ROUTING THE BOYS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 8

ROUTING THE BOYS.

A FEMALE ANTI-MILITARIST RUNS AMOK. A SECOND XmS. PANKHURST. (Br Tekirash.— Vrtei Ataorfatloa.) Auckland, Juno 13. Some diversion was caused on the drill-ing-grounds behind the Training College yesterday afternoon, when a femalo antimilitarist ran amok in a squad of 200 youths from the Technical College. Tho boys were being put through their regular weekly course of instruction, and were lined up in squads, when a woman about ■10 years of ago got through a wiro fence which encloses tho drilling grounds, and marched determinedly to the attack. Tho boys were standing four deep between the woman and tho instructor. Waving her arni6 and talking loudly, tho woman boldly pushed her way through to the front, scattering the boys on parade to right and left as she pursued her course towards tho instructor. Onco through the Tanks sho turned round and began to address the boys. "You foolish boys," declared the woman, "do you know what you aro doing? They cannot make you soldiers unless you want to be. Don't do it. Don't do it." The instructor in charge of tho squad ventured a remonstrance, suggesting that 'the lady was possiblv not awaro that sho was trespassing. "Trespassing! What do I care about that?" came the answer. "My own son is man enough to refuse to bo compelled to parade. Ho has been fined seven times. Wo paid seven fines for him, and I will pay. seven.more." ■ This time the instructor suggested more emphatically that the woman should leave the grounds. "Indeed, I will not," camo tho reply. "I'm a second Mrs. Pankhurst, and I'm not going to give in to this form of tyranny. An attempt was then made by tho instructor to ignore the woman and go ahead with, drilling, but the anti-militarist was not to be so lightly disposed of, and she followed the officer round, talking at him and keeping up a running fire of comment, and occasionally' hustling and shoving tho instructor out of the way. Then sho wanted to take his place in front of. tho boys, to better continue her address. . ,

Usually drill lasts till 3.45 p.m., but yesterday the boyg were dismissed a few minutes after 3.30, whereupon the antimilitarist triumphantly claimed that she had routed the whole force. She invited all and sundry to hear her discourse on the subject of military training from tho front of tho Technical College, and for quite a while she amused a large audience on the footpath.