CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16164, 19 March 1918, Page 8

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —In Miss Ba,ughan's courteous reply, in Saturday's issue, to my letter of a week ago,6he acknowledges that a conscience test is unsatisfactory. One cannot arraign a ghost at an earthly tribunal. This is what the Church, and all religious bodies, tried to do. in the past, but, happily, at last found oufc their mistake. liberty of conscience is practically allowed at''the present day to every soul in our glorious JGmpiro, provided the ''conscience" does not, in defiance of the common welfare, opon the door to anarchy and di&order. In times of peace ( tho law winked at a good deal of seditious eloquence, such as could be heard for years any Sunday in tho parks of London. But when there came war, and such a war as this, involving ultimately the wholo world, and the happiness and security of its peoples' and countries, it became another matter. The absolute necessity to save tho body and soul of the Empire, rendered talk and propaganda aimed against it "a matter of life and death." j This is what I mcaut by the "danger | of sympathy," not with the C.O.'s moreI ly, but with the C.O. preition. Nobody wants cruelty or immoderately drastic measures. I think that the law should aim at being a schoolmaster to bring us (apart from our various personal ! opinions) to join together in a danger I threatening and affecting all alike, to ! fight and to fend for our brother man. I "have never been able to get an answer to a question I have repeatedly asked people who sympathise with the C.0.. whom they regard—oven if personally disagreeing with him —as a "martyr." I now again make this enquiry:* What would the C.O. do if he saw his little sister, for instance, being murdered bv a big ruffian before his eyes!' Would lie stand aside and let that innocent be hurled into the spirit world —her only refuge—while he stood aside, his hands folded, forbidden to endeavour to rescue hor, from his fear of committing s ; n" ? Could anything be more "selfish" than liis attitude? Ah, our gallant lads —God ble;s them!— would have no time to think of "sin." Practically the -sin is to let the brute go unkilled. Miss Baughan, in letter, goes on to say that she proposes to substitute for the" conscience test £; a character test," to prove the objectors honesty. I agros with her that, to a pertain extent, we can judge of a man's honesty of belief bv his character; but e T en l lere there are difficulties. People ct unnnneachable character and respectability in normal life might evade eir manly duty from weakness of purpose, physical or moral cowardice, or . on ? the "inner compulsion" of •f. , art .tstic or student's temperament, ; s BO antipathetic to physical !,= i'; ! lriaoil and bloodshed. But let nnsclL'iri 5 • *ke thousands of lads -nrr. 1 s particular temperament, who would choose the soldier's career u

the last to enter upon, yet, nevertheless, have cheerfully, "with no fuss at all, gone to the front, though the test to such must be harder far than to the "born soldier." It appears to me that the "character test" does not necessarily show which objector is honest. Some may not be cowards, ,1 grant that, but to the plain-thinking person, in that case, and in the face of the facts of the present situation, he must appear to bs only a Miss'Baugnan defines conscience as "inner compulsion." Docs she then think that God guides only the individual, and leaves the nation to it- ! self P Does His still, small voice speak only to the C.O. and not to the aggregato of noblo men, who are now protect ing liberty, peace, and the honour and security of us women at the_ front. T believe'that it is our duty to give all our sympathy to them. While we "keep the home fires burning," let us never ceasa to call to mind that but for thrm, and men of like mind and conscience in other lands, those sweet hearth-fires had now been black out, and the world give-i over to the real brand of "Prussianistn." —Yours, ctc., K. J. FOSTER. TO TRE EDITOR OF '"THE TRESS." Sir. —May I suggest an appropriate Shakespearean motto for all conscientious objectors, both male and female: "Conscience doth make cowards of us ail." —Yours,' etc., ANTI-FUNK.