THE BRITISH ARMY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8498, 30 July 1907, Page 5

THE BRITISH ARMY.

INVESTIGATING THE SWISS SYSTEM. Received July 29, 8.21 a,w. LONDON, July 28. Owincr t© the interest roused by <he Right Hon. R. B. Haldane's army proposals a mixed committee of re-pi-esentatives men, including some of the Labour members of the House of Commons, will visit Switzerland in September to study the practical working of the Swiss militia system. (The Swiss forces do not constitute a standing army, tfee principle being that of a militia, and the liability to serve in the Landsturm. During the twelve years in the Eiite (ten for the cavalry) the aggregate service is 141 days in the infantry, 146 in the engineers, 160 in the cavalry, and 163 in the artillery. The total military strength consists of —Elite (20 to 32 years of age) : 96 battalions of infantry, eight battalions of rifles, 24 squadrons dragoons, 48 field batteries of six guns, two mountain batteries, and twelve companies of lighthorse. Landwehr (32 to 44 years of age); 96 battalions of infantry, eight battalions of rifles, 24 squadrons, of dragoons, eight field Latteries, and 15 position baLterits. Ar. aggregate total, in round numbers, of 200,000 men, of whom 130,000 are in the first twelve classes of the Elite, formed into four army corps. In addition, the Landwehr can furnish fully 300,000, giving an armed strength of 500,000, maintained at a cost of about a million a year for a total population of 3,500,000.)