CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16161, 15 March 1918, Page 9

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

TO TUB EDITOR OF "THIS TRUSS." Sir,— Regarding tho increasing number of men being court-martiancd, a question, has arisen in my mind as to whether the authorities aj-e -within tho law in court-martialhng .civilians who have not been required Ito take the oath of allegianco to the King. I foink a ruling on that point would be of general interest. —Yours, etc.j S.H.H. [Section 11 of the Military Service Act, 1916, provides that every man callcd up lor service shall forthwith be deemed to he a member or the Expeditionary Force, "in the same manner to all intents ana purposes, subject, however, to tho provisions of this Act, as it' he had voluntarily enlisted and taken the oath of allegiance under the principal Act." Section 13 provides that a man failing to obey any order or notice may be tried and punished under the Army Act. — fed., "The Press."]

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir,—l really do see, at last, that the Press does not caro much about the claims of conscience; so, ii you •will permit jiic, I mean to sound in this letter the second string only of my Jittle O'.O. haip—efficiency. It's tone is shriller, and may perhaps catch, tho car of some who are insusceptible to tnfe deeper vibration. Certain ardent patriots, not always perhaps of fino perception or unimpeachable character, have explained to me with emphasis, 'during tho past few' days, that "they know how these fellows ought to be dealt with. They woyld shoot them." One such, a good man. I am certain in his own. way, even remarked, with engaging simplicity, that, as they were proving so hard for us to deal with, he really thought the best way would be "to send them to god." I was rather grateful to him for being evidently certain they would reach Heaven; but what he and these others do not seem to see is, that for every C.O. thus happily despatched, a dozen others would at once come into being. Have these gentlemen never read any history ? never seen, tho statement that "the blood of the martyrs is tho seed of the Church?" Shoot a single C.0., and you will propagate the doctrine of anti-militarism better than by any other means. Here is General Godley'a opinion:—"The question of the disposal of conscientious objectors has turned up, and is a very difficult one. . . . (If one were) sbot for refusing to do duty in the face of the enemy, this would, of course, .be the very worst thing thnt could possibly happen, and would make martyrs of them.' (Sir Jaines Allen s statement in "New Zealand Times,'' February 25th.) So it doesn't seem as if shooting is the way out any more than the present system, which is nourishing l anti-militarism, too; and I

really believe that a little quiet fairness and commonsense would pave the approach better thaii all this passion and prejudice. Fortunately, there is a sense of fairness among our —• 'Uuy men. Nobody could have :,tteii-l«d the court-martial here the other day without being struck by the council-

ous, the even generous, fairness snowa by the Court to the accused; a,ml 1 have just received, for signature, tho official report of my ovidencc jeforc the Defencc Expenditure Commission, which, in its absolute clean fairness, isnotonly something of a relief to me, but also a real delight. What our military authorities, however, seem to lack, is business aptitude. Your readers will have noticed for themselves that the lied Cross Society had the pleasure of supplying; Hanmer Hospital .with necessities which "Regulations" denied; as a Red Cross worker within my own narrow limits, I. feel that the "Association exists rather to do its own work. And on Thursday, +Jxe presiding officer, for whom one could only feel the utmost sympathy, explained that his application for a shorthand writer had not been allowed; and so all the official record had to lie laboriously taken down actually in longhand, and the Court had, in consequence, to sit at least twice as long as it need have done. These are tiny

details, but'they have happened recently, and within the public gaze. Cannot the business men give the- military a littJo useful help as to the C.O. problem? Bj' the way, if Mr Miller had been at that court-martial, I don't tliink lie would liavo gone on believing that "sincere C.O-'s," either here or at Home, aje invariably prepared to do any work that is offered them, of a. non-combatant nature." Certainly, .it is anything but the fact. And, if Mr Miller has ever had the weakness of being seasick, would he have the strength to keep his clothcs, himself, and his surroundings unpolluted under the circumstances, with all the orainary cabin facilities and conveniences

for mal-de-mer denied him, r.s they were denied those prisoners? Do play fair, gentlemen! In conclusion, sir, to fellow-citizens who feel hurt nt criticism of the system under which their relatives arc fighting for thencountry, may I confido that I raysc'r have a sister wlio lias seen service iu Serbia and Salonikaj and at this moment is serving "Somewhere in

France." But that seems no reason why I should acquiescc in methods which appear to me not only unjust to the C.0., but also far too expensive to [the

Clifton. March 9th, 1918. p g J. Foster's letter has been brought to my notice after this was written. To so fair an opponent I shall he pleased, -with your kind permission, to reply later.-—B.E.IJ. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS. Sir,—X think that Miss Baughan's suggestion that C.O.'s should be removed from military control and placed under civil authority as heing tho best way out of an unfortunate dilemma, is deserving of careful consideration by the Government. These men are only a nuisance to the military, and an unnecessary expense to the country. C.O.'s there always havo been and always will"be as long as militarism continues. Any nation claiming to dd civilised must accord them humane treatment. Men whoso _ convictions have an ethical, and religious foundation should not be subjected, to Persecution and imprisonment because thenmental . outlook differs from that or others. !Let us not forget that the world governed in accordanco with the ethical and political principles ■which actuate C.O.'s, there wojild be no wars. Therefore I cannot help thinking that these men deserve a better fata than that which has overtaken them, and which still awaits many others. A number of them possess the highest scholastic attainments, and have always exercised an influence m the community which makes lor "righteousness. In "this .way they have rendered to their fellow-men the highest service of which they , were capable. I think that this'should have been, and should be, taken into consideration when dealing with them. Ido not wish to flatter them in any way—far from it —but I must say that it seems to mo that selfishness is not one of their characteristics. The Old Conntry, it is said, is much more liberal in its treatment of C.O.'s than New Zealand. In any case, my own opinion is that we can (for reasons -which need not be stated, just now), afford to show them even more consideration than men of like mind have received in Englruid. "While many do not and cannot agree with them, still I trust that the spirit of toleration may be revived, and that Miss 1 Baughan's, suggestion may be acted uron. —Yours, etc., r TOLERATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF "XHB PRESS." Sir, —Wc have been hearing a great deal in on© way and another of the "Conscientious Objector" during the last, vear or two of the war, and now that this small body of people with warped minds is being more and more drawn upon to take an active part in freeing the world of the "greatest menace that has ever threatened freedom of life and practice, these conscientious objectors are kicking harder and harder against the pricks, and the pity of it is that others are being led astray to defend them, because of their obstinacy. This was reprehensible enough on ; the part of individuals, but is more rc-

