MILITARY TRAINING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 85, 11 April 1929, Page 3

MILITARY TRAINING.

PRESBYTERIAN ATTITUDE.

SUPPORT FOR OBJECTOR,

UNANIMOUS DECISION. '.By Telegraph. — 0»n Correspondent.) WELL IN I-TUX. this day. The Wellington Presbytery this week cn-idered the application of Gordon Mc-K-uzie. agxl 20 year?, for support in seeking exemption from military training. 011 the ground that his conscience rendered it impo—ib!e lor liim to bear arms and take part in the slaughter of hi- Tl<>w -11it-ii. He expressed himself willing to devote him-elf to some form ui work which had nothing to do with militarism. It stated that the applicant wai [iri'ps r _'d to l".-e hi- po-ition at the 1 "eione Railway Work-hops, where he hud gone through an engineering course, beeau.-c of his attitude. He was in hi s ia-t year a- a military trainee, but had come to the point when he conscient ion-lv felt he could not go on with it. The Rev. Dr. Gibb said the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Chureh hari declared again-t compulsory military training. Tt had al-o reaffirmed its conviction of the inviolability of the right* of the individual conscience. He h»ld that the IYu-Ia tvry should support

the a ! .J.lican ■ . The \. .T. E. T.o] deU. the applicant"? mini.-tcr. he had interviewed McKeiiri - cm luanv oei-a-ion- roucerning his attitud" to military training. He did not share tin' applii-ant"- views on the -uVijc. t. hut he \vr- ,nre he was a genuine- |.oi>-r.'ii-',.ib otiieeTor and therefore eTititl'd to 4, 'e -uyi-ori ..f 'h« Presbytery. Mr. T.o] dell 'jnve i; .js h : - opinion that whereas tbp A-soinb 1 had declared ai-ai'-i* military train':'" h» rank and file rit" the Prp- 1 'i< ter'an < "lurch wa? sharplv dn'ded on th' ot'e-tion. ;md h® dot;!- tod nhflier thr- n i i'"ivir v of them would uphold the decision in favour of militarv training, hut there was -p,-, Houht as to the risfbt of the individual to lioertv of conscience. T'reilii terv !"-?niirou-lr resolved to support McKer'Vs application.