1000 CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22486, 22 January 1943, Page 4

1000 CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

Two Detention Camps

OAMARU. Jan. 21. Although the Minister of Agricluture, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, when addressing a meeting of farmers in Oamaru recently, was unable to answer a question by Mr J. B. Chapman as to the number of conscientious objectors in the defaulters’ camps, the desired information has been supplied to Mr Chapman by relatives of men at present in confinement. There are, it is stated, approximately 1000 conscientious objectors under detention.

“When I asked the Minister how many ‘miserable damned crawlers’ there were in the objectors’ camps, I apparently aroused the ire of relatives of the ‘conchies’,” said Mr Chapman, in conversation to-day with a representative of the “Oamaru Mail.” He added: “I have since received quite a ‘fan’ mail on the subject,. chiefly from Christchurch people. I have variously been assured that the objectors are neither miserable, nor damned, nor crawlers, and that they are, to quote still another letter, ‘very brilliant men’ with much more intelligence than I possess myself.” Mr Chapman, who produced the correspondence for perusal by the representative of the “Mail,” also drew attention to the following extract from a letter written by a Christchurch woman, who, incidentally, vigorously attacked Mr Chapman for his outspoken description of conscientious objectors: “There are approximately 1000 men in the two detention camps, and at Strathmore (Rotorua), w’here my husband is detained, the men do not get morning and afternoon tea, and there is no question of working a 40hour week. The men in the camps are quite willing to work outside in any capacity at Army pay. but the Government seems to think that being shut away, doing nothing, is a much better policy.” This correspondent vouches for the authenticity of the foregoing statement, adding that her husband is her source of. information.