Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1916 — Page 3

UNIVERSAL MILITARY SERVICE

Here is told how the systems of Switzerland and Australia are conducted, and how the people of France look upon it. What is proposed for the United States • •

WfUE Swiss army is a citizen army*. That j| I £ means every Swiss citizen is liable to do military service if he IS physically ftjjL and mentally tit. This accounts for the fact that Switzerland, with a populaEggL tion of 3,800,000, maintains the largest armed fofCe In Europe proportionately. jsfflP France comes second, and Germany - third— — 4 'Thus runs an exposition of the Swiss military system, as prepa.red by.-1 he official Swiss bureau in the United States for the American Defense society. “The Swiss military forces,” the article goes on, “consist of three different divisions. These are the auszug, landwehr and lancjstuni). To the auszug belong the young inen from twenty, to thirty-two years of age; to the landwehr, the soldiers from thirty-three to forty years of age, and to the landsturm the men from forty-one to fortyeight years of age. ' “Swiss citizens who are unable to do their military service because of residence in a foreign country, have to pay’ a regular military tax. Previous to the war this tax was six francs per man per year, but it has been doubled, temporarily, on account of the nation’s great expenses brought on by the war. In addition to this modest tax there Is also a taxation at the rate 1.50 francs per 1,000 francs of private fortune and, in certain cases, on every 1,000 francs of half an inheritance coming to a man from his parents or grandparents. The maximum military tax in normal times is 3,000 francs yearly. The maximum under temporary war taxation is 6,000

francs. At the age of eight years the Swiss schoolboy begins his course of physical training, which is gradually developed until he is sixteen years old. Then come the cadet corps, in which the boys undergo all the preliminary exercises and where they receive thorough and systematic instruction in rifle shooting. The rifle used in the cadet corps is, of course, a smaller and lighter model than the regulation army rifle. Rifle practice for the

youngsters is accorded In regular military fashion, including range and field work. Preparatory work for young men between the ages of sixteen and twenty years includes athletics, marching, care and use of the service rifle, and target practice. These preliminary training courses are taken usually by young men who hope to win commissions in the regular

army. —= — “Military instruction is given at the expense of the Swiss Confederation by a special instruction corps. Recruiting schools are established in different cities throughout the land, and while there is no choice in the service, each man is at liberty to decide whether he would like to belong to the infantry or cavalry. Cavalry soldiers generally have to provide their own horses. “Men intended ffcr the infantry have to serve for 65 days in a school for recruits; cavalrymen have to serve for 90 days; field and mountain artillerymen 75 days, engineers, 75 days; transport men, 42 days, and ambulance men, 60 days. The cavalry and all the forces of the auszug have to take a yearly repetition course lasting 11 days. Landwehr forces now have tlieir exercises every four years. Special courses and training naturally are required in the cases of soldiers who are ’ desirous of nd vnnctrrgfo high er grades. "Regular rifle practice each year is required of every soldier, and if a man does not attain the required mark he is ordered to do special practice work under'the supervision of Instructors. These rigid rules, and the natural enthusiasm of the Swiss for rifle shooting, are responsible for the unrivaled position they hold«in the world as crack shots. There is hardly a village which has not its rifle club, and local, cantonal and federal shooting matches are held at regular intervals. “Switzerland was able to retain for the seventeenth time out |of 18 the world championship, on the occasion of the rifle-shooting contest in Viborg, Holland, in 1914. It may be remembered that in 1913 the Swiss were victors at Camp Perry, Ohio. The one world’s contest they have lost was held in Turin, Italy, in 1898. “In the Swiss army every man is allowed to keep his rifle and uniform at home, and when the ■mobilization order is given, the entire army can be ready for action within the shortest notice. The yearly inspection of armament and equipment at which every soldier, without exception, 'has to appear, Is an effective preventive against any possible neglect in that line. However, there 1% no fear that a Swiss soldier would in any way neglect that which has been Intrusted to him by his country; his rifle is his hobby and bls Uniform receives the constant care one would give to a precious pet. —- * ' “Only the Instructors, the general staff and a :few other officials receive a regular salary. The officers are paid only for the short period they are called upon for training, and the common

