OBJECTORS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17697, 25 January 1918, Page 5

OBJECTORS.

THEY BEC’OAIE SOLDIERS,

THE OFFICIAL PHOCF.SS

[From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON. January 24

The announcement by Sir James Allen that of fourteen conscientious objectors to military service who were sent Homo on a transport only two have persisted in their attitude, will come as a. surprise to their friends in Now Zealand, who predicted publicly that these men would never give in. The process of conversion was simple, hut interesting. It was decided to ship all the objectors to the front. There were fourteen at the time, and they got orders at tho Alount Cook Barracks, Wellington, to march out into tile citv. This meant no obvious military act, so they complied, nnd found that tho route lrd on to the wharf. AVI)on they further discovered that they were expected to board a transport, these objectors to fighting—or some of them—showed quite remarkable powers of physical resistance, but as that had been anticipated they finished up on the transport, where they were treated exactly as soldiers- When ordered to do duty, they refused, and woro punished as soldiers. In camp in England the same thing occurred, and they went io the front with the reinforcements, but tho authorities placed them in separate companies. Eventually they joined forces with their mates from New Zealand. Over fifty conscientious objectors remain in New Zealand awaiting tho result of this experiment, and it seems clear that these will now have to go the same way as the preliminary draft. They have been kept together in camp here, but this will no doubt be altered and the men treated as soldiers, with the option of doing combatant or noncombatant duties, and sent to the front in the ordinary course.