"WE WILL NOT SERVE."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1181, 17 July 1911, Page 4

"WE WILL NOT SERVE."

QUAKERS AND SOLDIERING. DIRECT APPEAL TO MINISTER. IS THERE A WAY OUT? IBy TeloErapu.-Prcss Association.) Auckland, July 15, Members of tho Auckland Society o£ Friends, in a deputation lo the Hon. G. I'owlds, Minister for Education, this morn. iiig expressed their linn intention not to participate in compulsory military (raining. They stated that, much as they loved the. country, they would emigralo rather than submit to donning the uniform. Will Emigrate if Pressed. Mr. Wright introduced tho subject by haying that ho unuerstoua. that General Uodiey had desired lo meet represema< lives of the Society of Friends in Wellington, on the subject of a provision miner the new Detence Act tor conscientious objectors, but had been unabio to arrange a satisiactory interview, unci that, therefore, the i'riends in Auckland had taken an opportunity to see tho Minister while lie was in that city. Jlc explained that tho members of the society aid not wish to be. thought unpatriotic, but their principles forbado them taking part in a'ny military work, or in becoming part and parcel of anything connected with war. They were willing to work at anything of a civil nature in the way of an eijuivalent, and they understood that the Government desired suggestions. Mr. I'WUU: Yes, suggestions that will notjntorfere in any way with the system which the country has adopted. Mr. Wright contended that the country was by no moans unanimous. Their own people were standing shoulder lo shoulder on the point, and the Quakers felt that there were very many who took tho samo stand as they did on the matter. As for themselves, by birth (so to speak) and training they were prohibited from taking part in military work of any kind. "Wo do not want to go to prison; we have come hero to be happyj and wc love the country, but if any coercion is used against us wc must emigrate." Ho went on to suggest that they might be allowed to join the Sf. John Ambulance Association. Quakers, ho said, had rendered yeoman service before in ambulance work, instancing tho Franco-Prussian war, hut they did not want to lay themselves out for wholesalo slaughter, or to have any part in tho military paraphernalia of the country. The Minister pointed out that the Act included non-combatant duties, the idea being that objectors could bo enrolled in tho Government's ambulance and other non-combatant corns. Mr. I'udney declared with somo emphasis that although ho did not want to leave New Zealand, where ho had lived for 25 years, he would not scruple to emigrate if necessary. His father had left the Church of England to join the Society of Friends, and he himself was not going to violate tho principles in which ilo had been brought up. He would certainly take a stand it the regulations were enforced. It was, he pointed out, tho harder for them to stand out because it would seem as if they wero unpatriotic, and it was harder still for their sons. They had registered in order to comply with the law, but, as for himself, he would positively decline to accept any duty under military, control whatsoever. "I consider," he continued, "that we could render a pretty good equivalent in tho civil service." What Mr. Fowlds Said to Them.

"Well, gentlemen, I will say that you havo my entire sympathy so tar as your consciences aro concerned," replied the Minister, "and had it not been for the insertion of the qualifying clause, I would not havo been a party to the Act." Mr. •Fowlds went on to say-that ho first saw his "way out of tho difficulty through studying the Swiss system, under which exemption from military training and service is allowed by (ho substitution of civil or non-combatant duties. "You can easily see," ho said, "that unless (hero is an equivalent of sotno sort of service, there might bo a very largo addition to tho Society of Friends of people who just wanted to escapo military duty. Tho essential feature is, therefore, that there must bo an equivalent for military service in somo form or other. If wo can secure somo form of equivalent in sacrifice of timo and training, then, so far as I am concerned, I shall bo onty too glnd to meet your'position."'' Ho pointed out that ho had seen Mr. Rigg iii Wellington on tho subject, and that it was at his request that General Godley and Mr. Rigg had conferred on tho matter, lie went on to assure tho members of tho deputation that if ho could manage to havo their attitude met without breaking down the system he would do so. Tho system introduced, ho pointed out, was passed with the unanimous consent of tho people. Mr. Wright: You cannot get away from the fact that the system was introduced' by tho legal representatives of tho people, and not entirely by the people. "Yes," returned Mr. Fowlds, "and after it had been discussed for several years with comparatively little protest being made." , "We have never entered our conscientious objections in respect of tho consciences of volunteers, but we feel strongly that wo deserve consideration when it comes to a proposal for compelling us to comply with regulations that are obnoxious to our religious principles," remarked one of the deputation in conclusion.