The British Interned in SwitzerlandPicot, Henry Philip
History
The British Interned in Switzerland
Picot, Henry Philip
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, Swiss
The Army is now composed of the whole of the fit male population between
the ages of 20 to 48; the Elite being drawn from men of the ages of 20
to 32 years, the Landwehr from 33 to 40 years, the Landsturm from 41 to
48 years. The effectives increase from year to year with the increase of
population. As regard instruction, the training of the infantry recruit
lasts 65 days, of the cavalry 90 days, of the artillery 75 days, per
annum. Repetition courses for the trained soldier take place annually,
and vary, according to the branch of the service, from eleven to
fourteen days. The Landwehr has a "repetition course" once every four
years. The Landsturm is only occasionally called up for a few days at a
time at long intervals.
According to Colonel Egli, the expenditure for military purposes for the
year 1911 amounted in all to frs. 44,777,894, being 25·9 per cent. of
the revenue of the country. The fact that Switzerland is able to
maintain a force of nearly half a million men at an expenditure of less
than £2,000,000 sterling speaks for itself. The war has, of course,
added greatly to the annual Budget. The additional expenditure from 1914
to 1918, owing to mobilization, extra material, higher rates of pay and
living, etc., form no small part of the accumulated deficit of the
country, which cannot be far short of £40,000,000 sterling, and is
steadily increasing.
The Military Regulations are so framed as to interfere in the least
possible degree with the civil life of the soldier, and yet, despite the
shortness of training, a very fair state of efficiency is reached and
maintained.
The Corps of Officers is highly educated, and embraces in its ranks all
the best brains of the country. It receives its military instruction at
special military schools.
A valuable adjunct to the training of the rank and file is supplied by
the Shooting Clubs, of which thousands exist, and as shooting is the one
national sport, this important branch of instruction receives special
attention.
The disorganization which immediately resulted in the economic and
industrial life of Switzerland on the outbreak of war, became a matter
of great concern to the Government, who, under their first impression of
the World War, feared that economic ruin might become inevitable. It
looked as though the business of the hotels, in which enormous capital
has been invested, would cease to exist, whilst the future of hundreds
of thousands of skilled artisans and mechanics would be imperilled.
Foreign markets would certainly find their purchasing power greatly
reduced, and there was every likelihood of a shortage in the
half-finished products received from Germany and Austria, which finally
reached foreign markets after receiving at the hands of the Swiss
workmen that finish which gave them so great a part of their value. The
future was painted in the blackest of colours, but the outcome has
differed greatly from the first crude picture.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account