The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-02-17

t cises every four years.
: Special courses and training nat
: urally are required In the case Q
3 soldiers who are DESTROYS of advanc
( ing to higher grades. Officers of tn
! general staff receive their instruc
{ ton In Berne and regimental officer
, have their courses in the military col
! lege in Thun, while training schoo
in Basic undertakes the tuition of tn
sanitary troops.
Regular rifle practice each year 4
required Of every soldier and if maj
does not attain the required mark HI
is ordered to do special practice worl
under the supervision of instructors
These rigid rules and the natura
enthusiasm of the Swiss for rifle
shooting are responsible for the un-
rivalled position they hold in the
world as crack shots. There is hard
ly a village which has not its rifle
club and local, cantonal and federal
shooting matches are held at regular
intervals.
Famous Rifle Shooters.
It is interesting to note that in the
year 1900, on the occasion Of the Fed
eral shooting match in Lucerne, there
were four champions, in 1904, at st.
Gall, there were 10, in 1907 at Burich
there were q, and in 1910 at Berne
har
few of the nations best shots, for
many men who could produce equal
ly high results do not possess the ne
cessary means to take part in a fed
eral match.
The extent of interest in these fed
eral matches can be imagined from
the fact that at Berne in 1910, gallery
stands numbering 800 were in use. At
every stand were from 80 to 40 men
waiting their turnss Some of them
waited 10 or IL hours. In the same
year the Rheinische Shutzenfest took
place in Karlsruhe, Germany, for
district five times the size of Switz-
erland, and there only so gallery
stands were erected and rarely more
than men waited at a time for their
turns to shoot
Results of Practice.
In that same year, 1910. there We're
a total of 44,OOO,OOO shorts fired in
rifle practice in Switzerland with its
population of 100000. In Germany
with a population of 100000, there
were only SOOOOoOO practice shots
fired and in France, with a population
Of 4OOOO,OOO only 2O,OOO,OOO shots.
These facts explain why the Swiss
marksmen show well-nigh infallible
accuracy and why Switzerland was
able to retain for the 18th time out
Of Is the world championship, on the
occasion of the rifle shooting contest
in Viborg, Holland. in 1914 1t may
be remembered that, in 1918, the
Swiss were victors at Camp Perry,
ohio. The one worlds contest they
nave lost was held in Turin, Italy, in
1898.
One Of the noteworthy features of
he Swiss army, the special article
goes on, is its mountain force chief
y consisting of seasoned and expert |
need mountaineers. The annual |
performed by these men
eceive world wide attention, as they |
all for feats of endurance which are |
ar beyond average human strength,
FOR instance, a battalion of 500 AL
inists had to deliver an attack on an
maginery enemy in occupation of the
Iggishorn, mountain 1926 feet high.
Special attention is called by the
.merican Defense society to the in
following. 1t gives a brief
ut clear account of how the Swiss
ave solved the problem of clothing.
rming and keeping track of their in
lsible army, which. nowhere to be
zen one day, is everpresent, watch
II and grimly ready the next.
How Men Are Equipped.
The Swiss confederation enrolls :
lie engineers, guides, sanitary and 9
troops and the army h
aims. The cantons recruit the in
ntry, the field artillery and caval- 6
. The cantons furnish the uniforms
Id equipments, for which they are
imbursed by the federal govern
emit The latter supplies the arms So
'ery man is allowed to keep his rifle y
d uniform at home and when the
utilization order is given, the en- .
e army can be ready for action
thin the shortest notice.
rhe yearly inspection of armament
d equipment e. which every soldier e az
Lhout exception has to appear, is an of
ective preventative against any 23
ssible neglect in that line. How er
n, there is no fear that a Swiss OF
der wouldsin any way neglect that -
ich has been entrusted to him by
country; his rifle is his hobby and AL
uniform receives the constant %
g one would give to a precious pet M
'nly the instructors, the general Nj
II and few other officials receive M
regular salary. The officers are M
d only for the short period they M,
called upon for training and the MI
lmon soldier, when on duty, has M