A CITIZEN ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 11

A CITIZEN ARMY.

SYSTEM, OF; DEFENCE; .•/ (By Rev. ■ Fhsdemck StobbsJ,.. . .';■. ;Conova, ; July 20, 1909.., ■■. I'. was sitting ono afternoon in a cafo in Lucerne/ ;N6ar,<mc, at a. With, table,'with his Jiack towards 'me,;,was a young '. privato of; the. Swiss army. Presently the.'waiter ,a'rrived, : 'and, not knowing tho . Gorman language, I had somb difficulty ,in .making him :understand my. requirements'. Whereupon tho.young soldier'turned round, and to my surprise 'said, with cultivated English .accent,.-' Perhaps 1, can assist you, sir." This led to. a.conversation in which ho told mo;that ho. had bbon rborn 'in England and until, three,.'years ago, had resided there, attondiing.one of;tho public schools. His father, however, .who was.; a Swiss . (tih'o mother'.being 'English), had .-at length I'e-, i turned .to ' ljis oira country, and;naturally I wished his son .to 1 follow him. Ho (tho son) was,now undergoing his,term of' service.in tho-'army.,: On ; ;my oxpressing interest in thb Swiss ..miiifary system, ho took. mp,,to the barracks, and!wo-spent' tie rest of 'tho afternboii tjogether. ■ What Itheri learned froin him'j and subsequently from other sources,/ appears bplow. ;.■ - : ;',-';., ' ': ■'• ■■•.•! ThdrO;-iB no-military system in the world moreworth'y, of tho study of the Australasian colonics than that of, Switzerland. Switzerland's'a, small country, smaller, tian any of tho Australian;-States.with ,a 'population of; less-tlian';Sj.;millions,' yet it : could piit 'iilto. tho . field'" a and 'capable' fighting forco "of 258,856 men, with. an. u!-,tim,-i.te,war-streiigth.of over 400,000. And'its ability, to'do: tliis is gained at a; smaller cost of tJio nation's'timo and monoyj and involves, Jess inconvcnieiico. and yoxation, than ilitho'caso of. aliy other State. Nay, moro than; this.,' : In '■ Franco and ..Germany thero is'universal-compulsory' service, but this is, jsubmitted to "only, as a; diro. necessity! : In' S.witKbrland thoocmtraiiyiis tho caso. Owing to .their;, po'&sassion, of.iithc referendum,;! ho people -have tlio power,' if thoy wish to do ; away..with obligatory.l'serrico, ''but., instead, of. this they submit, to it cheerfully and take' tho greatest prido. and: interest'- in . .their-, duties.., How is it that such .results' >'bccjV:;.'achiaved?.-:,'-:-Sur'ely- a''system of, defon'co that'js: at once\so;cffcctivo and -so acbbptatlo ;to .-these'; who have .to 'hoar its.! burdens; must, be ;^yoH' worth.-'consideration/

v':v? : ;,-.■■ ;;..;:' .'■;■ \[ ,r , 'Tlio Swiss begin, as' is proper, ' with '.hi boy.■■ By,'the!-time that,.he ;is fivo years old ho is ''carrying -!)a'. knapsack on filled.with books bnly'ifc is true, but still;ho is.trfining''fbr.'tlio, haversack.'. Wlion ho is nine, .drill'■'.'■ •with'-.: 'miniaturo -rifles ..' aiid gymnastic oxorciscs will bo .prescribed, ',nd thetso; will develop' his body; and proparo it, for; tho severer '(Trill to come, Ho will also, almost cortauilypeoomo a-mcnibbr.of a-oadct corps' or. boys 1 -.brigade, though this is not' compulsory. ■'• { From seventeen ■" to _; twenty,' preparatory : military .training is >siyen, including physical .training and '. simple f drill: andjmusketry, ,wth ;two ianhual courses of, 60 i hours.: : eaM.-^ ; .. : :;-:" ■: .'; ,■'■:■'•■ .iV :Thb.yMan.':/- : ',:V.':'..-.'-.■/■• v;■;.'-' - '. \ .-,'"•'','".> • ■'' When he reaches .his twentieth year. every: citizen : (with a' few ' specified exemptions), .•wtafevbr'.'.'his'-!rank',.-must;.",unless physically ( or -mentally unfit; render, military Bervico.EvcTy,', year about 30,000 ! young "men , ,thus present thomselves for.'cducational and aicdibal cxarnihationj .being examined in .compo-: .cition,'history, geography,.mathematics, and one .'political, question.v, Examination marks; 'are..;givbri ; ta. each man,' and tho marks aub-' ■sequently, classified !and published, so that, 'a 'spirit of; emulatipi is aroused, A: young man'likes'j tb'-pass. well and to,'do honour to' his district'. Of tho, abpvo,"number, howovcr,'' only i fifty or sixty-, per. cent, raro usiiallv : ac-. oepted,'2s per cent, -of"l.thoso, rejected being ordered to present themselves: again, and tho. remainder .being;, finally" rejected.'