MILITARY TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1683, 25 February 1913, Page 8

MILITARY TRAINING.

A MAKER'S VIEWS. THE CONSCIENTIOUS ORIKCTOR. (By Tdfjraph.-Bpoclal Oorr«<]»'nneßt.)' • ' Christchurch, February 24. Among recent visitors to Chrtetchiirch was Mr. Allan Kowntree, of Scarborough, England, ono ol' tho well-known \ Quakor family. He is a member of tho'.l>'riends of the Early Meeting Peace Coinniittce and tlio National Peace Council, aud alsa secretary of the Scarborougli (Pead? Society.' Ho has taken naturally enough considerable interest in the state- of nffairs.brought about by tlic-Defehcb Acts in the Commonwealth and Now Zealand. Mr. Kownlreo told a "Press" reporter to-day that ho first came-'jnto touch 'with tho Commonwealth Defence Act in Perth. At Adelaide ho found a. strong feeling of, opposition in existence. ■ He realised that there is a strong feeling, • both in'the Commonwealth and the Doininiop, that the Act was going back on the position largely reached in Europe by the flunking class of the. community, and in England by the entire body of the Labour party, which had got beyond the old bslief that war was the,only:method of settling international disputes, and believed that; tho nations should prepare for peace, rather than for war. The fear of an' invasion' from Japan in Australia, and from Germany in England,'- it. was believed, was largely got up by interested, parties, either by members of the military caste-or by- those' engaged- iu- tho, manufacture of weapuns or the building of warships. -All'these were'eager.to perpetuate th-3 feeling of feat- so as to keep up the making of preparations, arid history showed that tho growth and perpetuation of militarism .was opposed to the principles of democracy-and the-bringing about of the social reforms'so necessary in England. While! in Melbourne-' Mr. Rowntree saw a number of members of the. Federal including Mr. Fisher, who assured him that personally ho was a* strongly in favour of peace as he (Mr. Kowntree) was; and was convinced-that the conditions of the Defence Acts, both in Australia and New Zealand, were made safe by tho provision that the Ministers for Defence, who are civilians, are supposed to be supreme. Mr. Rowntree contended that new regulations were being made constantly by the military'authorities, many of which regulations seemed opposed in principle to the rights of citizenship won at. so much ' cost by our common fathers. With regard to exemption from, or substitution for, military service, those who really had conscientious objection to military drill or training for. military duties feel they, as members of ambulance corps, etc., in time of war, mieht havo to carry sup-' iplies or even ammunition, or performother services of help to thft combatants which their consciences would not allow,' and so did not believe that the exceptions were sufficient to those who objected; to the whole business. "I cannot help thinking," he said, "that the number of those who object to compulsory training has been minimised bythe authorities. They arc certainly more, than those whom your High Commissionerestimated, at one in a hundred in a letter, published in English journals. Certainly what I have seen does, not bear it ouj. I think 1 that one of the strongest objections to the system is that the whole tendency of tho Act is to imply- that the only way n man can serve his country is. by military service. I bolievo that there are more and greater opportunities " in every-day life—the'work of nurses and physicians, the pioneer's service in opening up new lands, the labour at industries, and- in all mines. • These bring out tho best and noblest qualities in man,',' In answer to a question, Mr. Rowntree said that our Act had attracted the attention of tho P/aco Society and Labour and Socialist parties at Home, but had notso far interested'the general public verygr»ntly. . ■ ; ' ■Mr. Gregory, of Bristol, whose curious pronouncements have' attracted some comment in. New Zealand, he says, is a worthy man, who has done good work in his own town, but not much weight would be attached to his statements. The Peace Council made efforts to investigate information supplied it, and was careful with regard to it. , " Tho National Service League was certainly making progress. The majority of the Conservative _party already fitvovrcd compulsory training, and some of the Liberals supported it also. No doubt tho Peace Council: worked against it by attempting .to educate tho public to its views. The Labour party -was altogether opposed to its 'objects. ■ Asked particularly as to the FardieValinrit resolutions which Labour here is being asked to adopt, Mr. Kowntree said that two years ago.' it had been brought before the National Peace Congress, and had been rejected, as no notice of it had been given; Last year-it, was'put aud lost. The Peace v Council was certainly hot pledged to it. For bimself, he believed that its principle might bo of use in'stopping a war between civilised countries, as'the Labour parties-wero aware of their close alliance of interests, so that the party had almost become international. At tho same timo it should not be. implied that the Peace Council was Socialistic. Many of its mombors were ■opponents of Socialism. Mr. Rowntree does not think that the effect of the Defence Act will be appro-li-able sodar as immigration is concerned. Perhaps a few families bad gone to Canada instead of coming hero in cinsequence of our. Act, but it was not likely that - they were many. As a business man he had met many other'business men, and had not heard any serious complaints that the Defence Act requiring the services of employees atstated periods had caused great inconvenience in some parts of Australia. They bad compulsory Saturday closing, and he had heard it said that the Defence Act made this necessary. ■ ■ Mr. Rowntree left, to-night for WeHingi ton. He will return to England via Van- • couver. ;