SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 308, 23 September 1943, Page 6

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

Members’ Attitude To Wartime Service

The peace committee of the Society of Friends (Quakers), in a statement to the Press says:—

“On Septemlier 21, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop was reported as saying that a distinction should bo made, between the genuine conscientious objectors, such ns the Quakers, who performed noncombatant service, even on the battlefield, aud the military defaulters. Men who had evaded their obligations to the community and whose claims to be conscientious objectors had been rejected were enjoying all the amenities of comfortable camps while the soldiers were undergoing hardship.. “This committee wishes to point out that pacifists of all shades of opinion are found within our society. Some are willing' to do ambulance work, usually in Friends’ ambulance units, and this may be classed as mm-combatant work. Other Quakers cannot do this work, but are willing to belong to the E.l’.S., A.R.P.. or similar service, and others again are ‘alisolute pacifists’ and refuse to undertake any activity that, might directly or indirectly assist in the conduct of war.

“We further point out that no board or tribunal can be sure that it has correctly judged a man's conscience. Several members of our society in New Zealand have had their appeals as conscientious objectors rejected, aud in consequence arc now in detention camps as military defaulters.”