soldier, when on duty, has’ all his expenses paid and besides that he receives ‘a daily compensation of 1G cents. Recruits receive a daily compensation of 10 cents.”,. In the early days of the European war it would have been of tremendous advantage to either France or Germany to violate the neutrality of Switzerland by sending troops across her territory in flanking movements against the enemy. But little Switzerland was ready and waiting to punish any such International outlawry. Belgium wasn’t In Australia all males between eighteen and sixty years are liable to military service in time of war, according to an article by Bertram Stevens in Collier’s Weekly. Every boy not physically unfit passes into the junior cadet force and undergoes physical training and elementary drill for two years; at fourteen becomes a senior cadet and serves four years, completing 40 drills each year: at eighteen enters the citizen soldiery and is Hable for 16 days’ training every year for seven years and one parade in the eighth year. At the end of 1914, three years after the com-pulsory-training law went into effect. Australia had more than 87,000 senior cadets, about 48.000 tn Together with 51.000 citizen soldiers. That country has a population of a little more than s,ooo.ooo—about as many persons as live in New York city proper. By 1933, Australia will be a democracy in which every healthy citizen has been trained to take his place in the firing line, and would have to do so were his country invaded. The principal difficulty about the Inception of the compulsory system arose from the boys themselves. The Australian is hatfw’ay between the Briton and the American, but he Is more Individualistic than the Briton. He objects to restraint and hates to call a man “sir.” At first many of the boys resented discipline, their easy-going parents did' not help the authorities and there were many prosecutions for evasion of drills. When It w’as seen that the government was Irr earnest, however, the boys ani their parents accepted the plan and now seem to like It. Authorities say there is already a marked Improvement In the physical and moral character of the youth, and generally a tendency toward a sense of responsibility; Americans who have seen the French republic’s system of universal Service in operation say that it is ndt only an effective means of national defense against foreign-enemies, but, quite as important, is a very practical organization for the prevention of class prejudice. The poor flsherman’ son from Brittany likely as not will have for his bunk mate during their period of training the son of a Paris banker. The rich and poor. The aristocrat and commoner, are thrown oonstanly together during barrack days. ■ '• ■

' THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

United States Senator Chamberlain has prepared a bill for the establishment °f universal military service In this nation. It Is not unHkely that our country will have unive.-sal service within a few years, considering lessons learned from the European war, from our own J*P£le in various wars. and from the widespread feeling that the United States should have systematic preparedness. If universal service comes, the plan-of work probably will be evolved from the Swiss, Australian and French systems.

TO GET FANCY PRICES.

To secure a fancy price for eggs, you must be absolutely certain that every egg sold is fresh. .Don’t leave an egg in nest ‘for nest egg, —You might accidentally get one in gathering and send it to your customer —then good-by customer. When the breeding season is over sell all the roosters, or if you have a few good ones you wish to keep, pen them up. Then you can get a fancy price for infertile eggs, which are tn great demand. Clean all soiled eggs with a damp cloth and dry well, so they will not shine. Keep all small and imperfect eggs at home. Fill each layer with eggs of the same size, they look so much better that way. Pack carefully, so they will reach the customer In good condition, and absolutely guarantee every egg to be fresh. You will not have any trouble in getting and holding customers for all you can produce, at several" cents above the market price.

FIND BABY ALLIGATOR IN POND.

It has long been known that East Tennessee had practically everything to be found in any quarter of the earth, but a recent discovery in Clinton brings to light the fact that it also has alligators which live in subterranean streams. Workmen who were excavating for the new buildings of the Magnet knitting mills in this city last week set off a blast which uncovered a subterranean pond or stream, and from the w'ater was taken an alligator 20 inches in length, and very much alive. How the reptile came in the water under the town is something which no one knows.

RHODE ISLAND REDS.

