| | and produce a | |
   | | SOCIAL DEBACLE | |
   | | | |
   | which may become which may become |
   | a Governing the controlled |
   | Class (with waster regimented |
   | elements) in and disciplined |
   | an unprogressive Labour Class of |
   | Bureaucratic <-----------------> an unprogressive |
   | SERVILE STATE Bureaucratic |
   | SERVILE STATE |
   | |
  which may become which may be
  the whole community rendered needless
  of the GREAT STATE by a universal
  working under various compulsory year
  motives and inducements or so of labour
  but not constantly, service together
  nor permanently with a scientific
  nor unwillingly organisation
                                                      of production,
                                                      and so reabsorbed
                                                      by re-endowment
                                                      into the Leisure
                                                      Class of the
                                                      GREAT STATE

THE COMMON SENSE OF WARFARE

Sec. 1

CONSCRIPTION

I want to say as compactly as possible why I do not believe that conscription would increase the military efficiency of this country, and why I think it might be a disastrous step for this country to take.

By conscription I mean the compulsory enlistment for a term of service in the Army of the whole manhood of the country.  And I am writing now from the point of view merely of military effectiveness.  The educational value of a universal national service, the idea which as a Socialist I support very heartily, of making every citizen give a year or so of his life to our public needs, are matters quite outside my present discussion.  What I am writing about now is this idea that the country can be strengthened for war by making every man in it a bit of a soldier.