COMPULSORY TRAINING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 56, 7 March 1930, Page 11

COMPULSORY TRAINING

MORE OPPOSITION

CONGREGATIONAL UNION

(By Telegraph.) ' (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. "If a war occurred and a pacifist saw the enemy molesting his wife and children, he would be the first to shoulder a gun in defence of his loved ones," said the Bey. Lionel B. Fletcher, in tho course of a debate on the Church and war at the annual conference of the Congregational Union yesterday. Mr. Fletcher took exception to a motion by the Bey. D. Gardner Miller which, in recording the conviction of the conference that war was contrary to tho mind of Christ, and was a crime against humanity, contained a clause that "it dare not support war in any way." While ho supported the main substance of the motion, and earnestly favoured the abolition of, war, Mr. Fletcher could not support, the quoted clause.' In a case of dire necessity it was neceSsary to take up arms and there was no man who would not do so. The clause rwas amended in a new motion that the Assembly pledges itself to support every reasonable movement and organisation whose aims and objects is to rid the world of the scourge of war. Mr. Fletcher criticised the system of compulsory military training as a violation of conscience, while the Bey. W. Heather referred to the bad influence of cadet and territorial camps. A motion proposed by Mi\ Fletcher urging the cultivation of tho spirit of peace and efforts to bring about the repeal of the compulsory military training system, was carried with one dissentient. ,