RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS AND CONSCRIPTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3127, 4 July 1917, Page 9

RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS AND CONSCRIPTION

■ WIDER EXEMPTION ASKED., The new regulations for religious objectors under the Military Service Act were considered at the general meeting ?f the Society of Friends for New Zealand, held in Wellington during the past .ew days.

A memorandum had been received from She- Adjutant-General, Colonel E. W. •late, drawing attention to tho new'regulations. The intention,, the Adjutant Stated, was to take religious objectors frhosß appeals wero granted "completely >utof military control, and to placo them tor-non-combatant work with some other Department of State." "Tho work," he jrrote, "will be on the State farms under the control of the Agricultural Department."

. The following statement was adopted by fche mooting':--"Tho new regulations made with reference to alternative service for such, religious objectors as are recognised under the Military Service Act have been considered by this general meeting .of flic Society of, Friends.- Under these regulations the Adjutant-General-offers to those who may claim exemption work.on State farms under the Department of Agriculture, frea from direct military control. Before objectors can- avail themselves of this alternative to military service, however, they must give' an undertaking to <lo 'such non-combatant work Or services os may be required by the Commandant to? an officer of the Public Service authorised by him.' "This meeting, while appreciating to the full the consideration here shown to tho principles of the society, feels that the undertaking asked for constitutes a bar to tho acceptance of exemption under these regulations. The reasons which compel us to take this attitude are, in brief:

(1) Tho undertaking does not in any ■way limit tho service which may be required. An objector suoscribing to it would bo giving a written promise to render any service, except actual Combatant service, that the military authorities might demand.

(2) The-definite offer of work on State farms, as the, alternative to •military service,! is contained in the memorandum from the 7 Adjutant- ■ General, but is not embodied in the Regulations. This offer could be revoked, or tho. regulations themselves could bo altered or cancelled by Or-

der-in-Oouncil at any time, while the objector would remain committed to his undertaking.

(3) It is stated in tho memoran■dum that the intention of, the new regulations is to take the recognised religious objectors "completely out of military control." Nevertheless tho •form which they are required to sign as 1 a preliminary is addressed to tho Commandant of the New Zealand Defence Forces, and the undertaking is to perform such service as ho, or an officer authorised by him, may require. •

"This meeting desires again/to appeal ifor tho extension of exemption, from military, service to all genuine conscientious objectors, irrespectivo of membership in the few sects whose official "tenets are opposed to war. In this connection wo would again draw attention to tho following statement: from a manifesto issued by New Zealand Friends to the Press and to members of Parliament in July, 191G, when the Military Service Act was before tho Houso:—'VVe believo that tho limitations proposed, which give tho right to claim exemptions to a small proportion of our fellow-Chris-tians, but deny the; same to those who hold views equally well founded with our own, totally set asido the principles .which aro to us so dear in exempting only those who aro members of certain religious bodies. Our belief is founded on the., guidance of tho individual by tho •Holyjipirit, whicTi works,in the human conscience irrespective of creed or church membership. Wo also believo ftat- freedom from tho scourge of war will be brought about through the faithfulness, of thoso individuals • who livo under The guidance of this spirit, and that at this time many in this land havo been so guided. Faithful adhorenco to these beliefs has brought untold suffering in tiio past, and wo feel that to simply exempt a few descendants of those who won for us the principlo of religious liberty and tho right to livo in accordanco with tho leading of our consciences has tho effect of denying the principlo which was so dearly bought, and makes a pretence of religious toleration whicE does not exist.' '"TVe yield to none in our admiration for that noble spirit of self-sacrifice which has led so many thousands of our brave lads to offer to their country all that they had to offer, even their life. Our hearts go out to them and to thoso who have to bear the auxious paiu of separation, and in many cases aro loft to mourn their loss. Wo earnestly hopo that our Government will see to it that their "dependants are cared for with a generosity that is not unworthy of their devotion, and that the necessary demand will bo made on the wealth of tho whole country in order that this sacred obligation may bo loyally discharged."