Pacifists Abasing Their Liberty, Says “Methodist Times”

Northern Advocate, 12 February 1940, Page 6

Pacifists Abasing Their Liberty, Says “Methodist Times”

[Special to “Northern Advocate ”l CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. “We cannot but feel that the pacifist leaders of the Dominion, among whom are members of our own Church, are guilty of a very ill-ad-vised policy in pursuing their pacifists propaganda, under present circumstances,” says the “Methodist Times.” “We fail to understand what practical object they hope to achieve. “They are straining the patience of the authorities, are causing dangerous public irritation, and are markedly alienating the sympathy of their friends. “We cannot wonder that the Attor-ney-General. in the address he gave in Auckland a fortnight ago, sounded a distinct warning note, and declared that disloyal and seditious propaganda must cease. Pronounced Tolerance “The Governmnet,” said Mr Mason, “was tolerant, and we think their tolerance has been very pronounced—and would remain tolerant of all legitimate comment or criticism on public affairs, but it would not be tolerant of utterances or counsellings that were designed. to distract, divide or disturb the people in their prosecution of the stern task to which they had set themselves. “And we do not see how it can be questioned that the guerilla pacifistic campaign now being engaged in by certain leaders must definitely have the effect deprecated by the Attor-ney-General. Should Cease “Where would the pacifist leaders be under the Nazi regime—that regime for which so many of them profess such strange admiration? “The Gestapo would long ago have had them in its clutches. “Tlie country has a right to ask that Pacifism should refrain from activity during the progress of the war. “We believe the Attorney-General, to’ quote him again, is quite justified in asserting that ‘the Government and people of this country will not tolerate that freedom shall be perverted to, impede the cause of freedom.’ “Our pacifist friends, we hold, are grossly abusing their liberty, and we appeal to them to cease so doing. “They have no right to cause the tension they are now causing. They are playing the martyr needlessly.”