.But:, re"jcctiori'is'by no means'wblconied; it is considered "a 1 misfortune; ""Tho ; most-desirahk. girls-will notjook' at a fellovr.who is unablo .to : bcar''arms: :; ;Ho also ha 3 to pay .an ex-, emptioii tax ranging from ss. to a3 much as. £120 a yedr, accordingitbhismcana.: • ; _~; lO'Hating,passed, tho .preliminary .examination, thoirecruit procceds.-at bnco to a.mili-tary-school; Hero ho is drilled for from two; 'to.'.thrco months, at.tho end of. which period, he 'ia, considered' a roldier; and begins his, military .service'.: To "suit'-his cejiivemehco, he; inay.apply to : bo; sent to a,particular .school, so 'that ordinary;;life-'is: interfered with , -as little.as possiblo.'' In' Germany a;young :may b»"taken away from his. homo and work for three-yca,f3;.in.Sifitzerland it-'ia'.piily for' three months or 'first..year,' i»nd;two' '-:throe -weeks' each • succeeding yeari. During: the' first .twolva years'of service the citizen 'soldier.' belongs, to' the; Elite,: .'Of First ! Army,'and is called:out'for : .a.chort period of; drill..and instruction every .year. ; When, he; reaches tho ago'b£,32 ho ps-ssra .into the First: Reaeryo,'attending an.annual exhibition of ■his'fweappna, and.a few'.days of drillcvery : fourth year .until when he passes into "tho.'.Sccond.,Reserve,:"in- which ,110; rcmaitis; for.; another; eight-'.years, /after which, his .period of .service ceaseo.' There, is 'littlo' barrack life.' and !whcn: ho.is not on' 'service, clothing and kit aro kept';' 1 in .the soldier's own house ■' so that he irf always 'equipped' for. .an- emergency.;: . Oil .tho .call tp ;:arn;s ho emerges.' -arrayed; for war,;-and has: only ;_ to proceed .',tb'.';tho. rnustering. placo and., receivo luis'.ammunitibii.'and'ratiohs.'-. ;, ; ' ■■•.■'.:•• ,;AppD!ntrncnt ( by;pfnce'rc.; :: jf;-; ; : y\ Every 'officer'' rises -f romp the' ;Tanks : . by merit,' traiiiing, and Examination alone, ■': remaining ■' pririiarily. a : citizen,- w'.io earii3 his living-in, trade or: and devotes his leisure'.'to •■military;.' studies.. He has to givo lbriger'. servico"tliati ,thp.';,private, and-special •schools for.officersi arb'prpvided in'eacJi districj;.,rTho position i& 'greatly, coveted, .and men work 'hard, to obtain; it. -'The non-coih- . missioned. are' selected at; tha' ciul p{ their recruit.course, and-are at once trained for a .further thirty, days/';ln every rank, 'oxtra-special'traiiiing is.necessary. To carry put tho'-training, of tho .recruits and youngerbffieers',theie::cxists_;a corps, ;of._ permanent oificer-instructorfl, with non-commis.sioned ,ab: sistantn. i Tlicso .officers"number only ; some. 200.. , Tho staff officers,' aro selected . .from amongst-the ordinary officers, and then sent .for .'special courses of ■instruction."; They are liable to he called tip : for employment whenover tho State requires ''any 'Staff work '.to bo. done.. 'Englisiirnilitary "critics.say :that tho stall .work..is excellent.' ",,;:.v. ~,';;': Cavalry..-•■;';- ; ';;;■ .'■;. ■' ''-:. ;.-.- -..':-'-; '.-. '■•:■•■ '■ }■■'■> '* The cavalry are maintained on an admirablo' yeomanry- system. Fivery army corps has: a cavalry brigado of nine; squadrons, with corps and divisional; squadrons as well. The regiments, drawn mainly from tho farming class, : r nro. well,;" mounted, "and fully equipped, even-- such ; details, as : . trotting souprkitchens and pack-maxima having care-' . ful ■'■'attention'! 'Men train for .90, days',; on joining and aftenvards.for'lO days a year, for 12 .'years.: The system of horsing, I am told, is narticularly' good. Tho Governmont buys young liorses in EnglandjlrclahdiVand Hungary, and ;acclimatiso3 .and trains them for 12 months at Federal depots. Every youth who. wishes to servo in tho - cavalry .must show that ho\ is' ablo . to support' a ,; liorso: Fdrago is issued only: during training. After ho has-ridden ono of these, young horses during his training, he has to'.purchase.'it at half-cost prico, • but as somo horses aro more popular; .than.'