MILITARY DE A LTERS

Evening Star, Issue 16911, 7 December 1918, Page 5

MILITARY DE A LTERS

NO AMELIORATION

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, December 6. Tho Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill came up for further consideration in committee, Mr M‘Combs moving bis new clause proposing to remove from military defaulters men who had been court-rnar-tialled and punished. He urged that some of these men had been sentenced to several successive terms of imprisonment owing to genuine scruples, and had, moreover, done good service to tho State in many ways without remuneration, while their dependents received no allowances. Tho Defence Minister (Sir James Allen), amid tho general approval of the House, declined to accept tho amendment. Ho pointed'out that provision had been made in the Bill already to deal with genuine religious objectors, who would he taken off the defaulters’ list. As to the others, many of them were straight-out Kaiser's men. (Hear, hear.) They had refused to do service to the country when the country most needed them. Why should they not bo punished again and again? (Hear, hear.) Air Holland : It is Prussinnism. Mr Luke said the Minister’s reply was tho only reply that could ho made in a patriotic country. Mr M'Combs’s amendment was rejected on the voices, and tho Bill reported with amendment. BILL PASSES FINAL STAGES. After a short debate on the third reading, The Defence* Minister replied. He warmly defended tlie deprivation of the civil right of military defaulters, and said that however much these men might have objected to light, there was no justilication for their refusing to take service in tho Ambulance Corns and bring back tho sick and wounded. That, at least, was a service they might have rendered to the country and humanity. On the question that the Bill be read a third time Mr Holland and Air Fraser called for a division. The third reading was carried by 64 votes to 2, Messrs Holland and Fraser alone voting against it. Tho result was received with applause.