TREATMENT OF MILITARY APPEALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 64, 18 March 1943, Page 4

TREATMENT OF MILITARY APPEALS

jy/|R. A. C. BARRINGTON, honorary secretary of the Christian Pacifist Society, has issued a multigraphed account of the appeal of A. 11. Carmen, of Wellington, to be exempted from all military duties on the grounds of his conscientious objection to any participation in warfare. Mr. Barrington’s idea being evidently to enlist public support for the appellant on the strength of his case. If the facts are as set out in Air. Barrington’s statement, it can be assumed that Air. Carrffen conscientiously holds the belief that he should not engage in warfare in any circumstances. hi law the Armed Forces Appeal Board is required to adjudge the genuineness of the appeal, and on this matter the Appeal Board is the body whose responsibility it is to come to a decision. Having arrived at a decision it is not challengeable, for there is no right of appeal to any higher authority. There may be good grounds for claiming that a citizen of good repute should have as much legal protection as one with a criminal record who is charged with a grave erime. But criminal procedure is fashioned to prevent the innocent being wrongly convicted, not for the protection of criminals as such. On the other hand there is a personal obligation resting on all to fulfil their responsibilities as citizens, and those who seek to establish their right not. to fulfil them to the full can hardly expect that an elaborate and costly machinery shall be set up on their account. If such were the case, then they would be taxing the public with the cost thereof. The public would no doubt object to such an expense being laid on them. But why the appeal to Caesar at all? Hitler would not heed their complaint that to participate in war would be against, an individual conscience. It was not the Allies who started this war; they did everything to avoid it. And if ever there was a elearcut issue of unwarranted and premeditated attack and justifiable defence it is provided by this war. The Allies are blameless. Hitler and those who support him are obviously and self-admittedly guilty of every infamy to which human beings can stoop. Mr. Carmen and those with him find it in their consciences to do nothing to stop Hitlerian crimes. Why, then, swallow this camel and yet strain at the gnat of incarceration in a defaulter’s eamp in New Zealand? Why ask people to use their power to save the conscientious Carmens from this minor fate while refusing to assist the. people to use their power to save them from the major one? Surely it would be more logical for Messrs. Barrington and Carmen to use those means to which they would resort under :| Hitleran regime to rectify any error which Hie Armed Forces Appeal Boards may make in their dealings with those who claim ■ the benefits of public protection without contributing fullv toward it.