AGAINST COMPULSION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2757, 28 April 1916, Page 6

AGAINST COMPULSION

A PROTEST FROM CANTERBURY

PRIME MINISTER'S REJOINDER

The Prirao Minister (Right Hon. W. P. Massey) has received a copy of the following resolution passed by the Canterbury Women's Institute:— "The 0.W.1, protests against any measure being passed by. Parliament, either directly instituting compulsion for foreign military service or giving into tho bauds of Cabinet powers ot permitting them at their discretion to exerciso any such'compulsion. "Tho success of such acts depends on \ breaking the spirit of our boys and young men. filching their freedom of ] choice, disallowing tho exercise of their duties of citizenship, as well as a genoral denial of the citisscn's right of freo thought, speech, and public discussion on questions of the utmost importance to tho community, and the consequent and ultimate dragging back of a people into feudal servitude. The supply of increasingly large armies for the slaughter of men and the infliction of suffering on other peoples arc not the methods that will tend to bring an early or an enduring peace. "The only hope for such peace lies in the iMpular insistence—-in belligerent as _ well as neutral countries—on the building up of a universal or world democracy, with such divisions into home rule areas as the peonies, not Governments, may find convenient.' "(Sgd.) SARAH S. PAGE/ "Hon. Sec C.W.1."

MR. MASSEY'S ANSWER ', To this tho Prime Minister has replied as follows:—' "Having carefully noted the reasons advanced in support of the protest, perhaps you will permit me to say that while, under other circumstances, 1 should probably be prepared 'to endorse your opinion that 'the supply of increasingly large armies for tho slaughter of men and the' infliction of suffering on other peoples are not the methods that tend to an enduring peace,' I am bound to challenge the justice and logic of,your other conclusions. More particularly must I take exception to your statement • that compulsory methods of defence depend for their success 'on breaking the spirit of our boys and young men. filching their freedom of choice, disallowing the exorcise of their duties of citizenship, as well as a general denial of tke : citizen's right of tree thought, free speech, and publio discussion on questions of the utmost importance to the community, and the consequent and ultimate dragging back of a people into feudal servitude.'

What Is at stake. "1 am afraid that even now many of cho pooplo of Mew Zealand—and lam inclined by the tone of your letter to include the womon of your institute with them—do not realise the tremendous issues that are involved in the fearful war which Germany has forced upon the British Empire and its Allies, nor do many of them appear to have grasped -the elementary tact that not only is our national existence at stake itud the safety of the Empire imperilled, but the liberties of the world's free democracies are threatened by this war uf aggression. It should nob be necessary for mo to point'out at this time that the war is not of our making, nor should I need to repeat that, so far as Great Britain and her Allies aro concerned, the war in which New Zealand i> also taking part is- bein" waged in the,best interests of humannk i ' fhe ver) ' uature of tue struggle attbrds the best possible proof, that the war, on our part, is a righteous ono. It is being waged against a cruel, mercilessly. ..vindictive, wholly unscrupulous inhuman, and devilish foe. We have arrayed against us the forces of a Power that has, for many years past, been bending "all its energies in the one direction, and that is aiming at world domination and the enslavement of the free peoples of Europe, and that, in pursuance of its designs, has not hesitated to violate every principle of international'law, disregarding alike the dictates of conscience, honour, good faith, and humanity—a Power 1 that is directly responsible for the murder of more than ono nation that stood in 'the way of its insatiable ambitions.

A Cruel Enemy. "The story of ruined Belgium, and of the appalling crimes that accompanied its conquest, and partial occupation, cries aloud for vengeance on the merciless Huns who despoiled its cities, murdored in cold blood its unarmed citizens, outraged its women, and established a reign of terror in'the country unequalled in the history of any na< tion. The rape of Belgium was followed by tho raps of Russian Poland and Serbia, and by the even greater enormity committed by Germany's ally in Armenia, where the Turks either massacred or drove to their death in tho desert large numbers of Armenians, whose greatest crime was that they were a thrifty, industrious, law-abiding and Christian people. With a word Germany could have stayed the hand of the Turks, but'<ilthouidi turns wero made to hor on tho subject, she refused to raise her voice on behalfof the Armenians. The fate that has bofallen Belgium, Poland, Serbia, and Armenia might very well be ours if Germany gained the day in Europe. Our bravo New Zcalanders who are at the front are, therefore, as truly en. gaged in the defence of their country ns they would be here, repelling the onslaughts of an invader. Recogni-. tion of theso facts should lead.to a modification of the view the Canterbury Women's Institute holds upon the war.

"Not Fit to Live in Country," "I have always held that the citizen's first duty is to defend the sanctity of his homo and family life. That is dependent vory largely upon the protection the State, to which ho yields allegiance; affords him as one of its citizens. Its laws aro mado for his benefit, for the greater security of his life and possessions, and for the comfort of those dependent upon him. But oitizenship implies obligations, and, when the safety of the State is threatened, it has a right to expect its citizens to rally aruand it for their mutual protection. The man who shirks his duty in this respect is unworthy of tho name of a citizen; if ho considers his country is not worth fighting for when the national existence of its people is threatened, he is not fit to live in the country,, and the right you apparently claim on his behalf, that he should be allowed freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and that he should retain all the privileges of citizenship, whilo declining to discharge its primary obligations, is clearly untenable and repugnant to.common-sense. When the nation is in danger, it is the duty of every able-bodied man who can do so to take up arms in its defence.

Only as Last. Resource, "May I say, in conclusion, that I am surprised that the■ Cim.tor-bury Women's Institute should have raised the question it has done, and. that it should have seen fit to enter its protest against compulsory service when assurances have been given to the .people of this Dominion that the will not resort to other until the possibilities of the voluntary system have been exhausted, and the necessities of the'position make it imperative for other action to be taken. "I should ltko also to add mj ooin-.

ion that the present is hardly a time tor passing abstract resolutions, but rather a time when the whole of, the women of New Zealand might well be considering Low they could best strengthen the hands of the Government and help it to fulfil its obligations, in the defence of the Empire.— (Signed) W. F. Massoy."