THE ANTI-MILITARISTS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14513, 20 December 1912, Page 10

THE ANTI-MILITARISTS.

* CHAT AYTTH MB T. C. GREGORY. AX OPINION ON THE AMENDMENT. (FBOM OXm OWN CORnESPONDENT , .) LONDON', November IC. Not the 'cast interesting of my experiences in Bristol was an interview I with Mr T. C Gregory, who will bo well . known in New Zealand as in the forefront of the English campaign against our Universal Service Act. Mr Gregory called on mc, I think out of curiosity, because we differ. He is, as I thought, a Quaker —a sect very prominently and traditionally associated with Bristol —a printer by trade, and just one of those earnest, wellmeaning men. who in Australasia sometimes rise to be mayors of important cities. Any injustice lie has dono New Zealand I feel certain was done out of the. fervour of liis. earnestness as & Quaker, and not out of malice. "Wo talked over the military question for some time, and Mr Gregory admitted his tenets as a member of the Society of Friends are the moving cause in this campaign. Ho seemed genuinely surprised when i explained to him, m answer to the charge that "Militarism" hail been forced on the country, the steps which had led to the public practically demanding that Parliament should pass the law. He also seemed impressed by the fact that a Parliament elected after it had como into force had "renounced so strongly in its favour. What Mr Gregory could not quite get out of his mind was a vague but fixed impression that the National Service League here had something to do with forcing the system on New Zealand. The fact is, of course, that theNational Service league is using the New Zealand example to help its propaganda here. Mr Gregory insisted that the_ Government ought to make the perils of conscription plain to intending emigrants, and in a circular published broadcast in Bristol to-day he calls on Mr Mackenzie to "circularise all the emigration agents throughout tho country to distinctly inform intending emigrants" of their military obligations. I s-i-gvested to him that tho Government would not probably have any objection to including the information in their literature sinco they had no desiro at :ill to hide it. Discussing the amended Act, Mr Gregory says:—"The , reduction of the penalty of tho loss of the vote, and refusal of Government employment to a term of ten years indicates that tho public protest against tho form of conscription adopted in tho Dominion is having effect. Tho Government clearly observes that tho prosecution and imprisonment of lads with definite, clear, conscientious objections to war and training for war, cannot continue without great damage being dono to tho welfare of tho Dominion. They trust that by substituting military detention —in other words, military imprisonment in military barracks for tho civil JXCiol —to delude the people into the idea that a less drastic penalty is to bo imposed on defaulters. Such, however, is not tho case, for military control, unchecked by tho civil power, gets the upper hand, and when that is the recognised position civil and religious freedom eventually disappear. "Tho attachment of -wages clause shows how boneless the authorities are as to ability to collect the fmes imposed in such, a large number of cases still unpaid and no intention of payment, but it remains to be seen how such an infringement of civil rights will work, legalised though it may be, and is for tho future to disclose. A step in tho right direction is the removal of the Junior Cadets from tho military control

of Maior-General Godley and his staff. This is iv decided concession to public opinion, which will not rest satisfied until tho compulsory clauses are absolutely removed. Tho reason why in this country the most unflinching opposition should be given to the compulsory clauses of tho Act is that in spite of tho claim of the prompters of this legislation, tho National Service League of Knsiiand, that physical, economic, and moral advantages arise out of such a system, no kind of official intimation lis to intending emgirints, who { j are left to fall into the tran so cleverly ! tict for them unon their arrival in Now I Zealand, and also in Australia. j "In the name of common honesty. S should not tho free circulars issued by ajrents and the Emigration Information Office, London, contain such information in order that intending emigrants j —especially with growing lads—shall i l;no\r what actually confronts them? I Tho roeont caso of the Sellars, at Patca, i is a. L:lariii{: instance of tho injustice of J not informing beforehand intending immigrants.' .