Saturday saw the first batch of militiamen, called up under the Military Training Act, report for duty, and the turn over from a voluntary system in times of peace,—or rather the absence of warfare, which is nearer the truth,—has passed into its first stage. The calling up of the men of twenty years of age under the Act brought into evidence the striking changes which have been going on quietly in Britain since the end of the last war. Medical officers were astonished to be able to report that over eighty per cent. of the men inspected were fit, of the remainder only a very small. proportion were definitely unfit for service, and only a very few described themselves as conscientious objectors,—somewhere over 3,000 out of a total of 220,000 called up. Thus there has been striking proof afforded that the money which has been spent on social services during the last two decades has been thoroughly profitable in the way of the improved health and constitutions of the new generation, and the general result seems to be that whereas the C3 man was accepted twenty years ago as something quite usual, he is now in the nature of a curiosity. Supervision of school-childrens' health has been mainly responsible for the striking improvement, though another important factor has undoubtedly been the changing of popular ideas on the subject of dietary and. similar developments. There was a fear only a comparatively few years ago that the loathing of war, the result of the bitter experiences during 1914-1918, might turn the youth of Great Britain into a generation of slackers, but that fear has been set at rest by the splendid response which has been made to the call to duty. It has given the lie direct to those who were continually urging that Britain was rapidly becoming decadent. She is not, and in the renewed vitality of her youth she is demonstrating a new strength.
The institution of compulsory military training must inevitably produce new problems in the life of the nation. Many of them have already been foreseen and to a very extent already solved. Precautions have been taken to see that those who have been called away from their employment to un-dargo training will not lose their positions by reason of their being six months away, and the penalties which have been decided upon are probably such as to deter any employer unpatriotic enough to penalize the young militia man by refusing to permit him to return to lifs job. From another point of view there is a most interesting aspect of compulsory service which will undoubtedly be keenly watched. The bringing together in a common service of all classes of youth, is not in its way unlike that very interesting annual camp started by H. M. the King, when Duke of York, when public school boys and lads from the working classes were brought together in the most democratic manner possible. It was found that even in this small experiment there was produced a greater understanding between the classes, and if that were true then, how much truer should it prove when over 200,000 of the youths of Britain are brought together for six months in all the intimacy of barrack life The eradication of class distinctions for such a period, the continuance of associations in the further period of service in the Territorial should in the course of comparatively few years bring about a better state of understanding between the classes than has ever existed before. From: point of view that is highly desirable, if only for the fact that it should serve to prevent the spread of the idea of class warfare which has been sedulously fostered by those who would bring about a change in the form of Government in Great Britain. There is one other important feature of this great change. In a very few years now the manhood of Great Britain will have gone through a period of disciplinary training which has hitherto been lacking. It will not remould the characters of the men to any great degree but will serve to modify those ideas of personal freedom which so often receive criticism.
The general system of training provides that merit shall quickly be recognized. Those recruits showing special aptitude and character will receive that attention which should develop those characteristics, and provide for the filling of the officer class in a manner best suited to the circumstances. The promising recruit will receive his chance in accordance with the tradition that there is no rank in the British army to which the capable private should not be able to. aspire. Much has been made of the new arrangements for the accommodation of these young men. It is right that this should be so, for the authorities are wise in making it plain to them that they are not just so much cannon-fodder, but men called upon to prepare themselves for their most sacred duty to their country, namely that of defending it. It is possible that the old type of sergeant-major will snort with disgust when he learns of the manner in which these recruits are to be dealt with, but it is just possible that if the work of training these men were entrusted to his particular type the whole scheme might fail in its purpose. There are all manner of problems to be solved which have not been encountered before, and the application of the rule of thumb, methods which have worked very well with the voluntarily enlisted men may not prove efficacious when dealing with youths who ordinarily would not have contemplated joining the army in times of peace, and who might in some cóses be irked by the new life which is being forced upon them. Recognition of.that fact is one of the most pleasing features of the whole business, for it~ indicates that the authorities are fully apprised of the difticulties which have to be encountered, and the necessity of dealing with them with circumspection. The reward will undoubtedly be a rich one. That six months training will add greatly to the physique of these young men who have been found surprisingly fit, and a spirit of regeneration will be abroad in the land.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.