COMPULSORY TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 689, 14 December 1909, Page 3

COMPULSORY TRAINING.

; CONSCIENTIOUS, OBJECTORS; .'< A QUAKER•DEPUTATION.:' , ,;'." ' V A deputation representing 'Hie 'Society" of Friends in. Now' Zealand." and the Wellington Adult School waited : iipon tho Primo Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) yesterday to place; before him their viows on tho system of compulsory military training provided for in tho Defence Bill now bofpro Parliament. _Slr. T.' Wright, of Auckland, said, the Friends wero loyal to the backbone, and wished to see tho Government helped rather than hindered. They had been brought up from childhood to believe , that war ' was "entirely contrary to the spirit of Christ, and as a religious body they could not take any part in it. They did not wishto'aid and abet the Government in framing tho Bill by inakins suggestions as to any of its provisions, but they wero nevertheless-very grateful to-the Government for putting in a conscience clause Tins clause provided tEnt-those who objected tc military service on account of. conscientious scruples should be required to perform civil duties as an equivalent. It had been stated ir some of the papers that this meant non-com-batant duties. Tho Friends would-likb.it tc bo made clear that it would : not mean Roins into the camps. They did not wish theii young men to be put to ambulance work, foi instance, in khaki. _Ho would suggest post, of■ fice duties for.conscientious objectors, or some, thing else quito unconnected with war. ."■ " Mr. W. B. ■ Jlathcson (Ekotaluina) said thai if the nation had to depend on armed force tho Bill seemed a : reasonable one, but- thej felt that to do away with all armed forces, am try,tho "holy experiment" of loving our one lines, would be a wiser course. He also suggested the creation of a Department of Poaci to do educational work. ' Mv.- B. Pwlney, of Auckland, said the Bil' appeared to be tho thin end of the wedge, am liKcly to lead to a state of'affairs similar t( that of Germany under conscription. Ho hac induced many people to' come to New Zealand and had himself just como back to settle it tho Dominion again, after sponding, a fev years in England, bi:t he would never hay< returned if lie had known that such a Bil was to become law. Miss E. B. Rutter (Wellington) spoke of th< effect of military measures on the raiuds oi the young. The Society of Friends had taker a great interest in education, and she submittec that it had been proved in England that military drill in tho schools was not the best forii of physical training. : Physical corirago was nol the highest courage, and children should b( taught tho duty of lovins their enemies. Mr. J. Harle (Auckland) said that tho carlj Christians were, in the habit of saying: "W< are Christians, and therefore wo cannot fight.' Tho Society of Frjends took the same stand He emphasised also the waste of. wealth causci by war.- • , Mr. J. Holdsworth (Havelock North) saic tho request of the deputation: was. a mattei of conscience, not of convenience. ■ • . Mr... J..' liigg (Wellington) spoko of the--ad-vantages-'of arbitration' as a way of' settling international disputes,' instead of war. THE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said he had th< greatest respect for the conscientious objec tipns that had been expressed and he rccog nised- that, if tho world at large.held similai ideas to those of tho Society of ■ Friends,- al the troublo of defending tho Empire coiild'. b< disposed of and all- disputes could bo scttloi by arbitration. Ho looked forward.to the pro gressivo educating of tho world putting an eni to tho practice of decimating people on battle fields, and substituting the; method of sattlins international disputes around , a table. In, New Zealand, however, wo were at the extreme cm of the whole business, and'what! depute tion had suggested was virtually that the tai should wag the dog. This country .woe.no going to be aggressive. ' Every ■ ckss ih':"i' wanted.peacd and harmony and wished- wai to bo avoided in every .possible way, but , wi had heavy obligations owing' to our attach ment to tho Old Land, the pooplo of whicl might become involved, through no! desire, o. their own', in hostilities' necessitated' by tin maintenance of the interests of different parfc of the Empire the globe It would be impossible for us to take up i position of neutrality, if , wo'wished to havi preserved for: all time onr-, attachment! to'thi British flag,- and.- the ..freedom! -power anc prestige it:gave to our people. It therefor' behoved us to look':ov'cr v, a wide horizon en tirely 'beyond cur o-wn shores.• We 'had t ensure the preservation of; peace by-bcini armed to the teeth, so as to provent.Avar. Tin wa's"a / regrottable feature'.ohthe-aRO we liv in, but we could not alter., it. Wo had t mould a system for protecting our own couu try, , in case we 'should unfortunately bo callei upon to dp so, and to prevent our.owii people' being decimated and swept out of existence. Tho system now being introduced was not a military system. Militarism had been avoided altogether, lie was himself opposed to.-militarism,' as strongly as any member of the deputation. Ho thought conscientions; scruples wore well provided for in Clause 93 of the Defence Bill. 1 The word "non-combatant" was put in; tp show,, ■that those who had conscientions scruples: should not be required to carry out combatant duties. They might bo put under • physical training, but their conscientious scruples would be respected.. With regard to educating chil-: ; dren as to the horrors of war, he thought all 1 must be; in accord .with" that' suggestion. Ho was ansious to prevent' nnythiiur; like a- jiu-' goistip. spirit permeating the peo'plei- : The Gov-. ornment was' not providing for , a , paid, force,: 'or anything beyond a reasonable scheme for ensuring efficiency in the, event of defensive' warfare. , . . ' ...'■■-,,.. i , -, Mr. T. Wright put tho case.'.of a youth of 16 or 17 liaving no special religious .objection to compulsory training on his own account. Would- an objection on his father's part be accepted ■ for purposes of exemption-under the Bill? -,-: ■-.;-.• . - .-■■-...-...•'.■ ' :■:■ : .r>': The Primo Minister said- he would-loolc into tliat question'. It was difficult for a Minister of Defence to-say, before-the scheme had been put into operation, , how far it would be-possible to go in tho matter of exemptions. Complaint had been made that too many exemptions were being provided for. . Mr. Piidney said the Friends did not wish to bo thought cowards. It would be harder for their young men to take the ...exemption* and bo'pointed at, as they would be, than in undergo the;military training.