Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-04-27
Former Secretary Favors swiss.

Former Secretary Favors Swiss.
Former Secretary of War H. l..
Stimson, a high-minded and pa
|triotic citizen, is another staunch
advocate of The Swiss system.
Switzerland, recently said Mr..
Stimson, furnishes a striking
example of what can be done un-
der an efficient combination Of
short training and the reserve
system. The soldier has sixty
five to ninty days OF intensive
trainin gand then returns to his
home us a member of the reserve.
From time to time about once
in every two years.. he has to
serve for Il few days to renew his
training. This is an extreme ap-
lplication OF the system and has
given Switzerland force sutfi-
cient!y large and We'll trained To
save the little nation from the
Ifatc which bcfcll Belgium. Her
population is about that of Mas
sachuscttS. vet she can mobilize
100000 trained soldiers, fully
equipped, in twenty four hours,
and can support this first line in
Il few days With 100000 more
TRAINED men. The annual cost of
iihis TO Switzerland is a little more
than s6.000.00O. Compare this
with what we spend and what we
! havc io show for the expenditure.
There are many reasons why
we cannot duplicate tho record of
switzerland. but who is here to
deny III face of The amazing facts
and figures. liai we are much
l,iriher from her example than We
!nt'd he? \ total rXprn .'tu4r
81 t5.no0.00 i'm ten yr'.:, li;,s
1850; switzerland tram AMY
y .tr:t..N 100000 mon. il'n toia!
'Ccsi 10 the government of each
Swiss soldier during that period
haas been S $50. The cost of each
american soldier during The same
prriol has boon 100000
II costs The United STATES ST..
600 a Year Inr each regular SOL
dior because. Ia eel enough vOlun-
nnrs even To recruit our little
armv the pay must he made high
and The service light! Service is
pitched ON induccmcnt instead OF
duty, while i'm Sutherland duty is
put above everything duty and
obligation.
Swiss System and Small Army.
l'ilc fac! cannot be too offer
reiterated that with the Swiss
system the United States would
need bu! II very small standing
army. The swiss constitution
prohibits amy standing army
IwhaeSorNcr. The mrrr lanOwl-
ledge throughout llc world that
the United states had several
million Young men trained TO
march and mancuvcr. to care for
q rifle and shoot. would cause
aggressive nations Il pause before
aSSalllnS Il country so prWeflnl
in potential resistance.
With The nitro ablc-hodicd
EyouEg manhood of the nation thus
trained and responsive the dan
ger would he cut to a minimum If
the United States engaged in
needless war. The nation would
be sohcred by the constant
thought that i'm ease of armed
conflict no ahle-hodicd youth
would he immune from possible
sl.Nice. Tho sons of the rich and
powerful. of members of congress
and governors. of the politicians
and the rople--all would be liable
TO miliiary srvice and to call To
The front. The lingo would think
often before he clamored for a
war that might put his son or
nephew on the firing line.
The Swiss system is dcmo-
cratic: il is just: it fosters peace;
il makes patriotic manhood; it
trains the country's youth in ways
to build health and physique: it
teaches alertness and self-confi-
dence. \ nation kept under its
wholesome influences cannot per-
ish from the earth.