Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1890 — DUTCH SCHUTTERS. [ARTICLE]

DUTCH SCHUTTERS.

Th» Qneer Drill lor ° r Holland's Happy Go.Lnekj Militia. Holland is becoming exceedingly fidgety about her militia affairs, says a letter in the N. Y. Tribune. The national defenses are in a disorganized condition, and the Dutch would be unable to offer much resistance to any invasion. Reform is the cry on every Tiand, and universal conscription is advocated on all sides; but no one seems to feel disposed to carry the matter through. A e things now are, no Dutchman need serve in the regular army if he can pay for his substitute. The consequence is that the rich are opposed to universal conscription, beeanse they do not want to serve, and the poor are against it because they would no longer receive the large suras which their children earn by serving as substitutes. Every man, however between the age of 25 and 40 is forced to belong to the militia, or schuttery, as it is designated in Holland. The latter numbers about 2 per cent of the entire population. But it is quite harmless, and partakes to a certain extent of the nature of the Opera coraique. Nothing can be more amusing than to watch the schutters on their way to to drill latte in the afternoon of summer and autumn days. They can scarcely be described as presenting a martial appearance in their blue and red uniforms, with their shakoes perched rakishly on one side of their head, the chin strap barely reaching down to the nose, a cigar or pipe in the mouth, and an anteailuvan-looking old musket carried, over the shoulder, butt end upward. At the close of his drill the bold militiaman, whose portly figure causes' him to dislike any violent exeroise, sends his gun and bayonet home by a porter or dientstman, who is often as not his corporal or sergeant, and then adjourns to a beer-garden. There he spends the remainder of the evening with a number of equally martin blades, washing down the accumulated dust of the mimic battle-field rwith copious libations, and consigning the founder of the sehuttery to" Mie darkest depth of hades. In winter when it rains or snows the monthly drill at Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and other important cities, usually takes place under cover in the bourse after the business of the day is over. The drill sergeants, however, dislike this; for it doubles their work, since the schutters devote far more attention to the figures of the afternoon stock quotations, still chalked upon the board, than to the figures of drill. Thus, for instance, wheu the sergeant shouts out: “Schutter Jansen! What do you mean by standing there like that? Keep your feet together and year stomach in.” Jansen, who is lost in the contemplation of the board, exelaims by way of response: “Herr Qk»tt! Ninety-six and a half per cent! I am in a nice hole!” The officers of the militia regiments ace exceedingly gorgeous oreatures, with their long, clanlnng sabere, their plumed hats, and their profusion of gold lace. Their knowledge of things military is but one degree superior to that of the men under their command, for they have been forced to drill for two hours a week during a period of six weeks with the regular line regiment. Under ordinary circumstances they manage to fulfill their duty after a fashion, but during the annual raathey are subjected to great trials. A schutter captaiu will be standing in front of his company, when a corporal acting as orderly approaches with the followiug message: “The enemy is close at hand. The colonel sends you his very best compliments aud wishes to know if you would oblige him by leading your men to attack.” All at once the latent patriotism aud military ardor of the captain blaze forth. He draws his sword, and calling on his soldiers to follow him, rusher to meet the imaginary enemy. Suddenly his advance is checked by a shallow ditch filled with muddy water.. This causes his fierceness to abate, for he would not for all the world soil his uniform. He pauses for a few seconds. All at once a happy thought strikes him. “Fire by volleys!” he cries to his men. Immediately the ramrods are heard to rattle in all the enormous barrels of the old muskets, and a minute later the hammers fall witli a clicking noise of old metal. For the militiamen are not only forbidden the use of gunpowder, but are even denied percussioti caps. In the middle of all this the adjutant of the regiment, who is invariably an officer of the regular army, dashes up on horseback and exclaims in frantic tones to the captain: -—— “Good heavens! man, don’t you know that in case of volley firing the officers must not stand in front of the muzzle of their men’s guns?” Nowise disconcerted, the captain I lulls his hand-book of military regulations out of his pocket and, after carefully glancing over several pages, replies in a nonchalant manner: “Well, I don’t see anything about it in here.” The face of the adjutant becomes scarlet, he gulps down two or three big oaths, ana finally ejaculates: “Hero give me the book. See there! It is page 48." And then, with a look of despair and a shrug of his shoulders, he aashes off to some other equally well-informed schutter officer. Meanwhile the captain has leisurely returned his sword tff its scabbard and has inscribed in his notebook the following memorandum: “In case of volley firing it is better for the officer to keep to the rear of the front, so as not to come into contact witli the muzzle of his nien's guns. ” The majors, tCe lieutenants, and the colonels of the “schuttery” are all cut oat of the same cloth as the captain above portrayed; always ready to argne the point with their superior officers, and producing the drollest effects by their utter ignorance of military tactics. There is even a “schutter’ genera, who is a retail tea merchant. None of the officers or men •re acquainted with the mechanism of a modern .rifle, and there, are probably bnt few es them who would venture to handle one if they knew it was loaded. One word more to complete this brief •ketch of Holland’s gaHant defenders. As soon as the hour appointed for the

.. , drill strikes at the town* hall dock the officer in aommand takes a sand-glass and tarns it upside down. He then : waits until the sand inns out, that is to say, a quarter of an hour, before giving the roll-call to proceed. Anybody arriving after that time is subjected to a small fine.