UNIVERSAL MILITARY SERVICE ii 



no one to move a finger for the defence of his 

 country, except by means of the press-gang, which, 

 however, has now long been abolished, and Great 

 Britain seeks always to man her fleet, and to 

 settle every national quarrel, with the help of 

 volunteers. 



It can be clearly demonstrated, to any one re- 

 quiring such demonstration, that to be trained to 

 the use of arms, and to practise for the necessary 

 period, all the bodily movements implied by such 

 training immensely improve the physique of 

 any one so trained. Such training does not, as 

 so man}'' ordinary occupations do, harden one 

 set of sinews, put muscle on one particular limb, 

 and relax all other sinews and limbs : it improves 

 the whole body, without and within, often mak- 

 ing, of what were under-sized, round-shouldered 

 lads, fine, healthy, vigorous men. 



A nation where such training is universal is 

 taking a distinct step, even if it should never 

 have to fight a single battle against a foe, towards 

 making its population the finest possible physi- 

 cally. 



Something towards such an end might perhaps 

 be done by establishing gymnasia all over the 

 country, in all its towns. But by that means 

 nothing would be done towards the defence of 

 the country : universal military service achieves 

 both ends in a stroke. 



But we are supposing a nation, besides wish- 

 ing to do its utmost to improve the physique of 

 its population, to desire also the greatest possible 

 degree of social improvement, that is, in the 



