Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-23
HOW DRAFT HELPED
OUT BRITISH ARMY
Capt. Benson Relates Expe-
riences With Volunteer Sys-
tenn at Start Of War.
ECONOMY A BIG FACTOR

In tho printed reports of hearings
recently held before the House mill
tary affairs committee on selective con-
scription. Just made public. is an in
,eresting chapter furnished by Capt
Benson of the British army, who APP
peared before the committee to relate
the experience of Great Britain with
the volunteer system. it's failure and
subsequent resort to CONSUMPTION.
Capt. Benson said, in part
with regard to our experience on
the other side, we did, as you know
start with the volunteer system. We
went through various stages, each
stage entailing a long discussion and
considerable delay, and no doubt cost
the lives of many men and great deal
OF money. ! think it is generally ac-
copied over there today that if we had
gone in at first for universal obliga-
ton we certainly would have been in
a better position today. The democ-
racy OF England really forced on this
universal military obligation. We do
there.
Five Reasons That Forced It.
There were about 1--WE reasons. 1
think. that forced 1t. The first was
that the democracy there argued that
the state gave equal privileges to every
also be equal. and that the voluntary
system savored Of privilege. because A
and B come UP and enlist and C and D
do not. The argument was that why
should and B bear an obligation that
c and d do not bear when their priv
leges of citizenship are exactly alike
That was one of the greatest argu-
ments, and that was forced chiefly by
the labor party and by the mass of
public opinion.
THE second reason was that 1t was
evident after a time that universal OBJ
legation secured infinitely greater efficien
cy because the state, il 1t has every man
Of military age under an obligation to do
his duty by the state, can tell him ex
actly what to do and under our volunteer
system at the beginning Of the war thou
sands OF men from the coal mines. the
shipbuilding yards, mechanics and farm
laborers enlisted and went out. Those
men were skilled to a very great extent.
Afterward. when urgent necessity for
those men came. we had to withdraw
bring them back to the workshops, where
they we're urgently necessary. OF course,
under a system Of universal obligation
the state can simply say, You stay in the
workshop. and you go In other words, A
and B were very often the coal miners
and the farm laborers. and C and D were
perhaps men selling ribbons in a woman's
dressmaking shop. where they would not
have been missed nor upset the military
effort.
Economy Big Point.
1.-THE third point was economy; and
this. as matter Of fact. came under my
own view. Very often A and B. who en-
listed, we're married mon with long fam
lilies. while and D were single men. say.
While those men were on service the
state had to pay separation allowances
and dependent allowances for AS and BIS
wives and children and dependents. and
those allowances were a very serious fac
tor. In fact, It was laughfngly said that
if man only had enough children his
pay would be as much as the pay of a
general, and that was a factor that had
great weight In one case I was told to
enlist a squadron for certain purposes,
and these men were Just civilian laborers.
They were given 25 shillings a week.
THE very day we put them into uni
form. on account Of the fact that 1t
was under the volunteer system and we
took all men who came, married or sim
gle. the pay list went up the very next
separation allowances for children. etc.
There is no doubt about the efficiency
and economy of the system Of universal
military obligation.
you can then choose the single men
and reject the married men with large
and big dependencies. and if a
man is injured. in the case of single
man you have no separation allowances
to pay to his wife and children, and II
he Is killed you have no pension to pay.
1t is very. very extravagant. they found
in England. to take any man who
comes. because you will not be able to
pick and choose. and the only way you
can pick and choose is simply to say
You are all equally liable
Fourth Reason.
1.-THE fourth thing which think drove
tho people to 1t was continuity Of eff
fort, and that was a very important
thing. They have found during the
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