prehensible still oil the part of recognised bodies who claim to represent and voice the minds of hundreds of bcrs of a church or society. In ■jne Press"' of 31 arch 13th there is_ an account of the Christchurch Presoytery s resolution on behalf of conscientious obje-cfni.s, ill which some astounding assertions am mjiw by a certain minister. Thus the Re v - • ~ ray is reported to have said : -V in was responsible to God. and God •«<> > and neither the State nor the Uiurcn had the right to interfere. r - n ,, e All the trouble with our conscientious objectors arises out of the mistaken idea that a man ha- a right to make■ h1 » conscience his infallible g u .'d e . m i. ease it is wrong to punish c £ n °' . when thev lull and cat Prosbxtena. missionaries, for a cannibal may hait j conscientious objection to a missionai} coming and opposing his ('onstienc - which "tells, hint that it 1- iT.'t to practise cannibalism. Inia j • one instance of many that might b<brought forward to show that a pe son is not responsible to God ami God alon for his conscience. A burglar, who ba« never received any kind oi Cbnstn.n tcaching, m:.y be quiu- clear i in his conscience that it i- quite all n«h..f him a poor man " u;i ""'rung, to from a person with more than he needs to keep him from serving. Ho Knows the State doc- not take that view, .in J h" knows he takes risk,. hut this does not hinder his conscience hence the coolness and sang iroul when detected and caught. Yet Presbyterian ministers believe that he is not answerable to God alone, but also tne State for his actions. It is the ian\ ot - State and of the Church 10 , " luf .' a^ man's conscience aright, and Script - most assuredly telU us that \vc aTC t see to it that we have a conscience void of offence. AVhere does Scripture a Jwliere sav that in a righteous i• - is wrong? Did not God of old use uat ill the time of t-lio Israelites o\ ei a over a"a in, as an instrument ol punishment and correction amongst nations. Has a principle that was right in tnc si-dit of God centuries ago now become wrong, when a nation i.that is wctins more wiekedlv in the face of civilisation than any nation of ancient times in the dim light of barbarism over did) makes war and is being opposed by force of arms, the only yy 0 stopping i'rightfu ness, and ev'icU} .and lust, and anti-Chnstian kultui , overcoming and destroymg the home* I of conscientious objectors, a.ong witn others. Did not our gracious Lord say . "I came not to bring peace on caith, but a sword?" Does not the - lcst ? ment tell us that we arc to lawful commands ol those sot o\<mj.j and that we arc to honour the UngDoes not the Bible up to the last pages of llevolation impress upon intelligent men and women the lact that bv God's permission and ordorm„ i "Kings rule and princes execute.] ud ment," and that it is He who.use. *.u for punishing and correctmg Mii s - princes and nations, and that n the , last days «we will be used as His I ment in punishing offending nat.om. and bringing about the right state of things npoit the earth to usher in the rmllcnn'lf onlv ministers of religion and others would onco for all grasp to fact that individual conscience 's iiot to bo taken always as the guide of every individual man, then the fviv is clear for another fact to soak "'in, viz., that where and common sense urge the individuals submitting their, own epin ions and inclinations to joint action, such as in opposing » dangerous, common foe, the individual should be made to submit to tto State, or bo punished. Cannibalism cannot be allowed to con tinuo unchecked. unpunished; » n«ther can fright fulness, murdor, outiage, theft, the breaking of s 0 }? 0 " 1 and the setting asido of all Hague C • ventions. It is not true a ma* J „ responsible to God, and God • llonL ; | Ho is answerable to the State also j and even to his Church, unless, as Dr Lr^m seems to bold, a man can ¥ a member of the Presbyterian Chmob because he attends there, thou , ''whilst Laving a personal faith in Jesus Christ," he may be a or Baptist, or Congregationahst, or Anglican, or Roman Catholic in his V>f course, m such a case it •wduld be hard to say to which Church ho was reallv answerable for his strange co - science. Otherwise Scripture most clearly records our Lord's "own dictum. ""If a brother trespass and nej<set t hear witnesses, "tell it to the Church, but if ho neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man an in a this bl S' and death struggle against the Central Powers attempt to dominate the world and force upon it German kultur, of which we nessed so many, horrible features withm the la:tf three years, it is time that reasonable men «"d women put away from them all the sickly that has been weakening the nj tlonal fibre, and that all determine to do and dare', <u4 suffer, for the cause of God and State and ours^ctc..