ARMY OF THE ALPS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 183, 12 January 1915, Page 6

ARMY OF THE ALPS.

WAV SWITZERLAND GUARDS lIER NEUTRALITY. i!y J.ient-t'ol. Roiistam in t'i:> • ily Express. Tlic country whose standard represent- [lir symbol of charity ami compasfcioii Switzerland —lias taken up arms, mil tn join tin- war, not to support one u:- (lir other of the belligerent armies, !• i' only ;o defend lirr strict neiitraliiy from violation. Ti:e \ienna Congress in ISI ~> guarantee-! tin- »> utrality of Switzerland, but :!■ ■ \ 11111 e 11■ ss attempts to violate it have '-. i nolieed in the. pa.-t. At one time Mi" I'rodcnt of tile Swiss Federation, M. Fn-i, declared that the neutrality of S \ it:'i'T'!a ll.l dc])ends on the military . Iri'iiutli of tile Swiss nation, which may In obliged to defend it with force. He pointed to the words of Bismarck, who slid: "I respect the neutrality only of a, powerful nation." So little' Switzerland became powerful and ready to defend !i«>r rights.

NATIONAL TRAINING. '[in Swiss Army is purely a militia force. l-i> d on compulsory military service. Xho soldiers ly periodical training between the ages of seventeen and forty-eight, but the actual scrviic begins at twenty, and lasts t'ol twelve yi ars. The soldiers undergo thorough training from sixty-live to ninety days annually, according to the branch they take lip. Then follows a period of eight years when they train for only ideven days annually, am! finally eight years in the l.andsturm. when they are called up for eleven days' training altogether. Thanks to thi system, the little Swis; nation, with a population of only 1.000,000, can put into the fiidd an active first line army of six divisions of infantry, three cavalry brigades, ami three mountain brigades, or 140,0(10 in all. With Landwelir and l.andsturm (the second and third lines of dcfcncei, Switzerland could mobilise 2ii!>.Cl!(l men. Ihe bitter experience of Belgium has opened tbe eyes of the Swiss people, to German appreciation of the worth of the guarantees of neutrality of a small nation, and they do not regret bavins taken to heart the advice of President Frei. 11l 11112 I attended the Swi> nrniv manoeuvres, when I had the opportunity of seeing the Kaiser, who came io Switzerland with the same object.Wearing the same uniform, the War Lord took the greatest interest; in the operation of the Swiss Army; and. from beink sceptical of its value at the lieginning. changed his opinion towards the end of the manoeuvres.

FIX!-: AKTIIXKKY. I lia-1 also mi opportunity to discuss tlic Swiss Army with sonic Cermaii ollieers who attended these manoeuvres, and, without exception. tli• ■ were in praise of the splendid 111 ilitia am! particularly tin? luilliant work of , ,j artillery. "Wei!." said >iK' of tin' Civilian (;cn•Tiil Stasr to 1110. "tli( 1 army is good, liilt wily should they kern it n;i. when nobody would att.-iiipf to break tlicir neutrality ?'' Hi'.! I knew -,v,-ll at tlint time that tlir (e-niian .StaiT for many years had derided to violate tile nriitrniitv of liel- ' L'iuni in case of war with France. and l.i ;i' Switzerland in reserve as a -econd way f.,r the Herman army, if tin- lielgians should prevent, such an attempt. That is the reason why the manoeuvres oi 11)12 proved to nnpalatalile to the Kaiser and his generals. The Federal fJovenmiciit. r< alising the danger hanging over Switzerland, ordered a general mobilisation, and M. \ il!e, the Attorney-(J eneral. was appointed generalissimo of tlic army, j while as Chief of the General Stall', M. Sperberg, a well-known manufacturer, was selected. Tile heating of drums auno'inced to the inhabitants of the towns and villages that the lnobilisale'i has hen proclaimed, and the militiamen opened their trunks and put on their tillilor ■■ and adjusting their arms, joined the mobilisation centra. There was no enthusiasm for war. nor any bellicose manifestation--. Duty called the Swiss people to the colors'to defend tin. sanctity of international hr.v. and. tliey went.

st >rr soldii jn. Like mflnv ottar fort-ism >■ ('ln-- ; w!; i visited Switzerland ami became ••ii!n,rficially acquainted witli tlii' Swiss army, t was for 11 any years very sceptical about it, lint after the Kus>o-.Japanese War, when T studied seriously tile marvellous system of this small army during peace. I became one of its admirers. To those who are accustomed to the smart military bearing of officers and men of other armies, the Swiss force seems laughable and clumpy. Some of the officers, and especially of the Landwelir, are stout and slow. The soldiers very often look like civilians wiio have never been trained to military exercises. Imt all these external qualities have not prevented the Swiss army carrying out the most complicated manoeuvres.

Though Switzerland is ,a peaceful country, and her political situation is quite peculiar, it must not be forgotten that Hie Swiss nation has a brilliant history, and her sons not only gained by force of arms the neutrality of their country, but very often fought in the ranks of tile French and German armies, where they were considered as the best soldiers, and of extreme gallantry. The "copraphical situation of Switzerland. added to her powerful and welltrained armv. is (lie best guarantee for neutrality, and I do not think that Germany, d,'spite her contempt for everything that is sacred, will dare to insuß the sacred flag of the Oeueva I' onwntiou.