From The Spectator, 21 November 1914:
Both at home and abroad this war has already caused us to wonder whether we wake or dream, so different in many respects are the events from the anticipations. To begin with, there is a matter in which the Spectator has a particular reason for being sensible of the topsy-turviness of the war—the treatment of the voluntary and compulsory principles. We have written on this subject in another article, but may allow ourselves to dwell again on the paradox. For years we have been preaching the necessity of compulsory military training, and here we are to-day exhausting every expedient and ransacking our imagination in order to persuade the Government to save the voluntary principle! They have chosen the voluntary principle for the war. “So be it,” say we—”don’t let us swap horses while crossing the stream. Let us work the voluntary principle for all it is worth. We believe with you that the thing can be done while the country is in its present spirit. We can talk about compulsion again when the war is over.”
But do the Government work the voluntary principle for all it is worth? Not at all; they act as though they desired to be able to point to its failure. They might, to all appearance, be working secretly for its downfall while praising its soundness with their lips. We hasten to admit that they are certainly unaware of the inadequacy of their plans for saving voluntary service, which are of course thoroughly well meant. And no doubt they know very well that if their present effort in scientific recruiting fails they must be driven back upon compulsion. But the fact remains that if that should happen they will not be able to say that many ardent members of the hated National Service League did not come forward to beg them to save voluntaryism and earnestly to lay before them plans for doing it!
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