A PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19643, 12 June 1929, Page 10

A PROBLEM.

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS AUCKLAND PRESBYTERY'S RESOLUTION. [THE PRESS Bpeci*l Service.] AUCKLAND, June 11. For more than a year past the Auckland Presbytery has had, before it from time to time the cases of several young students who are prospective candidates for the ministry and who refuse military service on religious grounds. The problems raised by these conscientious objectors again occupied much of the Presbytery's time to-night, most of the discussion taking place in private. One of the lads concerned, A. M. Biehards, was present, and stated his ease, and the Presbytery was told that he and two others, A. Miller and J. McDougall, were to come before the Court again tomorrow for refusing military duty. John McDougall appeared before the Presbytery at its last meeting, and he was enjoined by it to offer alternative non-military service. In reply to this injunction McDougall wrote a long letter to the Presbytery intimating his intention to refuse service in any shape or form. In the course of his letter he said; "I will not offer alternative nonmilitary service. I deny that the offering of alternative non-military service proves good faith according to my religious beliefs. The State has no right to specify the way in which its citizens shall serve it, any more than the Presbytery has the right to direct how its members shall serve it, consequently I can only refuse to follow the unwarranted directions of the Presbytery in the matter of military training." By a very large majority the Presbytery decided to meet in private. A committee of three eventually prepared a resolution which was adopted without dissent in the following form:— "That while the Presbyterian Church does not encourage refusal to accept military training as long as that continues to be the law of the land, this Presbytery reasserts the claim made by the General Assembly of our Church that individual members who have a bona fide conscientious objection to military training and service should be granted the exemption provided for under the Act. The Presbytery urges applicants to express their willingness to accept non-military service if prescribed by the Governor-in-Council.''