Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-11
Things You Want to Know

OF the twenty-five principal nations OF
the world only three depend en-
tirely upon voluntary enlistment TO
supply their armies. These three are
the British empire. the Chinese empire and
the United states OF America II has been
one OF Britain's proudest boasts for two
centuries that il always could rely upon
sufficient number OF patriotic volunteers
to fiji its army and that Il need not enforce
CONSUMPTION. American thought has fol-
lowed In the British path. and the entire
neutrality-suspicious. people has been united
in considering compulsory military service
Incompatible with free institutions and
democratic government.
with respect to the army. more than in
any other way. the republican America ana
the monarohical Britain always have been
more democratic than any other nations.
Monarchial Germany republican France
and patriotic Japan are most strict among
the sixteen nations which compel every
able-bodied man to serve a certain time in
the army. Decadent Spain and Portugal,
no others depend entirely upon forced
CONSUMPTION. In which man drawn by lot
are compelled to serve with, the colors.
Now comes a strong party in England
demanding that Great Britain turn its
| back on the democratic past and institute
system OF universal compulsory army
! service. The Chinese government is MAX
| ing plans looking IN the same direction
/ The United states is to be left as the sole
4 exponent Of the volunteer system.
The reasons Cor the change OF attitude
on the part OF many Engiishmen is the
menace OF the rising German power. The
fear OF Germany Is the mainspring Of much
revolutionary thought in this country. I'm
/ I'll now there has been no reason why
Great Britain should demand military ser
! vice OF all it's young men. Voluntary en-
| listments kept UP the necessary force. and
England, although governing the greatest
empire ever subject TO one crown, has never
needed q great army.
In the Eighteenth century. when England
laid the foundations Of the present empire
in the Seven Years War with France the
| British depended upon others to do their
! fighting. The Germans did IL for them in
Europe. and were well rewarded with sub
stantial subsidies. The American colonists
aided then in America and added Canada
| to the British dominiOns. In the last quar-
ter Of that century England was unable to
| defeat her rebel colonists In America al
though she hired German soldiers to fight
for her Then the Thirteen colonies were
| lost, and England learned "a lesson and
ever since has so governed her possessions
that force has seldom been required to
back up diplomacy.
AT the dawn of the Nineteenth century
Napoleon threatened the British supremacy
but England did comparatively little fight.
ing ON land. Subsidies were paid to thS
German armies and the brain of a Pitt
battled for Britain in lieu of legions Well
ington conducted the Peninsular campaign
and was captain on the glorious field o.
Waterloo, but it was Nelson and the navy
not the great duke. that saved England
German soldiers were fighting for British
supremacy then.
With the downfall of Napoleon and the
dawn OF the modern age Of machinery
Great Britain at once began to realize tbs
fruits of its maritime supremacy and fts
splendid isolation" Continental Europe
INDUCED in a long series of bloody wars
Germany was only name for a score OF
quarreling states. the French imperial in.
sttnct died on St Helena. While these
other nations were at war, England was
waxing rich in commerce. Only the Cri-
mean war in which England did not fight
alone. and the Indian mutiny, seriously
interrupted eight decades OF profound
, peace.
Then came the BOer war. For the frs
time in its modern history Great Britain
faced an embattled nation alone. There
were no Russian allies no Hessian mer
eenaries: The Boer republics were small
and pOverty-stricken, and England mag
ined that the war would be brief and
inexpensive. The navy could no nothing
for this was land fight. campaign
in which the British were on the offensive
! The magnificent patriotism of the British
I ua a nd in "a
sponded 70 the unexpected call and thou
sands upon thousands of volunteers donneC
the kings coat and went to the SOutf
African war. But it cost many lives anS