CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 164, 11 July 1919, Page 4

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

SHOULD THEY BE B.BI.FASED 1 ' I REPLY TO LABOUR DEPUTATION, j A Labour deputation which interviewed the Ministers of the Crown in Wellington on Wednesday asked for the release of conscientious objectors. Speaker* urged these men had suffered for wiiat they believed to be right, and. should now be set free. j Sir James Allen, in reply, said tliat; he had met many of the conscientious' ! objectors. While some of them were sincere, others were hardened. When lie thought of the casualty lists, and reilUecTthat nearly 17.000 men bid lost their lives to maintain tho freedom of the individual, he could not understand a man Having a conscience whose conScience did not dictate to "him that he had a duty to stand alongside those men who had sacrificed all for ihe freedom of the individual and the After all. conscience was only what a mat , , made it. and he could not help thinking: that if some of the influence? Iml li«*en brought to bear that might have been, showing that men gave up everything they had to save others, the jiidfliii'-nt of some of the objectors might, have been different. An honest religious' objector was not included in the tie faulted* li.-t. Mr H.E.Holland. M.P.: >ome of them aro. I Sir .lames Allen: The cases were investijratnd L'y an independent commissionMr. Holland: Not independent;. One of them was hostile from the start. | >ir lames Allen: 1 am just as pood a jinlpe of their independence a-> you are. and 1 ac.fnt their judgment in the matter. Ail honest religion* objector was not included in the list. Mr. Holland: That is not correct. ■Sir -lames Allen: You may say what you like, but the cases were investigated by a commission whose judgment I aivept. As to what Government will do the matter has been considered several times already, and no action has jvt been taken, but ihe Cabinet will have tho question un for consideration again at an early date.