ANTI-MILITARISM IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 13, Issue 30, 25 July 1923, Page 7

ANTI-MILITARISM IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

War the "Hired Assassfe's ftade"'

During an .all-night sitting oi the Hous".; of Commons I/abonr members jfougbt- tho Army and An: Force (awmia'O Bill wi-th -a serves -of. ia.m.cntfmentw designed to- do <>.way wivh ih«_ death pietnalty and. the p-ank-,huitnr Known as the "cracitJxkijn."- The debate was -ot the gi';-a.i.es£ to anH-nrjlirarisis?. Li. Lansbury tLabour) nroved an a-ni.emln>e-nt-, abolishine; F-ctd Pn-u'sb-m/Mi.t.: N-o. 1 and No. 2. He said thai. during th IC , war Ft-eM Punishment No. 1 was intt'cied' 'in 59,343 eases, and Field Punish misnt No. 2 in 10,267 eases. A sergeant-major had told him fha+ a very large :.:.umber el ihe e-ffc/nees w:i* qiritti V-riT?J«i3. and -.hut {field Punishment was nth.'), fiver tit« in ti way tha: pnuduoitd a terror-| t;trieire-n eomntkm. JVJany men rs.-.ight j >VH when sei'viii? 1 , sny~ in. Iran, thai: it was a cowardly .bing to bomb; natives or destroy unprotected vil- i big**-:, and. th,ey roigli.. [o do "t„ | Anyone--who declined '.-o tin ti:at tpriy j work- must net' ; b e subjected to j crueJti>_3oTi. FDN'jSHMEMT NEOSSSAKY TO Ki-iIiSP MEN IN FIE'IN-bi J-iNE Litut.-Ccl'. Guiness, replying, sard that the War OPtee ... believed that i Field Punishment Nc. 1' was no longer n.ccessary end. nrigji;. be a.t-ul-j Ished \t Wield Pti'm-ePment- No. 2 i w,«jtfj also abolisbed, tj^y'would tier-I tain'iy stril-e a. very soricus blow at i db.:e' ; pl<ne when ire-ops were' in cangerons positions. "It is cniy hvivnan nature,'" said -Ueut.-Cib. ".when troops -axe in unsnie positions | and wJntn men's nerves are sir-siehed! io breaking point Ih;.-.-!-. «, man should j be templed to take an opportunity oi | getting atv«.y from the fhir.E rlne." j TP'rys Da.vi-L j i-j U-.aboui) said tlia* l 1f.i,.000 of: the members ci IPs j joined the Army. '- Many oi Ibose mivm bad. I'heh' health broken, .net by JM.'lna.i •-.:":-i'vi-r-.e, lan i y tin.. inflictions o ; pvm>nbHieEiL C-c-j. i-umness had gtve.n i-i\v;i;,- live'wbo'j,.- case. Pfe had] r;'a*i*-»i that war enuh'l. mp be tarred mi unless punistumonu; up to the pojot. o'i death, wit-n;- intJion: d. "W«r WiV» "The eln. r iie«merr"s g-am.e, the- priesi. v delight, The lawyer't jest and the hired assassin's trad.;." "LVm.-'Col. iiuinieov, sad rhnt be nas pvtepvJ red to ins.ert words bote the Act | making Field Punishment Mo. 3. Illegal.. Major "VVi-irJ'ng said -thai there wan 'Ijlttki difference- be'tweem Field Punishment. Nc. :!. and. Mo. 2. J. j-L Thomas i Lulnjur) -s-atd. that t.ho«f) ntj'sponsib'ie ior thie amendment wDidd no; be satisfied nnless both l-10. 1 and Mo. 2 were abolished: BLASPHEMY A.GAJNST G'o_;--r Ben. Turner (Labour-;} said thai fbese' punishments v/'eiv, - hJ*asphemi'.'-6-«gains,t the Oreateo. ji*, haled mil. l - iarisrn i.>i' any sort. - JLanshnry's w _ as deff/ated ]iy 187 voles't»\ ll : *i. : ' ! : '■ " (t. jyansbary moved an amendment r.Jytwg s</Jd>er-s ij if . right to ref«'- fc to ■forve in -rat'ij: «'!.i!-:pirt».fi. LfOrd Robert*) bad said that oJfio*?B who had c. eonseientions objection to certain Mfirviee had the rigbit ,to act according tc -Sieir eonsciehce., The Tra-do Alri-on private sb-oubl have the -*am«j •'Jglit. ' - . " The amendment was fcl'ea-ted. 'by '"486 votes "t>o 113. ';. - - : " • t H_' „ CAW _ -Jack -Lawjion ..(-L/&hon.r) wioved iun - amendment .3.?K>iishing the' death'-p-cw-dty. H#. said that 2€4;-. British ..sot;*Hwr« w"ere deseition dnri^ig ■■Mvo war. Many of these were ladw of »<ighteer/. A boy of who en.Wjiteil bad t 0 accept a c-ontract which •uvoived giving np his mind «.nd will ' completely, avo which involved the acceptance of .thai which ' jio mam «mgbt to he asked to accept. The greet majority' of thosei who accepted; it did bo under duress.oi the stomach.'" i "DEATH PENALTY TO INDUCE 'i; " THEM TOGO -FORWARD" -' ■ Major: Paget said .thjat -war .-vvas'-.an 1 bloody Imsincse, .' -Wftetn d«o)lir.g with the. contract to which Mr. Lawson had referred, '-they' must' vCfti-e/nber that, when allwa* said 'and '«Jeße, it was a sold,-ter's job to kill. Afc the front ene lived under absolutely xmheliev/ahle conditions which !)3,d 'hee-B- rightly described .as the ■ lite oi a-«<9wer ■ rat; one slept and Wallied with death- always aw his »*iarest :; h|dghbotrr.'; njugt'-hp.fa *path penalty tf> 'nduce a .mfeit whose,, low, tforward.;- No Maari; .who V.-had .h>en.. Vuhdfer concensr"' *m*ed -fiheßrfm& 'for . any length, ; of- ' 'tiTtm'- did not know what,'.deadly, fear v/anj One must -have something., to ftounitemct 'that, and if o»e knew -that.'

