RECRUITMENT (Fr. rcerutement, from OF.
recrutcr, Port. recrutar. reclutar, from cloture, to recruit, patch, mend, from Lat. rr-, back again, anew -4- AS. c/fit, from Welsh Ir.. Gael. clod, :Manx clonid, clout, patch), MILI TARY. The raising of men for military service. Recruitment of armies in general is by volun tary enlistment (the method adopted by the United States and Great Britain) or by con scription, or compulsory enlistment (the system in use on the Continent of Europe). The recruit ing system of Germany is the model for nations adopting compulsory service. The country is divided geographically into as many corps dis tricts as there are army corps (the latter are more or less permanently located), and these are subdivided into division, brigade, regimental, bat talion, and company districts. Each company is recruited in its own geographical district. Each brigade district has also from two to six Land trehr (the reserve of the active army on the war footing) districts, which are the units of recruit ment for this body. The recruits are examined by a commission of civil and military officers. Those physically, mentally, or morally unfit are rejected; the rest draw lots, the lower numbers being taken to fill the annual contingent, the higher passing to the Ersatz Reserve (a reserve of recruitment). Ordinarily the young men are
not called out till they are twenty years of age nor after they are forty. Between seventeen and twenty and over forty they belong to the Landsturn,, the last reserve of the Empire. After completing his term of service in the ranks the soldier passes into the reserve of the active army, retaining his place in his regiment, borne on its books, and liable to recall till about twenty-six years old; he then passes to the Landwehr bat talion of the district, the Landu'chr command keeping the register of names and addresses. The special method of recruitment for an army in the field, now adopted by all nations, whatever the general system of recruitment may be, is by so-called depot battalions, etc., which remain in the home country and receive and train all the re cruits for a particular regiment, etc. The meth ods for recruitment used in the United States will he found discussed under ENLISTMENT, where information as to the qualifications of re cruits is given. The accompanying illustration shows a circular used in the American Revolution to obtain recruits. See ARMIES: ARMY ORGAN IZATION ; etc.