(1) They are a large breed and very easy to keep. (2) They lay well all the year round, with very little care and food during winter months. We have a flock of about 50 layers and get on an average of 30 eggs a day the entire year. (3) They are good sitters, seldom leaving the nest when set properly. (4) The young chickens are of a good size and plump,- and also healthy, being readj’ to eat or market in about 10 or 12 weeks after hatching. (5) They are splendid foragers, going a reasonable distance out in the fields in search of bugs and other Insects for the young chicks.

FACTS OF INTEREST

A collapsible poultry crate is a new Invention that is expected to prove a great convenience to shippers. v According to the census reports, 263,315 girl stenographers and typew’riters are employed in the United States. Total Investment in film concerns, moving plctures and accessories in this country is said to i be more than $2,000,000,000. Towers of the Panama cathedral are roofed With peart shells, which reflect the sunlight so that they can be seen far out at sea.

. They come to understand one another’s feeling 8 ’ tQ know the qualities of one another’s manhood, and to have a common patriotism among them. This has meant much to the French republic. _ In no other great army in the world is there such a spirit of comradeship as between officers and men of the French establishment. One might expect that record to be held by the United States. But it isn’t; our regular army is patterned after the British system, which la anaristocratic ’ systeiu-z:

MING TODAY'S BOYS AND GIRLS

How the Infant May Be Started in the Ways of Culture. ART, LITERATURE AND MUSIC Let the Child Know All He Can of These If You Would Refine His Appreciation and Discover His Capacity.

By SIDONIE M. GRUENBERG. SOME time during the last century parents with solicitude for the higher life of their children, and with the means to give the children fuller opportunities, discovered that training In the “arts” would add both to the enjoyment of life and to the esteem of their fellows. But in providing the instruction in music or painting they had resort to musicians and painters. And these specialists in art taught the children from the point of view of training specialized performers, which most of the children were never going t<> be-

come. The result was in most cases a rather superficial accomplishment, which had, Indeed, its social value, but which meant very little either as performance or as enrichment of life. Several things have happened to make us change our attitude in these matters. With all the bad performing, extending to ever larger circles_pf our population, there cafme a more critical recognition of the real quality of our vulgarized playing and painting. There came also, quite incidentally as it were, a growing appreciation of the arts —the mechanical reproduction of good music and of good pictures being very largely responsible for this, in making accessible to almost every person the opportunity to hear and see the best as well as the tawdry. Moreover, our thinking about the development of the mental and emotional life, as problems in education and training, has brought us to a realization of the more valuable part of the child’s contact with art forms.

We are thus in a position to look upon the arts in the life of the child in terms of enlarging the child’s life, and not in terms of performIng for the approval or admiration of others. And we are in a position to think of the training from the professional side. If then we still place before the child the clay or the paint brush, the piano or the violin, It Is not so much In the hope of making a name for the family. Rather Is it In the expectation that the child may thus be enabled to find himself, that he may acquire further means of expression, that he may add to his enjoyment of life through acquaintance with the emotional resources of the various arts. For most children, that is, the study of music and drawing should be not primarily for the purpose of cultivating technical proficiency, but for the purpose of cultivating deeper appreciations through an understanding of form, design, etc. This is quite the same as our teaching of literature to children. Some of them may become creative artists —and this often in spite of the schooling—but for most children we hope merely to increase and to refine the appreciation of good literature. Both for the purpose of refining the appreciation and for the purpose of

To Look Upon the Arts Not in Terms of Performing for the Admiration of Others.

discovering the child’s capacities we should provide as many points of contact with art expression as we can possibly command. If you provide piano .lessons for your child, even though you do so Just bpcause everybody is doing it, it is well. If you provide dancing lessons, or singing, or painting, it is well. If you provide two or three or four opportunities, it is still better.' But how can we afford all these things for every child, and how can the child possibly get the time for all these various “lessons”? If we attempted to add these special lessons to the full day, we should be attempting the Impossible; nor would this be desirable if we could manage it. The aim should be rather to imrnrporate the arts into the life of the child, as we already do in part The handwork of the early school year—clay modeling and beadwork, for example—and the music the young child hears are, together with his other activities and experiences, of the very substance of bls life. When we undertake to cultivate the arts for dur children outside of school the most important consideration in the seledion of instructors is commonly considered to be the artistic arhtovMneut or the standing in their crafts Bui more imnortant for our

