CONSCRIPTION OF THE CLERGY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 964, 14 March 1917, Page 6

CONSCRIPTION OF THE CLERGY.

j To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir, —I see in to-night's Sun, an account of "A Bishop's Appeal," and it leads oft* with: "For the first time in New Zealand a bishop appeared before a Military Service Board this morning to appeal for the exemption of himself from militaryservice. You could have gone one better, and said "for the first time in the British Empire," because England herself has not seen fit to do so, nor any other of the overseas British Dominions; but only New Zealand, and New Zealand alone stands out as the only country speaking the English language that has conscripted the clergy. Why, Mr Editor, as much as we deplore our German enemy, and all the atrocities she has committed, neither Germany nor Austria has conscripted the clergy. So New Zealand not only stands out from all other countries in conscripting clergy, but is the only one that has conscription at all, and New Zealand has sent more troops to the front in proportion to population than any other. Recently Mr Massey was in Belfast, and he and the Mayor of Belfast were each patting themselves on the back about the number of troops they had sent, but • New Zealand beats Ulster, Canada, Australia, and all others. So you see we in "God's Own Country" are puiting up records in more than one way.—l am, etc., SEARCHLIGHT.