DEATH PENALTY IN ARMY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18536, 5 April 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

DEATH PENALTY IN ARMY.

Labour Favours Abolition. HEATED SCENES IN PARLIAMENT. (Unite** Press Association—By Elecixit Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received April 4, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 3. In the House of Commons, strong passion was aroused in Committee on the Army Annual Bill, arising out of the Government’s decision to drop the death penalty for cowardice, and inducing others to participate in acts of cowardice, but retaining it for mutiny and sedition. Mr Thomas Shaw (Minister of War) admitted that in thus further limiting the death penalty, he was acting against the advice of the members of the Army Council. A Conservative amendment seeking to re-introduce the capital penalty for inducing acts of cowardice, was rejected by 288 votes to 165, after an acrimonius discussion in which the Opposition demanded that the Attorney-General should give a legal opinion on whether inducing cowardice amounts to mutiny and was therefore punishable by death. The Attorney-General refused, but Mr Shaw expressed the opinion that a man who deliberately incited others to cowardice, was guilty of a crime equivalent to mutiny. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir G. L. Courthope’s amendment, retaining the death penalty for a man leaving a post, or attempting to create a false alarm was declared carried amidst Ministerial protests that the question was not clearly understood. Mr E. Thurtles’ amendment to abolish death for desertion, and substitute penal servitude was carried by 219 votes to 135, on a free vote amid Labourite cheers.