AT WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 120, 21 May 1917, Page 7

AT WAR.

BLISSFUL IGNORANCE. A SHIRKER'S PLEA. i From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON". March 22. Many of your readers are no doubt familiar with the tale of the brawny sailor who violently assaulted a .Jew. and on being remonstrated with sought to excuse his offence by accusing his victim of being "one of them blokes wot persecuted Jesus.'* "But. ray ;_ood man." said the party who had intervened between .lack and the Jew." "that all happened nearly two thousand yeans ago.'' "Love a duck, you don't say so?" said. Jack with surprise, adding. "But. anyhow. 1 only heard of it to-mght at the mission." Of course, this is only a far-fetched tale, but the notion that in the twentieth century a presumably civilised being should reach manhood \Mthe-ut having heard of the event that culminated m the crucifixion, is no harder to accept than the tale a man arrested undeT the Military Service Act tried to lob off on the Kingston magistrate the other day. 'ine man. mark you. described himself as a "general dealer." and his business naturally brougiit him into contact with all sorts and conditions of people, from whom he bought and to whom he sold. Yet. when arreste-l as an absentee this man—\\ illiam Davis, aged 30—pleaded that he didn't know the country was at war! Police Sergeant A.-ott stated that when he asked prisoner if he had presented himself for military service, lie replied. "1 don't know what you mean." lie was told the country was at war. and he then asked: "Who are we at war with?" The Clerk (to prisoner): "Don't you know we are at war': ' "1 know now: but I can't read or write, an-d I never get hold of a newspaper."' You know there is compulsory service' —No. sir. The magistrate wisely forbore comment on Davis' "innocence." and merely ordered him to be handed over to the waiting escort.