Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/370

 334

NETHERLANDS.

Army and Navy.

The army of the Netherlands is formed partly by conscription and partly by enlistment, in such a manner that the volunteers form the stock, but not the majority of the troops. The men drawn by con- scription at the age of twenty have to serve, nominally, five years ; but practically, all that is recpiired of them is to drill for ten months, and, returning home on furlough, meet for six weeks annually for practice, during a period of four years. Besides the regular army, there" exists a militia — 'schuttery' — divided into two classes. To the first, the ' active militia,' belong all men from the twenty-fifth to the thirty-fourth year of age ; and to the second, the ' resting (rustende) militia,' all persons from thirty-five to fifty- five. The first class, numbering about 26,000 men, is again subdivided into two distinct parts, the one comprising the unmarried men and widowers without children, and the other the remaining married soldiers. The 'rpsting militia,' to the number of 61,000 men, is organised in fifty-four full and nine half battalions. About one-third of the militia is made up of men who have previously served in the regular army.

The regular army stationed in the Netherlands, at the commence- ment of 1870, was composed as follows : —

General Staff and Military Administration.

Officers

Bank and File

188

Infantry : — •

36

—

1 regiment of guards ....

105

4,221

8 regiments of the line ....

872

38,280

1 battalion of instruction

31

601

Depot of discipline ....

12

44

Recruiting depot for the colonies.

20

91

Cavalry : —

7

—

4 regiments of hussars ....

184

4,310

Engineers : —. . . . •

Staff

77

39

1 battalion of sappers and miners.

25

984

Artillery : —

Staff

80

59

1 regiment of field artillery, with train.

88

3,156

3 regiments of heavy (fortress) artillery.

215

6,297

1 regiment of light-horse artillery.

32

626

2 companies of pontonniers

Total

12

316

1,984

59,078