Photo by Arthur A. Porchet 

 A COMPANY OE SWISS SOLDIERS BEING WELCOMED BY THE MONKS ON THEIR ARRIVAL 



AT THE HOSPICE 



to creep into the Swiss army, for the very 

 essence of the Swiss military idea is that 

 all men start from the scratch, and that 

 brain and ability must win the race. 



The line troops of the Swiss army are 

 raised like our State militia. The can- 

 tons of Switzerland correspond to the 

 States of the United States, and each can- 

 ton keeps its own troops and selects their 

 officers. These officers are nominated by 

 the Grand Council of the canton, upon the 

 recommendation of the cantonal military 

 director, after having successfully passed 

 through the schools of instruction. Pro- 

 motion from second to first lieutenant 

 takes place according to seniority, but 

 thereafter merit is the determining fac- 

 tor. No officer rises to a higher rank 

 than colonel, for there is only one gen- 

 eral in the Swiss army, and he is the 

 Commander-in-Chief. 



The engineers, guides, sanitary and 

 administrative troops, and the army train 

 are enrolled by the Confederation. Arms 

 also are supplied by the Confederation. 



The cantons furnish equipment and uni- 

 forms, but are reimbursed therefor after- 

 ward by the federal authorities. 



LITTLE INDOOR DRILL 



The process of training the Swiss 

 militia is exactly the reverse, both in 

 theory and fact, of the process of hand- 

 ling the American militia. The Swiss 

 seek the fields in their training, while 

 in our militia service the recruit's first 

 enthusiasms are, as a prominent Amer- 

 ican officer has observed, dissipated in 

 the grind of barrack-yard drill, where no 

 man need to, and no man is expected to, 

 use his head. 



If any one thinks that the Swiss army 

 would win an international cup in a dress- 

 parade affair he is mistaken. Its regi- 

 ments might not receive any great ap- 

 plause were they in Washington march- 

 ing up Pennsylvania avenue in an in- 

 augural parade. Unmilitary onlookers 

 might conclude that it was a very "punk" 

 military organization. But the trained 



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