Napoleon conscripted for aggression and conquest. Under National
Service Republican France has had freedom from internal convulsions
and Chauvinistic military adventures. In defence the French people
have made sacrifices of blood and treasure beyond computation. But for
nearly half a century, notwithstanding the brutal arrogance and avarice
of Prussia in 1870, they kept the peace themselves and were among the
active forces for peace in the councils of Europe. In Germany national
service is not the “Will of the people,” but the instrument of rulers
lusting for dominion and intolerant of the privileges and ideals of
democracy. If France had trusted to the voluntary system she would have
been overcome in 1914, before her forces could have been organized to
resist the German attack. We reach false conclusions because we think
of the origin of “conscription” rather than of the equity of national
service. A democracy chooses its rulers; an autocracy commands its
subjects. In France and Germany we have the conflicting ideals of an
autocracy organized for attack and a democracy organized for defence. A
looser military organization in France would have ensured the success
of the attack. Failure to arm the nation would have been equivalent
to self-destruction. Where the power to command, without assent of
the people, exists, democracy has not come to birth. Where democracy
rejects the supreme obligation of citizenship it is not full born. One
may not think that the world must “stand to arms” forever but until the
free democracies develop the power and the spirit to disarm autocracies
and command peace, enduring peace will not prevail. Whether or not any
league of nations will ever “fight for peace” only the gods know. From
the welter of blood and ruin upon which we look to-day it would be a
dark prospect if we could not cherish the vision.