THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR FARCE..

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 891, 3 August 1917, Page 8

THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR FARCE..

Where is it to End ?

QURELY the time * has come wheu an end. once and for all, should be put to the farce which is being so impudently played at-almost every meeting of the Military Appeal Boards by those contemptible shirkers, the conscientious obiectors. What with the "Brethren*' and- the "Society of the TestiiOiMiy of Jesus'' (whose members, it has been stated in Court, waited till .the war bad been in process for nearly a year before - discovering that it was contrary to Scripture teaching to take up arms) and half-a-dozen 'other sects of whose existence no one ever heard -before the war, the number of these who are trying to-sneak out of their honest and loyal duties' and responsibilities . is continually - beins increased., ' - * . ' * ■• * * Before long we shall be having applications for -exemption made by the Sacred Sous of Sennacherib, the Bounding Brothers of 'Batham (or Boldam). the Only Original Amalgamated Wowsers 'of Wooloomooloo—or Wanganui—the First Church of the Christchurch Calathumpeans, and the Xeo Nebuehadnez'zarites of- Newtown. Where is this exemption business to end?, A sad blunder was made bv

Parliament in the first instance in ever accepting the principle of "conscientious" objection. Of course, the truth of the matter was that ..Ministers and members were—and are still —so desperately frightened of offending voters —and possible supporters—that the compulsory clauses of the Act were whittled down to allow of far too many means of escape. The question of religious belief, of church 'membership should never have been allowed to enter into the question at all: It is even now not too late to get over the difficnty. Let the Military Service Act be amended so that there shall be no exemptions at all. save for ordained clergymen or on the score of physical unfitness. Those who object can leave the country and good riddance to them for a pack of miserable canting cravens.