ANTI-MILITARY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 50, 28 August 1911, Page 2

ANTI-MILITARY.

. . LECTURE BY -MR', CORDER. There Was an attendance of several hundred people at Sis Majesty's Theatre last night, when Mr. Herbert Corder, of Sunddriand, England, a member of the Society of Friends, delivered * lecture on "Militarism and International Relations. " Mr. W.. S. Bedford presided. Admission to the meeting was by silvercoiflj Mr. Corder traced the growth .Of nlilitftrism and armaments in Europe :&8 a growth of tho last half century started -by Bismarck and Yon Moltke. Yet there was .another movement gaining strength— the peaceful , settlement of international • differences . by t arbitration. Military force was economically, futile. The .wage-earners of the world were beginning to protest against' the perpetually inorea&iHg burden of* armaments. • Militarism threatened the . very exiiten&e of democracy, and jmparilled tho liberties of free and. progressive peoples. Race boun« daries were breaking down, however, un< der ths great and growing . spirit of internationalism. In Bueh a light ho could only regard the New Zealand Defence Act as embodying in its compulsory clauses an idea aben to British principles of freedom. It was a retrograde step. If the people allowed militarism to grow they would find it very hard to' get rid of it. After Mr. Corder, who had been given a good •hiring, had eonojudetl, Dr. Couzena with a few preliminary remarks, productive of mild banter from -hie audience, moved ;-"That this meeting, 'believ. ing militarism to be inimical to the welfare of tho nation and the progress of mankind, .condemns the compulsory clauses m the Defence Act, and pledges itself to übo evert effort to eecure its repeal." A show of hands was hurriedly taken, and the chairman declared, amidst miAgled laughter and applause,, that tho motion jpas earriGd'.-