MILITARY TRAINING.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14320, 3 April 1912, Page 3

MILITARY TRAINING.

THE PRINCIPLE APPROVED OF.

(srnci.u. to "the vnEss"). WELLINGTON. Anvil 2. Heartily supporting tlio Rev. R. S. Gray, of Christchurch. oomes a message from the Rev. E. 0. Blamiros, of the Wellington Central Mission, sturdily commending the prinoiplo of compulsory military training. In a letter to the National Defence league, Mr Rlamires says:—"Allow mc to Ray, not a<? a representative of the Church to which 1 belong, but in my private capacity, that it has seemed to mo that the conscientious objections to military training, as now enforced, do not compel a man to fight where his conscientious convictions would prevent him. It lays a man under no obligation to enter a campaign of attack upon another nation, but it is a safeguard to complete our preparations for defence in case of hostile invasion of our shores. My belief concerning the young manhood or" New Zealand assures mo that in the event of a grave necessity ar:.sin<j for a call to arms to defend our country, the response would be hearty and conscientious objections would bi> almost unheard of. .The-, present call, however, is not for service so much a« for training in preparation for such service, and even allowing for the possibility of conscientious conviction hindering a fo\y in the case of actual warfare of this, character, it should be manifest that such convictions need not necessarily interfere with a course of training. If my conception oi the Act is correct, then I feel confident that the emphasis laid by the Defence Society upon the above would heln in makintr more popular a measure which has called for much criticism from certain quarters. Recently I had a letter from a minister acting in the capacity of chaplain to one of the camps. In the letter the following appeared:— '"Nearly a thousand men were there, and the general tone was good. The officers wero a fine lot, and rendered the chaplains every assistance. The discipline, and habits of tidiness and cleanliness were good for the men.' "

"Such a nntc\" conclude* Mr Blamircs, '"lets lii'ht \\]wn tho benefits that may conic to the young manhood of our Dominiop. whili> tht« pi-cnaratory tr.-iin-inp of such caniDs is carrird on. May such a fine standard ho niaintainfcl."