1324
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