. others theso aro auctioned, amongst tho; men,'and "bring rather more', than half-prico. Thb .horso is then taken, possession of by tho young soldier: ho uses nnd.fecds it, but;for■':thb next ton years, the Government repay him onc-toiith ofthe official half-prica for each year'that . it : is fit' for service, tho horso,, at tho end of that period, /becoming tho absolute property of the trooper, Ho thus gots. a -useful animal,'-which'.- may bo used for all kinds of light work,, for little moro than its kcop, and , the Government obtains a mount at a cost ,of £4,105, por annum. ; : -",' ■ ..;*' '.. Pay.: : //'.:f'\; ' ; : ,'•".:.;* 'V;.:.'- 1 ;- ' Thb pay of tlio, citizen eoldior Is small, privates receiving only a day, whilst'at the military school, and 7jd,'a day afterwards, whilst-on sorvico. . It is regarded simply as' pocket-money with whiolr to purchase littlo luxuries, but oven out of this small 'sum most of tho ■ mofl savo money,

The pay of a lieutenant during service is from 4s. to 03. 6d. n day, and that of other oiheers in proportion. During service, soldiers have tlio benefit of free postago in sending' and receiving letters. They aro also furnished with various necessaries at a cheap, vate.' The young Englishman told mo that ho had never in his lifo been ablo to .obtain such comfortablo boots as those supplied to the army. The only, point in which a,young fellow may possibly suffer is in finding, on his return, his situation filled by another,, but, in tho vast majority of cases,-public-opinion is so strong that an omployer does not venture to dismi.is a man on account of his being "called out for service, and, in many cases, omployers pay their men full wages for a pprtion of. the time. In the case of poor married men who aro unablo to provide lor their families during - tho short period of service, or, -in tho case, say, of tho only son of a poor widow, tho law provides. that tho' district shall give assistance whilst tho bread-winner is away. RHto Glues. In; addition to tho compulsory sorvico described above, there are 3856 nflo clubs in Switzerland,.with 227,741 members. Those aro Voluntary. associations, and show- how general is tho interest, that tho citizen takes in the.defence of his country. They ara intended to assist in developing accurate shooting, and. are encouraged by the Government in evory possible way—by inspection, ; loan of arms, monetary grants, and by the insurance of; instructors and- pupils against accidents.. .Eiile shooting in Switzerland takes tho place accorded to field sports amongst British communities, and- it is- significant that ''the.';prizes, awarded in competitions generally. consist of ammunition..' Whilst the young Britisher plays, or more, probably watches, football, the Swiss youth trains himself to bear and use arms; and finds interest and excitement in front of the target. -Always under, obligation to gp.thrbugh an annual musketry course, he generally does this as- a member of a riflo club, and,,in his.enthusiastic desiro to become a good marksman, fires away all tho ammunition ho can lay his hands on; the Government -encouraging; him •'■by; providing cartridges.at cost price, one halfpenny each. The'., shooting.is dono mainly' on Sundays, usually'in the afternoon, and, at this time, in tho outskirts of almost any .'town or village in Switzerland, ono can near the pingping, of the riflo continually. • Evory threo years there.is a gigantic competition, organ?' iScd by the Swiss Shooting. Association, in which ovfer 20,000 riflemen take part. In this respect' tho Swiss oustom differs greatly : froni ■_■ the.; British^: '. In.. Great. Britain and tho' colonies tho main interest centres in the selection and training of a tbam:: and the' match, is one..in,'which only 3 few. picked men do the, shooting,; whilst the rest ■'. are moro spectators.'- .In, Switzerland matches -i aro so.iarraiiged-aa to induco tho greatest amount of shooting.by the-greatest .number, of; individuals'." ■■ Thousands of good marks-men,-rather than ; .a few crack sh'ota, is the object aimed at. On a single day'more than 60,000 cartridges ;will ho fired. , No.', fancy, sporting rifles, .with innumerable; fancy.; do-, | ncesj ,ara. nliowed. Tlio best individual .scores'bto.rewarded by a laurel wreath! Potbunting is practically non-existent, and, no drinking-is. allowed. -Besides the riflo, asso-. eiatious,.. there;, aro 140. voluntary '/'.hospital.' sections,.' with/fIoTIO .members, and the lted Oros's'/, Association .. with 15,000 memhors. Those"..who' from conscientious; reasons; object to carrying a gun may servo in thp am-' bulanco.