THE DEFENCE ACT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1386, 12 March 1912, Page 7

THE DEFENCE ACT.

A BAPTIST MINISTER'S VIEWS. I IBi Telecranß.— SoeciaJ Oorresnondent.l . Christchiirch, March 11. At the evening service at the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, yesterday, the ]?ev. It. S. Gray spoke upon the antimilitarist agitation with regard to the Defence Act. Mr. Gray said that he was anxious not to refute the arguments either for or against the: present agitation, bur to suggfst a method by which the admittedly unsatisfactory' condition of affairs might be ended, no shared tho universal regret, that a number of respectable lads should be imprisoned for infraction of the, law, ill-advi-Ed although he thought them. It .seemed to him necessary,, however, to say that opposition to the spirit of militarism was not confined to tho men and women engaged in the present agitation, and that it was probable that the great bulk of Christian people in tho Dominion had stood aloof because they were not able to approve of the policy and methods- which had been adopted. He hold that it was quite consistent with Christian faith and practice to disbelieve in individual disarmament, and that the policy of non-resistance .was optional nnd not obligatory. He adduced numerous instances to disprove the wisdom of non-resistance, and urged that in tho present condition of the world preparation for defence was imperative. As to the hurried manner in which the Defence Act was passed. Mr. Gray continued, 'and as to whether the volunteer system could not have' been so improved as to render the Act • unnecessary, there, was room for difference of opinion, but as he understood' the Act had been passed constitutionally, there- were constitutional method's of repealing it if necessary. In the meantime, it seemed to him that the leaders of the. present agitation had been guilty of a.grave tactical blunder in advising youths to raise conscientious objections before registration. It was an axiom that the State had no right to coerce conscience. It had, therefore, no right to compel a man to fight against conscientious convictions. It had, however, nn absolute right to demand a register of all persons who were eligible for defence purposes, and, further, as it seamed to him, to insist on the necessary training, so that, in circumstances whidh did not permit of objections on the ground of emiscientious conviction, as for instance in the way of pure defence, every citizen should be competent to b;ar arms. He instanced a case in which a conscientious objector, who refused to pay the fine imposed, yet emphatically avowed that in the event of an Eastern invasion which, however, he thought improbable, nothing would induce him to leave the defence of his own womenfolk to others. Mr. Gray suggested that to.ineet. the objection that once a lad had registered and taken;theronth.i'ihc .wa.v.hfHided' oyei; body and soul to the military authorities, and had no option but to fight if they ordered him to do so, the' registration form and the form of oath should be filtered so as to state .clearly that, registration was effected and the oath taken subject to the right of the. person concerned to object on conscientious grounds to taking part in actual warfare. Ha thought that every young man. should submit him.self for training, whatever views he held regarding war, and ho felt himself that it, was the duty of every man to defend his country against attacks. Ho recognised, however, that tfiero were people, who did not agree wilh him oh that point, and their conscientious scruples must be respected. If they were allowed a loophole, and it were made clear in , the registration ferm, and tha oath that the territorial force could not be called upon for service outside New Zealand, the passive resistance movement probably would cease. Those who oppesed the Defence Act should endeavour to secure its repeal by constitutional means. The preacher added that he desired to protest most strongly against essential militarism; and incidentally against tho prs-eminence given to military representatives at State and other functions, lie held that workers and scholars were entitled to at least equal honour. He was intensely hopeful that the spirit which had prompted tho arbitration suggestions of President Taft and their cordial approval by Great Britain would speedily become universal, and he urged the congregation, to prnv and work for tluil: nappy consummation.