"BEFORE THE FACT."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 962, 12 March 1917, Page 10

"BEFORE THE FACT."

AN ACCESSORY TO KILLING, 'VIEWS OF "THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL." An appellant, Arthur Hiil by name and a bootmaker by trade, appeared before the Second Military Service Board to-day. He had religious objections to bearing arms. Soft of voic"e and civil in address he wore a full black beard and had his hair twisted into the form of a pig-tail, which he wore coiled in graceful folds about his head. He belonged,

he said, to the Society of the House of Israel and had been classed by the Medical Board as 82. He handed in a sheet on which were inscribed the tenets of the society. The chairman: The board has instructions to consider only Quakers and Christadelphians in the matter of granting exemptions. Appellant: I know that; but I think that I am just as entitled to exemption as any bishop or clergyman. In reply to further questions by the chairman, appellant said that he and his brother were the only two representatives of the society in New Zealand. The headquarters were in London. The society was founded in 1790. He was a New Zealandcr by birth. lie objected to wearing a uniform as that brought him under military domination. Anyway, his hair would he against him. The chairman: I thought it was only Chinamen that wore pigtails. Where did you get the idea from'.' Appellant: From Hie Bible. Captain Spratt: The Sikhs have a similar belief regarding the hair, but they serve, you know. Appellant: I am aware of that; but I object, to sign on for military service. I woald be an accessory before (he fact even if I signed on for duty with the Medical Corps. The chairman: You mean "after the fact." Appellant: "No, "before Hie fact." Captain Spratt: Suppose a wounded man came to your house, would you not give him succour? Appellant: Certainly, I would. Appellant then went on to explain that members of Ihe Medical Corps were, in bis opinion, accessories to killing, in that they were essential to the process. He.would not, he continued, sign any undertaking to perform non-combatant duties. The chairman: Well, then, your appeal is dismissed. It's your own i fault. We endeavour to give you ! people every consideration. It's not I a personal matter so far as we are I concerned. i Appellant: I fully realise that, sir.! I still maintain that I am entitled to'

exemption equally with any bishop or clergyman. Anyway, I would be absolutely useless to the military authorities. The chairman: Would you? You look as though you would be quite a lot of use. The appeal was dismissed.