New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-01
Consumption in Britain.

OOnSCIlplOn III OIlldiAi'
The national registration bill in
PRODUCED in the British House of Com
mons by Walter Hume Long, the Presi-
dent of the Local Government Board, Is
not admittedly a forerunner of military
CONSUMPTION. The measure applies to
both sexes, and its aim is to classify all
persons between fifteen and sixty-five
years of age, with view of organizing
the community more efficiently for state
purposes.
Mr.. Long said in the House Of Com
mons that his bill was designed to pro-
vide the machinery which could procure
the maximum output at a minimum cost
That Is a rather vague and conciliatory
statement Yet, according TO "The London
Chronicle" a Radical organ, some Of the
Liberals and Radicals in Parliament will
oppose the measure on the ground not
only that It involves a waste of national
energy, but also because it would
obviously provide information Of great
value in the event of some measure of
compulsory military service being
deemed necessary in the future"
Compulsory military service is q red
rag to the Radical British newspapers.
1t is their pet obsession that conscrip-
ton, even as a war measure, would prove
an axe laid at the root Of British liber-
ties. They oppose anything which
suggests an acceptance of the principle
that it is the right as well as the duty Of
the state to draw for self-defence on the
services of all its citizens.
This prejudice against the compulsory
utilization Of a nations resources in labor
or in fighting material is peculiarly
British. 1t is in no way an outcropping
of the democratic spirit struggling
against an Decentralization Of power
in the hands of the government France
has the CONSUMPTION system. Advanced
democracies like Switzerland and Aus
tralia also have it. During our Civil
War the North resorted to the draft and
the South enforced a compulsory enlist
ment which robbed the cradle and the
grave. If Great Britain should decide to
use conscription she would be doing no
violence whatever to accepted ideas Of
democratic policy.
There is, Of course, a certain amount
Of objection to CONSUMPTION from a purely
military point of view. Mr.. Hilaire
Belloc, a very competent military critic,
has clearly stated the arguments against
as well as in favor of compulsory enlist
ment. 1t is his opinion that if a major
fraction-say 60 to Go per cent-of Great
Britain's available fighting strength has
already been mustered into service under
the voluntary system, CONSUMPTION may
possibly cost more in effort than it IS
worth. II It is assumed that the war will
end within a year, the voluntary method
would probably give Great Britain as
many men as could possibly be organized,
trained and supplied with munitions.
But If it is conceded that the war may
continue for two years longer, then the
entire military resources of the kingdom
are likely to be severely taxed and it
would be only wise foresight to call out
every man, within certain age limitations,
who is fit to bear arms.
Germany has been successful so far
because she has utilized her strength to
much better advantage than the Allies
have as yet been able to do. In order TO
defeat Germany the Allies will have to
take war as seriously as she has taken
(which means that each of the allied
Governments must assume absolute con-
troll Of all disposable resources in men and
material.
Great Britain may take to CONSUMPTION
reluctantly as military necessity. Only
a general recognition that military
policy requires it will smother domestic
opposition to such measure Of innova-
ton and sacrifice. But the moral effect
of CONSUMPTION on outside opinion is also
worth regarding. General compulsory
service in Great Britain would be hailed
With satisfaction by all the other mem
bers of the allied coalition. 1t would in
spirit them and it would be received by
the rest Of the world as an indication that
the British people had at last awakened
TO the very formidable character Of the
Teutonic alliance and had pledged them
selves TO a truly national effort TO wear
down the numerically inferior but-up
TO this point-better organized forces Of
the enemy.