The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-05-06
Swiss Army System Thoroughly Democratic;
All Citizens Owe Service to Country;
Pull Counts Nothing in
Gaining Promotion
RICH MANS SON ON
LEVEL WITH POOREST
Rigid Examinations are Required for Ad.
vancement in Rank; Method Shows
Up Strongly in Comparison
With American Way


= NOTE-This is the fifth OF I.
+ series of articles by Shep- =.
! herd dealing with the Swiss =
J. system of military training for =
! citizens, in its relation to the =
+ possibilities of similar sys- =
+ TEN in the United States.-- =
+ Editor. q
(By William G. Shepherd, United
Press Staff Correspondent
Berne, May 5.-"All Swiss owe
their country military service"
These are the first words in tho
Swiss military rule book.
We haven't any book printed in the
United States, available to the mass.
es, that says any such thing.
These words democratize the Swiss
army.
If the United States were to b6
forced into war, our regiments would
be commanded, in the main, by the
young men of our rich families. This
happened in the Spanish-American
war.
Political pull, based on wealth and
influence, placed in the hands OF al
most any rich young man who cared
to assume the responsibility, the lives
of some hundreds of good average
American citizens.
This couldn't happen in the Swiss
army
When Swiss soldier goes out to
fight, he knows he is under a trained
officer, selected by experts and tried.
Just being rich doesn't get you any
where in the Swiss army. Being rich
doesn't keep you out of the army.
either. 1t isn't any training of the
Plattsburg camp variety that takes
you to the top in the Swiss army. It's
brains and ability. The Swiss rule
is that everybody must start in the
ranks
As a man shows special adaptable
ity he is FORCED to take special ex-
aminations for promotion. He can
not refuse a promotion.
The examinations are rigid; the
kind social pull can't overcome. The
result is that, whether youth comes
from the poorest or the richest, he
must be whatever his ability makes
him.
The rich mans son may remain a
private all his life while the son OF
the poorest man in the neighborhood
may be his military superior.
Only democratic army like this,
military men in Europe say, is safe
and strong. There is rottenness and
fatal weakness in an army where So
cial position and wealth avail.
In Chiasso. Switzerland, saw the
clerk in Luigi Cortis grocery store
step out on the sidewalk in his SER
geant's uniform. just as the son of the
village banker went by in his auto
mobile. The bankers son saluted
Luigi's clerk, because the clerks uni
form indicated that Luigi's clerk was
better man. as soldier, than tho
bankers son.
And any country that does want to
keep alive and whole must have plen-
ty of citizens who can become full
fledged soldiers at a moments no
tice.
Looking over the armies Of Europe,
which have seen, am led to believe
that the American military system is
the worst of them all.
It's dangerous system, with lead.
ership based on many other things
than ability.
1t is permeated with politics. From
this distance and this place, it looks
like papier mache revolver that viii
make the other fellow shoot, but that
can't be shot itself.
It isn't the fault Of our standing
army or of our army men. It's the
fault of the American citizen, who
doesn't realize that he isn't the
straightest shooting. finest museIed.
best soldier-material in the world