WESLEY COLLEGE AND MILITARY TRAINING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21510, 27 June 1935, Page 9

WESLEY COLLEGE AND MILITARY TRAINING

ao THE EDITOB Of THE PUESS. Sir. —In this morning's issue of "The Press" you publish a comment by the Rev. Clarence Eaton on the recent decision made by the .Vesley College Board to substitute training for citizenship in place of military training. The .orrner president of the Methodist Church says the decision has no significance to the church as a whole. I beg to differ here. The decision is ox far-reaching importance and will be or great value to all students, Maori and European. ahe board is composed of men in the Auckland province of varying ages. One very active man whom I know is well over 80 years, and these men must be credited wtih average mental acumen. They are certainly men of experience in the practical a Hairs of life, whom you cannot trick. It is absurd to insinuate that the board, in deciding it: policy, has been unduly influenced by an insignificant minority. The Rev. Clarence Eaton should know that a bor i of college governors has invested in it power to determine its own course of action in matters of this sort, without interference by Synod or conference. I would here point out that the parents who ■ send their sons for an educational course have a voice in questions of this character, which has to be considered both by the staff and the board. The wishes of parents cannot be ruthlessly tossed aside as valueless without injuring the college and interfering with the How of students. There is a phrase employed by Mr Eaton in ventilating his views as reported by you of a section holding "extreme pacifist views." I have heard this phrase before. I would like to know exactly what it means? I would ask for your indulgence with me here as I know that I must be mentally sluggish and I do not quickly apprehend the meaning that must be clear to the other fellow. Any comments I wish to make under this head I must reserve until I find out what is meant by the words used. I have heard men described as honest, truthful men. In order to give emphasis t these qualities I have known adverbs to be used, as—an extremely honest man—an eminently amthful man. Now in what sense and what emphasis is placed on this flippantly used phrase —extreme pacifist views? The question of paramount, importance is. are the views right or arc they wrong.' However, the larger issue can be left until we have cleared up the meaning -f the words mentioned in this subordinate sense. When the little stum is cleared out of the way we can then proceed to business in an intelligent manner.—Yours, etc., MOSES AYRTON, Methodist Parsonage, Tai Tapu. June 26, 1935.