le. But we have
seen that that is, under present conditions, impossible. Therefore we
urge that all citizens should be armed and trained to the use of arms,
so that all reasonable military requirements may be met and
professional soldiering be entirely dispensed with."[541] The fact
that the abolition of the professional army would involve the loss of
India and of other possessions to Great Britain is a matter of no
importance to the Socialists. In fact the Socialists wish Great
Britain to lose not only India but all her colonies, as will be seen
by reference to Chapter XI., "Socialism and the Empire."[542]

Every attempt at improving the voluntary army of Great Britain is
considered a blow at Socialism, and is therefore vigorously resisted
by the Socialists. Hence the scheme of army reform of Mr. Haldane,
Secretary of State for War, has been loudly condemned by them as
reactionary and likely to strengthen the capitalists, and they entreat
the workers not to oppose universal military training. "The capitalist
class would be perfectly delighted that all the rest of the people
outside themselves and their mercenaries should be peaceful unarmed
non-resisters. Nothing could suit them better. We have Mr. Haldane's
territorial army--on paper; and a more reactionary, militarist (in the
worst sense), and anti-democratic system than that to which the
present War Minister has had the effrontery to apply our term of the
'Armed Nation' could scarcely be devised."[543]

Whether Mr. Haldane's proposals give Great Britain a better army for
national and Imperial defence, is apparently immaterial to the
Socialists, for they criticise it merely from the point of view of
intending rioters and revolutionaries. They complain: "The position
of the Volunteers now is this, that they are not under military law,
and cannot be called out as soldiers to shoot down workmen at the
bidding of the capitalists. Mr. Haldane's scheme, however, destroys
the civilian character of the Volunteers, and converts them into
professional soldiers."[544]

Although most Socialists are in favour of a national militia, a
considerable number oppose even a national militia of the Swiss type,
fearing that it would refuse to aid the Socialists in overturning
society as at present constituted. "We have been told of the readiness
with which the Swiss militia have donned their uniforms and seized
their rifles when called upon to act against strikers."[545] The
Socialist