DEFAULTERS' APPEALS

Evening Star, Issue 25522, 28 June 1945, Page 7

DEFAULTERS' APPEALS

FIRST SITTINGS OF REVISION AUTHORITIES EIGHT APPLICANTS HEARD (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 27. Four cases were dealt with by the No. 1 Revision Authority (Mr A. H. Johnstone, K.C.), all of them being men who based their applications on religious beliefs only. One of the applicants was represented by counsel. The others conducted their own cases, and called evidence regarding their religious background and sincerity. The questions put to the applicants dealt mainly with their religious views, the period of their church membership, their views of non-combatant service, and their possible reactions to acts of violence imposed on them and their kith and kin by the enemy. The applicants expressed objection to violence of any kind. Mr L. Greenberg, for the Crown, asked two of the applicants if they would pay war taxation. One said at finst that ho had not given the matter much thought, and later said ho would not pay tax. The other said he had been taught to " render unto Csesar the things that are Cfesar's," and he accepted no responsibility for the use of -which taxes were pnt. Mr Greenberg said there appeared .to he one principle for one set of circumstances and another principle for another set. In other words, thoso who would pay tax were prepared to pay other men to go to the ■war, hut would not go themselves. The decisions in all cases were .reserved.

MO. 2 AUTHORITY (P.A.) PALMERSTON N., June 27. The No. 2 Revision Authority (Mr W. H. AVoodward, S.M.) held his first sitting to-day. There were four applicants, and in each case the decisions were reserved, Mr Woodward announcing that he would make them public as soon as possible. . The first case was that of Ronald Calverley. Megget, of Dunedin, who said he relied on his strict religious training, and that he believed that everything in connection with -war was wrong. He had held these views since 1936.

Mr J. A. Duffy, who appeared for the Crown ; said that Megget had gone out of his way to make the lot of his fellow-inmates of detention camps the best that could be, and had helped the administration a good deal. Arthur Tom Winston Sharp, of Palmerston North, detailed his activities with the Methodist Church, and said that at the time of the Munich crisis he had come to the conclusion that lie would not take part in a war if one occurred.

Mr Duffy spoke of Sharp's character while in detention, saying that he had more than the ordinary amount of physical courage, and was one of the best of the inmates in the camp. He had been employed in key positions, both the staff and the inmates being dependent on the work he did.

William Edward Holmes, of Petone, the third applicant, said that his conscience did not permit him to take part in warfare, which' led only to famines and plagues. He belonged to no particular denomination. He could not bring himself to take life. Walter Robert Dearsly, of Wanganui. claimed that war was man-made, resulting from. selfishness and greed.; The present war was being fought to secure a redistribution of markets. He was a Methodist and a Bible class member. He had'' also joined the Peace Pledge Union, an English paci-

-fist- organisation-.,,. His pacifist -views were formed ?10 years ago. Mr Duffy' said that Dearsly's conduct in camp had been good, but his influence was not the best;