AGAINST CONSCRIPTION

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31016, 23 March 1966, Page 19

AGAINST CONSCRIPTION

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE, March 22.

An official publication of the Roman Catholic Church has assailed the Federal Government’s decision to send national servicemen to Vietnam.

The attack is contained in an editorial in the “Advocate” official organ of the Melbourne archdiocese of the church.

The “Advocate” said, “The

Government has no mandate whatever for the sending of conscripts into battle outside Australia, particularly since no war has been declared. “Conscription is in itself an evil thing, justified only in an emergency, when other means for the defence of a country are inadequate. “Military conscription without this necessity is a violation of a basic human freedom and leads to a militarisation of civil life and civil mentality, described by Pope Benedict XV as ‘for more than a century the true cause of countless evils.’

“A conscript state is, in effect, a slave state. Hence, it is something to be resisted unless in a last resort.”

The editorial says reasoned protests have been made against the sending of voteless young men to Vietnam, and points out that under the National Service Act “introduced by the Government without mandate from the people” conscripted service can be extended. The editorial said an opinion poll had shown that a

majority of Australians were opposed to the sending of conscripts outside the country and public resentment was being expressed throughout Australia.

It quoted a statement by the former Anglican Bishop of Armidale, N.S.W., that, “It is unethical of the Government to take young people who have no vote and send them to fight overseas, where no war has been declared.” The editorial continued: “We believe that the Government has not any moral right to conscript Australian youth for military service overseas and we hope that strong public protests will be effective in preventing a violation of human rights which the tradition of Australian democracy has hitherto been proud to preserve.”

The editorial praised the Government decision that immigration laws will be modified to allow qualified Asians to migrate to Australia more

easily and to seek Australian citizenship more quickly. It said. “The categories are still limited, but the liberalisation of the former rigid laws will do much to improve Australia's image among Asians and is more in accord with Christian principles.”