TELEGRAMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 February 1917, Page 5

TELEGRAMS

NAIitiML StKVitt

CONSCRIPTION OF THE CLERGY. .

STATEMENT BY DEFENCE

MINISTER

|>KB PEESS ASSOCIATION.} WELLINGTON, February 27. In the eouive u of an interview to-day Sir James Allen referred to the report | of a deputation from the Christohurch. « Ministers' Association, which waited on the Hon. G. W. Runsell at Christ-- ;' Church. • ' ' ' ;_''i': 1

"I notice," said Sir James, "that, theiv \va ; i a feeling that some private JLiVangement exists between .the ivfaHmiont .viand the Roman Catholic Church.. Twiiih to makg it perfectly * clear that (here is no private arrangement botweda the''Government and the Roman Catholic or any other church; The arrangement made has been publicly noli tied and publicly acted upon. In simple language the arrangement is this: That where the heads of any of the churches take upon themselves the responsibility of saying that a clergyman cannot : be [•pared, and that it would not be in . the public interest to send him to the front, the Minister of Munitions* would yigh a certificate to that effect to the Military Service Board before which case came. ,The regulatibta iiv per. . I'eciiy clear. It says' that in determining an appeal on the ground set out in paragraph (C) of Section 18 of .; the" Military Service Act, the Board shall, unless it t:ecs, good reason' to the _ c-ntrary. accept as sufficient a certificate from the Minister of Defence, etc. "The Board;;, s> far as I know, have accepted certificates as sufficient* in the ca«w of all priests and all \ clergy, but in the case of. two student*

of the Roman Catholic Church for whom'.'.' certificates were sent in, the judgment came to the conclusion that there wiv; good reason not'to' accept thus© eertfneates; Those *are the only two h tsew I know of. Certificates have been sent down for each of the d«nonunations in every ci\&§ where thy head of -the church 'haa accepted tht? responsibility of a.'tking for them. It i;v not correct to say that the Roman Catholic Church is the only one that hasi made applications! for exemptions. ' As far a» I know, nearly every church -has made applications for exemptions.

'"ln t the telegraphed report of the deputation, the Hon, G. W. Russell bsaid that he could not give a specific reply to the assertion that a secret understanding existed- between the Government and thfe Roman Catholic Church, as only the Acting-Prime . Minii'ter could do so. "I can give a specific reply," Raid Sir James Allen. "There is no secret understanding between the Roman Catholic Church and the Government. 'There is, no understanding that doer* not apply to all the other churches, and the other churches all know it.'V SITTING OF APPEAL BOARD. WELLINGTON CASES. WELLINGTON, February 27.

Before the Third Wellington Military- Service Board to-day, Mr. Marls* man, chief clerk of the Telegraph l)e„ partnient, asked for indefinite leave lor the twelve operators) in 'the employ of Eastern Extension Company'at Oa I tie Bay, Nelson. He stated that all had'volunteered at the game time, nr>t wishing to'be conscripted. Tjvo of them.had been drawn in the ballot, after they had'volunteered.

Mr. Markman declared that if all the.i3 men went into camp the result wmild he dira.stroußi/af! the cable communication between N*w Zealand and the onli'ide world "would he considerably jeopardised-. The Government had no c&ntyol ovei-the men. Thc\mombcrs of .the Board said that ii'';,wa.s; a po.'itioh where Government control wan needed. The Beard grant, ed leave aine. die provided the men remain in .their present enrploytnefnt. ,