HUMANITARIAN PLEA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 185, 6 July 1945, Page 8

HUMANITARIAN PLEA

DEFAULTERS’ CASES

Humanitarian grounds were advanced by Joseph Henry Skeats, single, of Greymoutli, when lie appealed to the No. 2 Revision Authority (Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M.) for liis release from detention camp, yesterday.' Appellant said he was born ill 1917 and was a compositor by calling. Appellant added that lie had first sought non-combatant service in New Zealand and then had offered to do civilian work at the soldier rate ol pay, but lie had heard nothing further of that. He had often thought the matter over in his throe years of detention, and lie was convinced that- the stand of liumanitarianism lie had taken was right. Mr J. A. Duffy (Crown representative) : What do you mean by bumanitarianisin?—4 cannot see any difference between non-combatant service and just going into the Army. Mr Duffy: But a man of 98 could, I suppose, be a humanitarian, when he was well beyond military age?—l try to he a. humanitarian by doing good for others. If I went into the Army I would be helping to take life. If it were in the medical unit, then 1 would be helping to make well men who would be going back to kill.

Mr Duffy: Can you toll me any more humanitarian work than that done by the doctors and nurses and men of the inedical units in the Middle East and in the Pacific?-—They are helping to make men well to go hack. There is a difference between being in the Army and doing a civilian act. Mr Duffy: Have you not. a high physical fear complex?—l don’t think so. I have never felt afraid or anything like that when playing football. In reply to the Authority, appellant said he was of 1 the Roman Catholic faith.

Appellant did 7iot call witnesses. Decision was reserved. Albert Gordon Worboys, married. of Wellington, who also appealed for release, said he was a clerk and was formerly employed by the Land and Income Tax Department. He was a Methodist and held the views of the Christian I acilist Society, which he had openly taken up in June, 1938. He had been president of the Mothodist Young Men’s Biblo Claes Movement.

The Crown representative said appellant’s conduct and work had been such that about half of his period in detention bad been spent without direct supervision. Decision was reserved.

Another appellant, George Wheeler, a member of the Christian Assemblies for about four years, said lie was a cook and grade 1. He believed that, as a follower of Jesus Christ, ho could not take part in war in any form. Evidence of appellant’s sincerity was given by C. J. Maenicol, a preacher in the Christian Assemblies, who said he met appellant in Dannevirke in 1941. The Crown representative asked was it not strange that a young man joined the the Christian Assemblies in wartime, and witness said he had been very careful not to place anything but the Word of God before appellant. Tile leaders of the Christian Assemblies had to bo very careful in their endeavours to see that the Church did not become a harbour for those who were not moved solely by their belief in the . Scriptures. To the Crown representative appellant said ho had offered to enter the Army as a cook for Now Zealand service only. It was not his view that he should oiler to serve in this manner, hut, if it were riot acceptable, then lie would be a conscientious objector. The Crown representative said appellant’s conduct and work had been good in camp and decision was reserved.