The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1906-12-08 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MILITARY TRAINING CHURCH 1100IRTIRS FAVOUR  OOMPUII.BIO*  Should this country adopt a system of compulsory military service? The question is one upon which opinion differs rather acutely nowadays, and the members of Orton-road Congregational and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Literary Societies had a warm time discussing it on Saturday evening, when they met in inter-debate. The meeting was held in the Lecture Hall at the Congregational Church, and the Rev. W. L. Carter, MA., presided over a good attendance. He extended a cordial welcome to the visiting Society, and hoped that would be only the first of many pleasant encounters to follow.  Mr. Stevenson Halliday opened with a I telling appeal in the affirmative on behalf of St. Andrew's Society. He said it was the duty of every man to be prepared to fight for and protect his country. He did not advocate the system of compulsory militaryl service which obtained on the Continent, and which was known sh "conscription." but a compulsory system of military training similar to that adopted by the Swiss, the Belgians, or the Japanese. If we did not adopt a system of thorough training. our next great war at any rate would compel us to introduce some system of compulsory military training. Lord Salisbury had said that the defence of our shores was not the duty of the Government or the War Office, but of the nation. We were face to face with what might be termed the breakdown of the voluntary system. Suppose at some future date we were at variance with a foreign Power, the experience of the South African war had taught us that nothing but national disaster would appear to confront us under present conditions. To put aside all preconceived notions on the subject, was it not far juster and more equitable that the nation should take the burden of its defence upon its shoulders as a nation rather than shift that burden on to the backs of those compelled by circumstances to bear itP However much we disliked it we had to face tin fact that no man entered the Army until every other occupation failed him and as a last resort. It might be said a compulsory and universal system would tend to the production of militarism, but he believed that when men of every social class were liable to be compelled to take part in war, they would never begin war except upon considerations of vital importance and until they had sought very strenuously to protect the interests at stake by the use of means other than war. Thare was no better antidote to the irresponsible feeling of aggression and jingoism than the prospect of undergoing in person those discomforts, hardships, and dangers incidental to and concurrent with fighting. Military reform must come. Apart from all questions of military expediency, universal training to arms should be welcomed for its own sake. Experienced clergymen, doctors, and 'physicians were united in testifying that it would go to promote national health,, discipline, and morality which were, after all, the foundations of national efficiency. Mr. T. A. Stephenson. who was the first speaker for the Oxton-road Society, was just as emphatic on behalf of the negative side of the argument as Mr. Halliday was in the other direction. He said that the very fact that they were a branch of a Christian Church should make them stand there as anti-militarists to condemn a universal system of military training. They desired something which would help to build up character and help their fel' lows on the way. If people could only realise what 280,000,000 per year (the annual cost of our military system) would do for the furtherance of social amelioration, we should perhaps hear of some convections. War was wholesale slaughter, and murder retail slaughter. As to the physical aspect, physical exercise could be had in the cricket and football fields, in gymnasiums, or with harriers and cycling clubs, without undergoing military training. Rifle shooting at a mark was of little or no value as physical exercise. At the present time there was quite sufficient evil in the world without developing our passions in that I way. Militarism was not so much the protection of our country as the safeguarding of private property. Lord Roberts had already introduced military training for I boys, and we ought to glory in the Failure, of his appeal for £lOO,