rnent The teacher is the primar!
military instructor Of every Swiss boy
Hand in hand with the physica
training of the Swiss boy at schoo
goes that of the cadet corps. where tn
lad undergoes all of the exercises O
the school for the soldier to that Of thu
school of battalion. and where he re
ceives a thorough and systematic
course in rifle practice and firing
theory Rifle practice for the young
lace Ia
fashion. including range and field ex
ercises.
Preparatory courses for boys be
tween the ages Of 16 and 20 form
another division of the pre-recruitinl
work. These preparatory courses con
sist of exercises each Sunday morn
ing all through Switzerland under tn
leadership Of officers"
AN infantry soldier enters service
at his Goth year, serves for 81 days il
a school for recruits. and after tina
serves for Is days each year until h
is %. He belongs to the first line TO
four years longer-until he is 30. bu
Is not bound to do any yearly service
during that period.
From 80 to AZ he belongs to TIL
second line or Landwehr. In this ca
pacity he serves for one week ever!
second year. For six years, until h
is 4S, he serves in the Landsturm ant
is called to the colors twice for I
period of one week. In addition ever,
Landwehr und Landsturm soldier hal
to present himself for annual inspec
ton when he must account for tn,
care Of his uniform and arms.
I'm civil life every Swiss soldier
which means every able Swiss either
Of military age. Is a member of 4
rifle club, under the supervision o.
which he undergoes a yearly rife
shooting test, consisting Of So shots
with a minimum Of Is per cent. bit.
and so per cent. points for each exer.
else.
Government shooting tournament.
ara held every three years and thu