-:. , .■■;, .. ;■ ■' 'Results, ;■: C'-.'J':[ ■■■•■[ ~'■-/. ' ■■! What are tlio results obtained by the System outlined "above? ... '"' '.•-.;.;':' ' -.'_ I.lt gives .'to': this littlo country, a dpfensivo.forcoof nearly .half a million men. 258,-1 .856 of .whom' are regarded-as :efßcicM,,:aTid can bo" mobilised in two or tlrreo cVys, »ndj this'at"a cost riot' greatly exceeding a million ponndsayear. It cntwls, too. butiitHo interferenco with tho, industrial.and, fcomolifo of, tho people. '. ;,-. -:'-... '■ 2; It/cohdnces.'to tho physical welfare of thp. nation; TTio/physical training yearly. 1 exercises,in the open air develop tho muscular B^tem'and'teVd''to f -h'calth;' ;I Th'ey ;; mako: the.men'hardy; inilro them to fatigue. At the same, time tho periods of drill break the monotony, of daily .life; afford' ehango of •scene; and occupation; and yield a good deal of:social;.enjoyment;.'. . :i'---.- ~.;': ! ;S. There are important, social and moral ■ benefits. ■; All,classes of tho community arc brought' together'; in friendly.- comradeship and co-operation; 'social distinctions.- are softened; 'the disciplind enforced'conduces to self-control,, obedience, and respect for/, authority.'. ' You never, see any; rowdyism , in S.ivitzerland;:, lalrikinism.is unlsnONyn," thb' law respected and obeyed. Hardly any police aro Required., At, Lucerne, with pbpulatibn of-40,000 and 200,000.visitors, there are .25 policemen.. -Very, seldom does, ono see any drunkenness;.thp absencb of• ;intoxicating liquors at; the: camp and during '.the' severe training.tp'achds-'tho'men that;theyiaro:;bettor witnoiit alcohol v'.'hon hard:'work is to", be (iono. A. strong sense of duty and of'patriotism is: inculcated; military. service is ' given nbt. grudgingly but-cfheeTfully',; a3 a service, ono/owes t6;ono's^country.-.;A,t the 3ame there ; is no, jingoism—the. music-hall patriotism .which effervesces: ih/-songs' and drunkenness'- and -shouts With /.delight ,when; other men ,go .to 'win -In 'Switzerland every, man knows that war. would, mean,: service and sacrifice, possibly wounds and ; death,-:,fpr him.>'lf; he. therefore views war spbefly. Every .voter ;isalso : a soldier: '.The.Swiss'.will never wage'unhccessary.'waf/ ! ;!; //;'/'//, '.'■: .4. Thero'aro .also educatidhal advantages; The young' man has to prepare for ari.educational test; -during service,', too,; ho "picks up a good deal of useful knowledge and dexterity." .. ' " .The weak' part' of. the system, in my judgment; ,is : that;tho.periods/of drill aro .too soycre.. The : knapsacks, when loaded '■■ are frightfully _heavy, .weighing-with' tho . rifle nearly 701bl'. Tlie marches, too, are long and difficult, fit. only: for the strongest men'. To inure> to hardship and fatiguo is;all' very well,; but it may, and is, overdone.' The men submit with-;little''grumbling, .but■ 1 know from their own lips that they .-regard-it' as excessive. It would, be better to, slightly extend tho,period "of. training, and' moderate its' severity/. Jt takes, too, ranch out of the men. In other/respects tho system is excelleht. . .'■■'•,.; :: : - ■'... '.■■,■.;.;• ,'' ' '■•• ■■.- '•■'■: Would "the Swiss- system of national defencb. meet the needs of.- tho Australasian States? Ibelievo it would, better than any other- system yet; devised. It is designed purely for:defence; is effective; costs little; fiascos I have shown,; many important collateral' in regard to ■'■ health, morals, and •behaviour';, and exerts a.minimum of interference, with the lifo arid industry of tho'people. Personally, from ,conviction and training, I: hate strife, but I am persuaded that one of tho .best ways ofavoiding war.is_ to be prepared for war; and with this, conviction .1 earnestly ./, commend what I have written to the Beiious consideration of the' Australasian peoples.