MILITARY SERVICE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16145, 25 February 1918, Page 6

MILITARY SERVICE.

6— A PARTY OF OBJECTORS. DEFENCE DEPARTMENT'S EXPLANATION. < (srr.ci.Ui to "the press."} WELLINGTON. February 23. ' An attempt has bfen made to arouse public sympathy in favour of a party of ' fourteen conscientious objectors who were shipped ou a transport one evening many months ago and taken away from Now Zealand. It is being suggested, rather than said outright, that these conscientious objectors arc high principled young men, whoso consciences will not allow them to fight. A long statement has been issued by the Dcfence Department to show that they aro not, and novcr have been, any- . thing of the kind. It should be understood that- objectors are, in practice, divided into three classes: religious objectors, wJio hold to certain sccts whose creeds are against the bearing of arms: conscientious objectors, with real consciciiees: and detiant objcctors. Religious objectors aro housed in detention camps, uoing work for tho Agricultural Department. The real conscientious objector is almost as easy to tleal with, and lie does not cnibarass tho authorities at all. It is tho defiant objector of whom Mr 11. J5. Holland prates, who causes trouble, and he is miscalled conscientious. These defiant youths give no reasons for refusing to serve. They disobey all commands, and as soon as it is ovident that a man means to persist with his defiance, ho is tried by a military court for his first offence. By this court ho may be, and usually is, sent to gaol for a considerable term of imprisonment. What is not generally understood is that imprisonment does not release any objector from obligations to serve, and ho may be taken by the military authorities at the expiry of his sentence, or before that timo. This party of fourteen "martyrs were taken on board a transport in custody after dark. Their nearest rela- 1 tives were not warned, and it is admitted that this was a mistake. Three of them were loft at Capo Town by direction of tho Capo military authorities, for isolation. Tho eleven others went to England in two other transports. They refused to do anything for themselves on board, and their quarters and their bodies became filthy; wherefore thev had to submit to forcible cleaning. This was an indignity, but one which most people will consider quite well deserved. They arrived in England still defiant, and they wore at length taken to France. General Godley would not agree to follow the practice recommended by two other generals, their recommendation being that the men bo sent forward to the fighting front like other soldiers. He thought that tho_ mon would either desert or refuse duty in the' face of the enemy, for -which the penalty is death. He was so sure that they would bo shot that he would not make martyrs of them, and .so he saved their lives. His latest report is that all the objectors save two have accepted service as infantry stretcher-bearers. Tho other two at the time of this last report, were at Etaples. Replying to a question at Wellington last week, the Primp Minister said, that the religious objectors' were not sent out of New Zealand, but were compelled to work in this country. The religious objector belonged to a sect, ono of whose principles was against warfare and against the shodding of blood. The other objectors—those who objected for other reasons: altogeether Tho chairman: Cold feet. Mr Massey said that very often ' it was probably cold feot. Those men had got to obey ordors as soldiers. They were pent into camp and and when they were trained they must "go," like otliors. Ho did not say they were cent away in every case.