From ‘The End of the First Year‘, The Spectator, 7 August 1915:
What of the future? Shall we be able to make as good a show in the second year of the war as we have in the first? We believe we shall make a far better show. The willingness to make sacrifices in order that we may win the war is far greater than it was a year ago, because the need for such sacrifices is far better understood. Next, though our preparation is not as great or as successful as it ought to be, it is infinitely more advanced than it was a year ago. We have not only a far stronger and bigger fleet than we had, but we have some three million more men under arms or in training than we had a year ago. Lastly, though the need is still imperative, we have not only a far larger number of rifles and machine-guns and heavy artillery, but we have also a far larger plant for manufacturing them than we had. Again, though we are still deficient in shells, our power of turning out shell of all kinds and also small arms munitions is infinitely greater than it was. Our needs, of course, seem larger than they were, and there are many examples known to the public of units waiting arms, but this is due not to there being fewer arms available, but to the vastly greater number of men who are wanting them. We ought to add to this catalogue of increased strength an item more important, in our opinion, than any we have yet named—that is, the willingness, we had almost said the unanimous willingness, of the people of this country to consent to compulsory service rather than risk being beaten, or partially beaten, by our enemies. It is not too much to say that in the last few months the conversions to compulsory service have been growing by leaps and bounds. The only serious argument that is now used against compulsory service is that it is not worth while to disturb the nation by organizing a system of compulsion when the men are still coming in faster than the rifles with which to arm them. The moment the supplies of munitions get ahead of the supplies of men the demand for national service will, we are certain, become irresistible. The nation, in fine, is preparing itself for the great sacrifice, and when the word is given—when Duty says “Thou must,” there will be few indeed who will not answer, “I can and I will.”
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