REFUSED ORDERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 193, 16 August 1941, Page 9

REFUSED ORDERS

PACIFIST VIEWS

WELLINGTON COURT-MARTIAL

_ WELLINGTON, Friday. I Appearing in civilian clothes, j Private Raymond Firmston, Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, pleaded guilty before a district courtmartial at Trentham camp to-day to two charges of disobeying lawful commands, the first being a refusal to be medically examined and the second a refusal to receive blankets and messing gear. A report of the proceedings will be forwarded to the officer convening the court-martial, Brigadier N. W. McD. Weir, N.Z.S.C., who will consider the Court's recommendation of sentence. On accused pleading guilty, the judge-advocate read to the Court the summary of evidence. In this, the camp sergeant-major. P. Mackenzie, said that he received accused from the assistant-provost-marshal at the camp. He was in civilian clothes. He explained to accused that he was subject to military law and ordered him to report for medical examination and to receive bedding and messing gear. Accused said he would refuse to obey any instructions, as service as a soldier was against his I principles and he would have to take what was coming to him. Corroborative evidence was also read. Accused's statement was read to the Court. Major Dunn, for accused, said it was a case of conscientious refusal. Accused had made up his mind and had already suffered imprisonment. During the past few years, as was a matter of common knowledge, there had been a lot of loose talk about pacifism, which had spread throughout New Zealand. In the present case the accused said that the man who now caused him to be called up had encouraged him to pacifist views. It was all very well for politicians, who were used to that sort of thing, to preach pacifist views at one stage and then, when the national feeling was different, to change their views easily. It was not, however, so easy for their disciples, who had not the facility to adapt themselves to public feeling. It might be said that he was mentally bewildered, for he had been encouraged to believe that everything to do with war was wrong, and further, he said he had been encouraged to that view by the present Minister of National Service; now he felt some mental distress to find that the same Minister now insisted that he should perform military service.