APPEAL AGAINST ARMED SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 111, 4 February 1941, Page 3

APPEAL AGAINST ARMED SERVICE

Seventh Day Adventist

A Seventh Day, Adventist, Iran James Henry Snelgar, radio engineer, appealed on the ground of conscientious objection before the No. 4 Armed Forces Appeal Board in Wellington yesterday. He said that though he was a loyal subject of the King, his loyalty to God came first. He had three objections—to the oath as it stood, to the bearing of arms and to service between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday, unless in a case of exigency. He was ready to serve as a radio technician, in a medical section, or any other noncniubti tn nt. ca pa city. Mr. Bell: Are all members of your church conscientious objectors?—To the extent that they will not do combatant service.

Apellant said that the seel ion of the oath to which he objected was: "I will resist His Majesty’s enemies.” If he* signed that lie could be forced to bear arms nt any time. He thought that for those who objected to combatant service another oath referring to service in non-combatant forces only and enjoining obedience in matters relating only to non-combatant service could be administered. He was prepared to resist Hit* King’s enemies but not. as a combatant. He would not wish to work on the sabbath of Ids church and be given another day of the week free. If, however, he was working in a hospital and casualties came in on his sabbath, he would work. Nelson C. H. Burns, a pastor of the church, said that one of Hie 22 points of belief was observance of the Ten Commandments, one of which was “Thou shall not kill.” The attitude of Seventh Day Adventists was the same everywhere. In Englund and France they had been exempted; in Germany some were shot for their belief. They had objected to armed service as far back as the American Civil War. The appeal was adjourned to this morning.