CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

Northern Advocate, 21 July 1917, Page 4

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

FOB <J IBLE EMBARKATION

AN EMPHATIC PROTEST

A deputation about twenty strong was introduced the other day, in Wellington, by Mr J. McCombs, M.P. for Lyttolton, to the Hon. Sir James Allen (Minister for Defence) to protest against the forcible embarkation of conscientious objectors on troopships leaving for the front. The Prime Minister of Great Britain, said Mr McCombs, had stated, in July, 1916, that conscientious ; objectors would not be sent to France; yet, at this late date, the New Zealand Government were carrying out a policy which the Imperial Government had declared so long ago they would not

pursue. . Mi- J. Read (president of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council), Mrs Ballantyne, and Mr J. Roberts (of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation) strongly protested against the conscientious objectors being shipped away. Mrs Ballantyne stated that she did not know of the whereabouts of her son, only twenty-one years of age, educated at college, and of unblemished reputation; and Mr Roberts expressed the opinion that the Government would be well-advised to bring the men back again. The policy was also forcibly condemned by Mr H. Holland (of the national executive of the Now Zealand Labour party). At Home, he said, there were 5000 conscientious objectors in prison; and, as it was estimated that it took two soldiers to look after one conscientious objector, that meant that 10,000 soldiers had been drawn from the firing-line to look after them. The conscientious objector was not a coward, nor a wrongdoer, he claimed. It took more courage to act as they did than, to go with the crowd. Every Irishman, he held* must con* scientiously object to military service in the present war. Sir James Allen: "God bless my soul! The Irish have been among the best soldiers in the war. ,, Mr Holland: "I know that." • Sir James Allen: "Give me an Irish battalion. They willdo anything." Mr Holland said that they had proved that where 3000 of them had held up Dublin against "30,000 armed troops. The.lrishmen, he declared, was a British subject by force, not by consent. ■New Zealand, even if drained to the last man, could not get as many mcli as the 190,000 who were holding Ireland to-day. If he (the speaker) were a militarist, he would not take up the attitude that the Government were taking up in respect to the conscripts they were sending away from Wellington. Sir James Allen: "I repudiate that." Mr Holland said that if the Minister went to the camps he would find the same feeling about it there. Sir James Allen: "That is incorrect.'-.- , Mr Holland declared that the conscientious objectors should not be compelled to undergo torture. To drive the boys on to the boats was bad enough, but to refuse to allow their mothers to see them seemed to be the acme of cruelty. Sir James Allen said that he realised that the problem of the religious and the conscientious objector was a very difficult one. When the bill was before Parliament he had done his best to put in a clause to provide for such objectors, but Parliament would not have it, and it had been very difficult to secure oven what was in the Act. Members of the deputation at oneo acquitted Sir James Allen of personal responsibilty for the state of the law.

The Minister said that the Act represented the will of Parliament, and he had to carry out the will'of Parliament as justly and honestly as he could. As to the religious objector, there was a clause in the Act providing that if a man belonged to a certain denomination whose tenets were ajiainst military service he could be set to work under Government control, but not under the Defence Department. If men conscientiously objected to all military service, they could be put to non-combatant work. He spoke with all earnestnes when he said he did:not wish to put any conscientious objector in goal if he could possibly- help it.

In order to give these men another opportunity, they had been shipped away to see if :i change of circum-sta:n-e-5 would have any effect on them. They vvoii'd have another -chance of deciding whether they would do combatant work or non-combatant work.

Mr Holland: "I think you will hear from the Home Government. You are trying to unload them on the other fellow."

The Minister said that the balloted men had behaved excellently. They were quieter and moro subdued than some earlier drafts, and they probably had refrained from enlisting earlier because they had more responsibilities. But, once in camp, the balloted men were as keen on their duty as the man who had gone before theni. Instructions had been given to camp commanders to give genuine conscientious objectors—as distinct from shirkers — non-combatant work. The total number of men iii cairip at present who were causing any trouble was ndt ifiore than fifty men.