AMBULANCE WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 32, 7 February 1941, Page 5

AMBULANCE WORK

APPELLANTS' OFFER

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS

SERVICE APPEALS

Willingness to do non-combatant service was expressed by a number of Seventh Day Adventists whose appeals against military service were heard by the Armed Forces Appeal Beard yesterday. Several of the appellants said they had trained in first-aid methods in order to undertake ambulance work. In cases where the appellants had become adherents of the Church since the beginning of the war, the appeals were dismissed.

Appeals on conscientious grounds by Seventh Day Adventists were made by Eayotnond Camptoell Vidlich, a linotype operator, who joined the church six months ago, Robert Edward'Tretheway, a commercial antist; who had been a church member for eighteen months, Jack Carter, an electrical worker and a recent adherent of the church, and Douglas; Smith, a radio line inspector, who joined last October. Pastor H. G. Moulds, president of the North New Zealand Conference of the Church, said that the young men had •become adherents because of evangelical .work by pastors, and he vouched •for .their sincerity. • After the chairman (Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M.) had pointed out that the j iboard must consider the attitude of appellants before the war and not an attitude adopted since then, the ap-1 ■peals were dismissed. Austin Abbotsford Smith, a general labourer and a Seventh Day Adventist, who appealed on conscientious grounds, had decision in his case reserved until direction, is given by the National Service Department regai-ding non-com-batant work. - Jack Raymond Poppleton Horn, a law, clerk, who said that he was a prominent, member of the Methodist Bible Class Movement which was opposed to war, appealed against any form of military service. The appeal was dismissed. Arthur Edward Smuts-Kennedy, a ibank clerk, appealed on the grounds of hardship to members of his family and conscientious reasons based on the science of ethics and morals. The appeal was dismissed. An appeal on behalf of Francis Finnigan, a, storeman, made by his mother, was adjourned for a decision from the Medical Board. APOSTOLIC CHURCH. Tw,o members of the Apostolic , Church were included in the panel of. appeals heard during the afternoon, and evidence was called to show that the church was opposed to bearing arms. Both appeals were allowed subject to the appellants undertaking non-military work as directed by the Minister of National Service under Regulations 8 and 8a of the National Service Emergency Regulations. : Garnett Berry Thirkell, warehouseman, appealed on conscientious grounds, and said that he was a member of the Apostolic Church which was opposed to war. He was prepared to do A.R.P. or : similar work not under military control. Mr. J. F. D. Thompson, president of the church in New Zealand, said that the Apostolic Church had risen from a visitation-of the Holy/Ghost in Wales in Mi? ?■. The'*^cßnsfeiWtion %. drawn" up set out that the church was definitely against war and the taking up of arms, but the. actions of members were entirely a matter for the individual conscience. The appeal was allowed as stated. Francis Richard Cooper, who said that he was ThirkeU's. cousin, also appealed as. a member of the Apostolic Church. He said he was prepared to undertake any non-military service. The appeal was allowed as stated. Eric Scarlett Slyfield, warehouseman, said that he was a lay preacher in the Methodist Church and was conscientiously opposed to carrying arms. The appeal was dismissed. George Edward James, a dairy farmer, appealed on the grounds of public interest and hardship. He and his brother were managing the farm which was owned by his father and mother, he said. His parents were too old to work the farm, and his brother was also liable for military service. J

The appeal was dismissed subject to the, appellant not being called up for three months.