ADVOCATES SWISS PLAN

"I am firmly convinced that the system of universal military training and service now in force in Switzerland should be applied in the United States to supersede its present system of a regular standing army, reserves and militia," said President Eliot, in an interview with a CRIMSON reporter yesterday afternoon. "I believe that such a system should be put into force at once as soon as Congress can pass the necessary legislation. We should not wait until the end of the war in the meantime fighting Germany with our present military organizations, but we should immediately establish a system such as has been adopted in Switzerland and Austria. The United States has taken on a contract to reinstate Belgium and Poland, and recently, by message of President Wilson, to free Roumania from Austrian control. This is a vast undertaking, but we must fulfill it. Of course we can accomplish our purpose with our present military establishments, but we could do it much better and fully as quickly under the Swiss system. We could raise an army of 500,000 men in seven months and subsequent armies of equal size in the same time.

"Under our present system, at the close of the war, we will not have an army; nor will England and France, already drained by almost three and a half years of war, have one. Yet we have undertaken to free Belgium, Poland and Roumania and to become one of the members of a league to enforce peace. How can we enforce peace or bring about a lasting freedom for those countries if we do not have an adequate army? If we should adopt the Swiss system we would have a large citizen army which could be called into action at any moment."

President Eliot the went on to show that Switzerland is a country similar to Massachusetts in size and population, having somewhat less than four million inhabitants, but it can nevertheless muster immediately an army of half a million, with a much larger number in reserve. In 1911 the number of men under training for two months or more during the summer was about 210,000. They have proved available for a first-line defence in 48 hours. There were also over 275,000 trained reserves ready for the second line almost as promptly as called for--a total army of roughly half a million men. Thus, if that system were established in the United States, there would be something over five million men training every summer.

President Eliot next called attention to the fact that the Swiss Government has indirectly and important supervision over children as soon as they are eight years old. At that age the boys are given gymnastic training, and three years later they are given practice in marching and drilling, and some training in the manual of arms. Gun clubs are formed with regular army muskets and and cartridges supplied by the government, and the boys soon acquire the skill which has made the Swiss soldiers the best marksmen in the world.

During the summer of his 20th year the young Swiss must pass a physical and literary examination, and then he enters intensive training for 60 or 75 days. From the age of 20 to 32 they are called together for 16 days every year. After that year they are in a class of trained reserves liable to call at any moment