Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1376

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SWITZERLAND

The following table gives the budget estimates for 192]

Source of Revenue

Francs

Branch of Expenditure

Francs

Capital invested.

28,729,487

Debt, Total Charge

106,738,887

General administration

104,500

General administration

3,786,374

Departments : —

'. Departments : —

Political ....

1,279,000

Political

6,585,864

Interior ....

864,980

Interior ....

23,261,323

Justice and Police

2,807,600

Justice and Police

7,820,131

Military ....

1,712,300

Military ....

81,329,421

Finance and Customs.

123,275,138

Finance and Customs.

26,510,184

Commerce, Industry, and

Commerce, Industry, and

Agriculture.

2,070,430

Agriculture.

32,458,085

Posts and Railways

192,889,910

Posts and Railways.

231,280,217

Miscellaneous

5,026,655

Miscellaneous

Total.

3,668,914

Total ....

358,340,000

5-23,440.000

(14,333,600/,)

(20,937,0000

The public debt of the Confederation (exclusive of the railway debt) amounted, on January 1, 1921, to 64,234, 264Z., mostly at 5 per cent. The floating debt (January 1, 1921) was 10,280,000Z. The total debt was thus 74,514, 264Z. The value of the National Properties was 9,118,664Z.

Defence.

There are fortifications on the south frontier for the defence of the St. Gothard pass ; others have been constructed at St. Maurice and Martigny in the Rhone Valley.

Switzerland depends for defence upon a national militia. Service in this force is compulsory and universal, with few exemptions except for physical disability. Those excused or rejected pay certain taxes in lieu. Liability extends from the 20th to the end of the 48th year, The first 12 years are spent in the first line, called the ' Auszug, ' or ' Elite ' ; the next 8 in the Landwehr ; and the remaining 8 in the Landsturm. For cavalry, however, service is 11 years in the Auszug, and 12 in the Landwehr. The Landsturm only includes men who have undergone some training. The unarmed Landsturm comprises all other males between 20 and 50 whose services can be made available for non-combatant duties of any description.

The initial training of the Swiss militia soldier is carried out in recruits' schools, and the periods are 65 days for infantry, engineers, and foot artillery, 75 days for field artillery, and 90 days for cavalry. The subsequent trainings, called 'repetition courses, ' arc 11 days annually ; but after going through seven courses (8 in the case of the cavalry) further attendance is excused for all under the rank of sergeant. The Landwehr men are only called out once for training, also for 11 days.

The country is divided into 6 divisional districts. The field army, formed of the Auszug, consists of 6 divisions and 4 cavalry brigades, A division consists of 3 brigades each of 2 regiments consisting of 2 or '.'j battalions, 1 cyclist company, 1 machine gun detachment, 12 batteries of field artillery, 2 howitzer batteries, 2 squadrons of cavalry, and 1 battalion of sappers. A cavalry brigade consists of 2 regiments. A mountain brigade consists of 2 regiments of 3 battalious, 2 mountain batteries, and 1 company of sappers. Altogether there are 106 battalions, 72 field batteries, 12 howitzer batteries, 9 mountain batteries, and 8 cavalry regiments (each