ANTI-MILITARIST YOUTHS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 112, 11 May 1912, Page 9

ANTI-MILITARIST YOUTHS

RELEASED FROM GAOL. [BY TELEGBAPH—-PBESS ASSOCIATION.] " , AUCKLAND, 10th May. Twelve anti-militarist youths, who elected to go to Mount Eden gaol for seven days, instead of paying the fines imposed upon them for failing t6 comply with the provisions of the Defence Act, have paid the penalty of imprisonment. At least two of them left the institution satisfied of their folly, according to information obtained by a reporter this morning, and they express themselves as having "had enough" of the movement to evade their share in defence of the country. Whereas some of the number aro inclined to assume the air of martyrs, there are others.who admit that they have been unwise. They state that whilo in gaol they were kept apart from the other prisoners, being given work in different quarters. Their cells were also more isolated. Otherwise they had to conform with strictness to the prison regulations in the matter'of wearing gaol clothes, having their finger-prints and their photos taken, but this they had expected before going into gaol. i'he president of the Prisons Board (Sir Robert Stout), before leaving Auckland to-day, was asked by pressmen whether the cases of any anti-militarist youths hod come before the board during its sittings here. ; Sir Robert Stout replied in the negative, and explained that only prisoners undergoing reformatory treatment were dealt with by the board. He did not hesitate to express the opinion that sucly youths were "misguided, ' and that if they were not propared to aesist in defending the country that conferred privileges on them, they should gracefully retire, say, to Germany, Russia, or some other country. Sir Robert Stout made it quite olear, however, that he had every respect for the religious convictions of strict sects, but he thought provision should be made for theee to serve in the nureing or ambulance . divisions. Ho agreed that if the country was worth living in it wa« worth protecting.