I purpose la the teacher's character, hist attitude toward children. We may in-' deed find a talented artist who is also a satisfactory teacher; but the combination is extremely rare."" The accomplished artist is likely to see in the pupil a potential performer or creator, and to have little patience whdla the syipptoms of talent are slow to manifest themselves. When talent Is discovered it will be time enough to train for specialization. Whether we provide special instruction for children or not, we can at least put forth an effort to make the surroundings in the home contribute as much as possible to the cuitivation of taste. This requires an effort, but is worth what it costs. Unless we have well-developed tastes and standards ©unlives we are very easily imposed upon, by the “fashions” and by the tendency to Imitate, often unconsciously, those for whom we have some regard. If we devote some thought to the children’s dress and to the way our rooms are furnished, we shall be carrying on an education in art. This does not mean that we must buy only the expensive or the fashionable. It means taking the trouble to find out what is best. It is possible to get cheap reproductions of the best pictures, just as we can get cheap editions of the world’s best books. In the matter of pictures, it is well to have before the child only a few at a time, and to change them at intervals. For this purpose frames with removable backs may be used, or a screen made of burlap stretched on a wooden

When Talent Is Discovered It Will Be Time Enough to Train for Specialization.

frame. Let us remember that the younger children are likely to see very little In a black-and-white picture until after colored pictures have made them familiar with seeing the world in a fiat surface. We must do what we can to expand the child’s horizon by visits to the museums; by providing opportunities to see and hear the best that the human spirit has brought forth. But we must not overlook the fact that the most continuous and the most impressive molders of his tastes lie in the immediate surroundings—his clothes and his furniture—his books and his conversation, and his opportunities to express himself through his own activities.

CRAB WAS FIRST VEGETARIAN

Eccentric Englishman Met With Much Opposition When He Started to i Spread His Ideas. The first preacher of vegetarianism to gain any wide fame was Roger Crab, an eccentric Englishman, who died 236 years ago. He feught In the parliamentary army under Cromwell, and received a wound in the head, which may have accounted for some of his later vagaries. After the close of the Civil war he sold all his goods and distributed the proceeds among the poor, then took up his residence in a hut near Ickenham, where he was said to have lived on three farthings a week. Having decided that it was sinful to eat any kind of animal food, be subsisted on a diet of bran, dock leaves, mallows and grass. For dessert he had a pudding made of bran and turnip tops chopped together. When he attempted to spread his ideas he met with much popular opposition. He then denounced his opponents in most lurid terms, and was on various occasions cudgeled and put in the stocks. Four times he was arrested on suspicion of being a wizard, and was sent from prison to prise n. He persisted in his course in spite of all persecution, refusing to eat any animal food while in jail. He wrote two pamphlets, entitled "The English Hermit, or The Wonder of the Age,” and “Dagon’s Downfall, or The Great Idol Digged Up Root and Branch; “The English Hermit’s Spade at the Ground and Root of Idolatry.” Crab lived to ripe old age, but made few converts to his doctrine. —Exchange. J ■ *

Baseball In All Seasons.

A novel patented game, conducted somewhat after the manner of the fa* miliar cane ringing stands and affording a patron all the zest of sharing actively in a baseball game is described in Popular Mechanics Magazine. Special devices are used in connection with presenting a motion picture of a ball game. Upon what appears to ba a regular motion picture screen a projecting machine, about 25 feet distant, throws a picture of a batter stepping up to the plate in front of a catcher, both facing the spectator. When the batter arrives at the plate the picture becomes stationary until some patron steps up to the counter, set at the proper distance, and throws a ball to* ward the pictured batter. If the throw is accurate enough to be called a strike its Impact against the screen automatli tjr starts t projector xxivjxi the batter striking and running toward “first.”