CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 9

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

SENT TO TEE FRONT. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 2. j With recent reinforcements from New. j Zealand there arrived in England upwards of a do/.cn men who were classed as eon- • scientious objectors. According to the I official organ of the " No Conscription Feb i lowship," some of them refused duty at the < Reserve Group Camp, and had to be pur, ! in detention. Emissaries of the eonsciontious objectors' information bureau made efforts to communicate' with the men, with j a view to advising them as to their legal ! position and rights under English law. , They were, however, rather taken aback to j find that New Zealanders in England are j under active service conditions, and are j subject to military law. There were several deputations to the j High Commissioner, at which Brigadier- i general Richardson, commanding the > N.Z/E.F. in the United Kingdom, was pre- j sent. General Richardson refused point j blank to allow any communication with the j objectors by representatives of sympathetic I organisations in Great Britain. He has j also declined to try by court-martial the j men who have refused duty in the United j Kingdom. This decision seems to have ! taken the wind out of the sails of the objectors' organisations, who found themselves powerless to go further. In a letter to the " Friends' Service Committee." Private H. Patton, of Greymouth, recounts his experiences since he was first nlaced under arrest there last April. Sneaking of the voyage Home, he savs: "Was ordered to put on the uniform on the boat, refused; was forcibly stripped and forcibly dressed in the uniform", pulled it off: had my clothing returned at- night. Transhipped to another boat at Capetown, kept at the stern of the boat a few nighte, clothing taken off and thrown overboard; turned the hosepipe on me, cold water, then dressed in the uniform, and numerous other little insults all the way; but at present am working about the camo to save being sent to gaol. I should like to know your opinion of things-. At present I am working at the camp here. If I don't work I will be put on bread and water. I don't want to put you to much expense. I can manage without smokes. I am being treated fairly well at present. The food is fairly good. I get just the same as the soldiers get—bread, margarine, cheese, jam, meat, fish, potatoes? cabbage, carrots. I don't think I could get on a farm in England because I am under the New Zealand Government. I am trying to get, on the garden in the camp, growing vegetables. I can write as many letters as I like, I think. I em all right for wearing apparel. I have only to ask. and I get it if I sign for it. I may be able to come and see you when the war is over, if I am still living." Tn another letter, dated a week ago. Patton mentions that Little, Baxter, Maguire, and Ballantyne had gone to France, and Briggs and Harland were on the point of going. Patton himself was going over the following night with Kirwan (of Hokitika). A number of the conscientious objectors have already gone to France with reinforcement drafts, .and at least one, I understand, has. at his own request, been made a stretcher-bearer in the Medical Corps. The French unit of horse-power is oneseventh less than the English.