•to run.: mojaavt, -only disgrace ■ and dta'li—tiiaj, bad a very great effect ot the bad moments. Tiroro wa'c no altes-natiV'--.'.. P-anic wa,s . like';;:, germ; It. spread aard becamo snreeijons. He knew of more than, /mc -cay.c -wherft am N.C.O. • by. shooting . an- -officer who pi?,n' ; c'i\-rd. It. wax at a momenT vv-'iir-isr tire man's .brain a/nd. bis «?li'-contrc-'J went thai, the death penalty nol: only saved the lif e of --.[he i.ndivi.dna'J, bnt. tb<-i whole siinatioi^ J. instanesd tho ra'?td -ot ii ynnng man v/b-o could...no", get wor'J; hr,' two years b.efor-o the wax bce&ust. !m- was menlmlly d'-'ificient, pie v/as nnsoed into Yh'i Asmiy by tli-e doctor, and the next the]/ 'heard, thai, be bad bi-i a n ore en. sod for deserting bus pest. Tba-j- was mnrdor and nofhi.ng f!:e'v;;;n Duffy' i'-old -of a. lad wh.t-. joined the Arr.r'y wb:tn 17, who, after iie bad.- beoni in. tire Army IS months. wfiS BJn;t. beeruise he Sell asletip at iris nest after bemg -on duty 'PG i.cars.. Copt. P.owyer 'r.aid t'lip Army -mus-t. rc-tvrtii. the -den.b pe.nalty. Tbero eam.;i a. time at iibe front whem men chnt tbemseT-v-fs in tb.e foci; cr the ii'.nfi t f , cscvpe the fr-encbes.' "Wbnt. •-.virald of In,'; I'm 1 - that wer-fi not stepped? Tb.e ord-:-r bad to be given'-fijM.t if there were any mere r-;v:.'.v, e-.i self-inflicted wounris ih? rl,e:vi;b pem-'tty v/ou'ld ');.,_, jmpfjsrd—xot. beern.is,e anyone des'CTved it, but te save the tMte. ' The amendm,t;.ot was (i<le»tt(3 'ty :i:i votes tj> M>B. WAX IfSS WMONG G. T.ansb'niy :rnoved thai airy solflinr;vcn.r.e,need ■to - death by court-martial stiould haYiO the right to to (he Court of Cvimjinal Appeal. He said-that .■.-iveryih'.ng be bad beard during tbe, debate" h;ad 'ccnfiriued hIH view/ that, no ma-tie v bow "rroy nnrsffed Ib.e 'ions, tbe Teal thing that was' wrong waty w;ir. '13ii 1.5 i they got rb'l oi tb.sr spirit of war 'iM'.ri would always be-tbe. Irnd ot 'b, ; ag of which pn--y b-nd bfeTd. "Wbtyt .-yuw.zed b/m. v,;:«- that in ibe year \\)2o ihey v/er t; otdig'rd t-o discuss tbisj question, which. v/:\% r*.a'ily murder j and nothing else. Tbty were told. :.t>at in or-ilei-. to secure wholesale] ■surrter they must r-ela.m. Ibt right to | Indivtdnal mu.rde.r. He- bopjed that •.-ion)--:, jtay tb.e House would f.iilj 7 di«- : ..;!iys tIH. Y/bOit; <JUCSt''c-n. I.l' WjJs.T — not J •n&re'ly ibe -abolition of capita] pan-;-.--:3imcnt, bid, tbe- abobi-km of war. If ;-e were a lather or in.other in. Iraq. !iO wo-nid bt-i una*)'.:••»' to why a Chris-Pan tortfion sbovld send ou'i. aeroplanes U-> bomb bim bis -, bildreh.. Tbe Temporary Cb>a'rman tSir V. H-anbury) \ .Order!. Ordi-yj I .if is not in; Order to -l!js'cus.,s .what, on bi lra:q. ftbys • Davies said the man in c'vilia-n clothes -who murdered got a V'-ritt/T opportunity of ."just'e/.,.- tln'in. the !iia;i wb,- ; declined, to munder on the balti'ofieid. The aiuendment was !iefea.t<d by .'iOl Votes 16 VAT.