The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1911.

Evening Star, Issue 14574, 24 May 1911, Page 4

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1911.

The Council of Churches and the Dunedin Presbytery have The Churches both entered an cmand piratic protest against Military the formation of dcTraining. nominalional companies of senior cadets in connection with the new defence system. We surmise that this hostile attitude conforms with tho main trend of public sentiment. When tho idea of forming; denominational corps was first mooted we adopted a somewhat tentative tone ; for, while disliking tho proposal on theoretical grounds, and oven entertaining misgivings as to practical results, wo thought it just possible that tho popularity of compulsory training might bo enhanced in church circles by the denominational project, and were loth to pronounce definitely against a plan which might produce this desirable cfi’cct. Further consideration, however, together with tho evident reluctance or hostility oi the majority of the churches, has brought us to the conclusion that the movement should not be further pressed —though possibly the* Defence Department may not think lit to interfere with the arrangements already made in some districts by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. It is a pity that the resolution of protest which tho Presbytery accepted should have been pro|>osed by a minister whoso unreasoning hostility to the principle of national defence is shared only by a small and peculiar minority of tho population, and whose speeeli yesterday presented an extraordinary jumble of impracticable and irrelevant propositions. Small wonder that the Rev. .Mr Dutton, while supporting tho protest against denominational corps, was at pains to dissociate himself altogether from the mover's general views on tho subject of military training. “ lie would have ‘‘every man trained, and did not be- “ Hove it would generate a war spirit

“ oiio liit.” On tho previous day, at tho Council of Churches, Mr Dutton had strongly and justly deprecated tho application of tho word ‘‘ conscription ” to tho Now Zealand system of training, but tho Rev. Mr Cameron (who scorns to have taken temporary leave of his old philosophic reasonableness) announced his intention of continuing to use tho misleading term. "Wo wish that tho Council and tho Presbytery could have seen their way to formulating an appeal to the young men within the bounds in relation to the ready performance of their patriotic duly, and we are not altogether in love with the wording of Mr Driver’s rather diffuse resolution on tho subject of arbitration. At the same time it is only right to recognise the timely and unequivocal utterances of a number of ministers at both meetings in support of the patriotic principle. Tho Rev. Mr Dutton’s remarks have already been quoted, but Mr Dutton is an old campaigner, so to speak, and some sapient worthies are inclined to discount his opinions on that score. So we will take the Rev. Mr Saunders, who hates jingoism and war as intensely ns he loves national safety and the security of British freedom and civilisation: He most heartily approved of the military training of our youth. Ho was not a " peace ” man in the same sense as tho chairman. He was glad we had such a law on the Statute Book, and wished it were on tho Statute Book of tho Old Country. It would strengthen both the country and our youth if the latter were trained on military linos.

The Rev. Mr Slade? also expressed hearty approval of tho new system, while at the Presbytery the Revs. A. Mbyte:, W, Gray Dixon, A. W. Kinmont, and R. K. Davies all emphasised the necessity, in the present dispensation, of safeguarding tho national heritage. Mr Whyte incidentally gave Mr Cameron some valuable information concerning Presbyterian principles and traditions in relation to the subject. Wo may just add that there is every reason to believe that tho chaplains appointed by the different churches will bo able to make adequate provision for furthering the moral welfare of the cadet companies.