«ANTI-MILITARISM."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1217, 28 August 1911, Page 2

«ANTI-MILITARISM."

t ♦ ! AN ADDRESS BY A VISITOR. 0 An address, under tho auspices of tho = Anti-Conscription League, was delivered " iu Ilis Majesty's TJieatTo last evening by 1 Mr. H. Cordor, of Sunderland, England. . 51r. Corder is a member of tho Society of Friends, England. Mr. W. S. licdlord [ presided, and between two and threo a hundred people were present. ' o Mr. Corder dealt with tho progress of: 0 what ho termed "militarism" in Europe, and he advanced current argument's and e theories in favour of the settlement of international differences by other means ! than by armed force. Coming to tho t New Zealand Defenco Act he described e R as embodying, in its compn'.sory 3 clauses, an idea alien to British principles of freedom. He said that tho „ world had witnessed in the passing .of this Act a retrograde stop, ana at a timo in the' progress of events when such legis- " lotion was quite uncalled for—at a timo 'when it was becoming more and moro possible that' law and order, instead of B armed force, should reign. Mr. Corder was given a good hearing, 3 but half a dozen police stationed insido the hall, and as many more outside, were t a sufficient' precaution- against outbreaks, t Now and then there were minor inler--3 ruptioiis. When Dr. Couzens proposed a 3. motion condemning tho compulsory provisions of tho De'enco Act, and pledg- - ing itself fa do everything fa securo their - repeal ho was considerably heckled and - bantered in a good-nalured way. t Tho chairman put the motion and 1 about half the audienco held up their 1 hands in its favour. A request for a show of hands in tile negative was not , heard in the hall and no hands wero I hold up. Tho announcement, therefore, J that the resolution was "earned unanimously" was £rccied with loud shouts of ; derisive laughter mingled with applause. Admission lo the meeting had been by 1 silver coin. s