Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-08-24
MILITARY SYSTEM
David among Goliaths of Europe
Always Protected.
:, W
Every Male Over 10 In Kingdom Pre-
pares for Military scrvicc-Army
Organized ms Democratic
G. school.

Gwit zerland's system of citizen-soldiery
preparedness has been a subject of wide
Exploitation since the outbreak of the Eu-
ropean war. hut little has been written
about the manner in which diminutiVe
Holland safeguards her national integrity,
surrounded as she is on practically all
sides by powerful neighbors. \ graphic
and authoritative account of the citizen
army of this David among the Gollaths OF
Europe is given in n communication to
the National Geographic society from
Hendrick Willem Van Loon, a part of
which Is issued as a war geography bull
letin from the society's Washington, d.
{. headquarters;
1.-The Holland with which we are all
familiar is n picturesque combination OF
bikes and windmills, smiling girls with
pretty lace caps, and very small boys with
very big cigars. There is another side
TO this picture to which we have paid less
attention: that Is the Holland of the mod
ern merchant and the modern scientist
n small bit Of land teeminG with industry
and busy with a thousand different ar
fairs-a country administering n vast col
onial empire without the use of a large
military establishment and capturing
Nobel prizes at a most enviable rate.
THE modern kingdom, with it's harbors
and its vast foreign trade. forms a small
hut concise national unit in the midst of
very powerful neighbors, who for two
years nave been engaged in the most gil
yantic of all wars. Yet Holland has
managed to keep out of the struggle with
lasting success. II was able to do this
because in a military sense it was fully
orenared for all eyentualitieS
1.-THE kingdom of Belgium was not pre-
pared for war and it was invaded and
overrun by a hostile army. The Meth
erlands, although smaller in number of
inhabitants, had the entire arm-bearing
force of its male population at the IRON
tier As hours before any of the other ma
tons of Europe modified. AS n result
the neutrality of the country has been
vigorously respected.
From the year 1915 on, every boy of 10
in the kingdom has been obliged to pre-
pare for military service. 1t is not de-
eirable to give the exact number of sol
diers in the army which has been mobilz-
ed since July of the year 1914. But in a
general way We can state that every male
being in the country who is of good physi-
cal condition and who can walk with n
gun across his shoulders has in some di-
rect or indirect fashion given part Of his
time and his services for the benefit of his
country. The old law. which made an ex-
ception for only sons, was rescinded sever
al years ago. The Napoleonic system,
which allowed the young men to buy them
selves out Of the army, has been abolish
ed. The army is now a domestic school
In which classes are thrown together for
one common purpose.
Every young man who has reached the
age of l9 years appears at his special gar
rison. For a full year he is instructed in
the rudimentary principles of a soldiers
trade. It he cares to enter the specia
service of artillery, aircraft, or submarine
work, he will have to spend one or two
years more. In that case. however, he
learns a useful trade which will help his
chances in his future work. When he
has been taught his business he goes
back into private life. Except for a short
annual maneuver. he has nothing fur.
Their to do with the military system until