394 



The Review of Reviews. 



accept compulsory service. This is not 

 the case, and if proof were needed 

 it can be found in the way in which 

 the Insurance Act, affecting as it does 

 everybody and inconveniencing the 

 majority, has been received. If we 

 could rely upon the enthusiasm of the 

 masses for physical improvement or 

 for rifle shooting, a solution of the 

 problem would be comparatively easy. 

 This, however, is not so, and yet it is 

 probable that the men themselves 

 would enjoy being more physically fit, 

 and would be interested in marksman- 

 ship for the defence of their country 

 against an invader. 



What is needed is that 

 What is every man should be 

 Needed. able to shoot, and that 

 he should have the 

 rudiments of discipline. We do not 

 need an enormous military machine 

 such as exists on the Continent. 

 Colonel Seely, M.P., Secretary of State 

 for War, speaking of the Territorial 

 Force, of whom he said there were 

 263,479 officers and men, or 84 per 

 cent, of the establishment laid down, 

 launched the idea of universal ser- 

 vice by consent as the nobler ideal 

 for home defence. He promised that 

 " if you fulfil the ideal of universal 

 service by consent, the Government, 

 be it this one or the next, will so 

 frame its organisation as to compre- 

 hend you all." This is a distinct step 

 in advance, and Colonel Seely is to be 

 congratulated both on his common 

 sense and on a certain degree of courage. 

 We would recommend to him the re- 

 markable speech of the German 

 Emperor concerning the Swiss Army : 

 " In the Swiss Army extraordinary 



zeal prevails ; the Swiss soldier gladly 

 makes great exertions for the love of 

 his country, and the Swiss Army 

 is maintained by the love of the 

 whole Swiss people." We may forget 

 our duties of citizenship, but we 

 cannot in this way avoid the respon- 

 sibility. If Mahomet said, " Let each 

 one of you share in the direction of 

 public affairs, and everyone who thus 

 directs is responsible," so must we. 

 In this connection no more inspiring 

 example could be found than the death 

 of the famous Japanese warrior, 

 General Nogi, in order to emphasize 

 and perpetuate the practical patriotism 

 in which he believed. 



The Dominions con- 



The Dominions tinuc to demonstrate 



Nationa7iefence. that to them the Empire 



is a very real thing by 

 continuing their preparations to supple- 

 ment our naval power by Dreadnoughts, 

 by military contributions, and by local 

 squadrons. At the same time they are 

 pressing on for systems of universal 

 cadet training, and are fully awake to 

 the fact that they think such a course 

 is both necessary and beneficial. But 

 it is as well that this country should 

 realise now, rather than later, that in the 

 near future the Dominions who are 

 training their sons to be efficient in the 

 defence of their country and to be 

 available in case of Empire peril will 

 certainly urge, if they do not demand, 

 that we in the Mother Country shall 

 take some similar steps. It is not that 

 they do not realise that the British 

 Army is excellent — all the Colonial 

 officers, including Colonel Sam 

 Hughes, the Minister of Militia in 

 Canada, were more than enthusiastic 



