"MARTYRS" AT RIPA

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 5

"MARTYRS" AT RIPA

THE NEW FROLIC. PROGRESS OF HUNGER STRIKE. TOLD BY THE BOYS. The small military "martyrs" on Ri'pa Island, who are endeavouring to organise a hunger strike there, had tlieir ease aired at tho Unity Conference yesterday. They forwarded a letter (through M.r. F. Cooke, Christclnirch .Socialist), of n somewhat flamboyant nature, intimating inter alia, that they would soon bo "too exhausted to write any inoro." Some flamboyant speches followed. THE LETTER, THE ISLAND AND THE "MARTYRS." "Ripa Island, Lvttelton, «m o. T, . ?, 1913. lo tho Representatives of tho Working Class, asseniDled at Wellington,—Comrades—On boho.lf of tho thirteen antimilitarist lads imprisoned on this island, wo send you this statement of onr condition and the circumstance which led up to it. From the first wo all absolutely refused to do drill of any description, and beyond a few threats and attempts at coaxing us into submission, nothing was done. On June 19, however, wo refused to do any work at -ill, the troublo being over a lighter load of coal that was towed here, and which we aro asked to unload. Previously to this strike wo wore quartered in the barrack-room, and wore living very well, but .directly the strike took place we were court-martialled and sentenced to solitary confinement with half rations. Theso rations consisted of a slico . of bread with slight traces of butter, and a small, mug of lukewarm slushy tea, for ten. For breakfast wo had tho samo as tea, and for dinner « small niece of meat and two small potatoes. Wo held out until late in tho afternoon of June 21, when, seeing that the state of tilings was not improving, wo communicated with each other and declared tho strike off, and returned to tho old condition of things, still refusing to drill or clean or handle nrnmmints. On Juno 22, Lioutenant M'Donald, who has charge of this establishment, interviewed us together in the barrack, and told us that the work was running short on the island, and that, when tho ordinary work ran out, th,eno would be nothing to do except tho cleaning of tho guns in the fort, and that, if wo did not caro to do this, he would bo compelled to lock us up together in tho ba,rrack-room. Ho assured us at tho Bamo time that he would not compel us to do any work that was objectionable to our principles, neither would he "be so mean as to put us on short rations because the ordinary work on tho island had run out." Would Starve to Death. "All. went well until tho afternoon of Juno 30, when we were all collected into tho barrack-room and told that there was no more work to do unless we undertook to clean the big guns and the gunpits. We wcro then asked individually if we would do this class of work, and from everyone of us they received an emphatic 'No' for answer. Wo were then asked if wo would learn signalling, and to this we all refused again. We decided between ourselves that, if tho lieutenant broke his word to us, wo would declare a 'hunger' strike, and starve to death before wo would sink our principles. He did break his word,-and we were shortly afterwards taken to solitary confinement. That night, at toa time, ton out of our party of thirteen refused the miserable half rations that were brought to_ us. It was bitterly cold, and our bedding was not brought to us until about 7 o'clock, and was takon away again tho next morning. "On the morning: of July 1, tho lieutenant came to tho island and intorviewod each of -us. Ho Gaid that he was going to make us clean the guns, and that furthermore 'he was not going to bo satisfied wifclt work alono, but was going to get drill out of us as well this time. This decided us. We will stick to our principles to'tbie last. It is now tho morning I of July 2, and ten of us hnvo refused to accept the fifth meal that lias been offered us. Three of fflio number are already ill, one seriously, but it makes no difference, as we have decided that if we are not allowed to return to the barrack-room and are not given our full rations, wo •will be carried off this island dead, or as near dead as our tormentors will allow us to get. By the time this readies you wo shall all of us probably be too exhausted to write any mpre. Our message to you, our comrades, is to fight hard—no quarter, uo compromise, no surrender. We are prepared to play tho game to the last. All wo ask is for you to do the same. Let the world know that this little country is game enough to challenge tho poweT of tho military autocracy which is threatening to overwhelm tho world, and is mining the workers of tho world. "On boholf of the thirteen prisoners on this island,—Wo are, yours in the fight for emancipation,—Reg, Williams, W. J. Hooper, J. It. WonuU."

THE SPEECHES. THE BOYS URGED TO REBEL. The standing orders were suspended to deal with tho question. Mr. J. A. MCullough (U.L.P.) moved: "That this congress strenuously protest against the winked and barbarous method of imposing solitary confinement on tho boys now incarcerated on Ripa Island for refusing military service, and calls upon the Government in the interests of humanitr to imomdiately release tlieso boys." 110 hoped tho resolution vrould be passed without much discussion. Ho did not think that in tho heart of any man or woman tliero was any desire to punish these boys in. this manner, and they could all ogreo in demanding that the Government should immediately release these boys, who were starving on Ripa Island. _ Mr. Stevenson (Eastings U.L.P.) seconded tlio resolution. . The motion was then put.and earned with only one or two dissentients. Rebel Against Conscription.

Mr. May (Dunedin Waterside Workers) moved for a two hours' suspension of the standing orders in order that the conference should proceed to Parliament Bouse to protest against the dastardly action of the Massey Government re tho boys confined on Ripa Island. He said that many nf them at tho conference had urged tlio bovs to Tebel against conscription, and if tliley did not stand by them now they would be acting in a very cowardly manner. , , Mr. Ellis seconded tlio resolution. Mr. Mack moved an amendment: 'That this conference at once draw up a petition to Parliament, setting out tho position and requesting the Immediate r«leaso of the boys at Ripa Island, Buoh petition to be (signed by tho members of this conference and presented to Parliament this day." Mr. Reid seconded tho amendment. Mr. Carer said fireworks would do no pood, and the way to bring the people of this country to support tllieir opinions was not by violence, mob rule, or ' moderation." Let them sign a petition and present it in a reasonable .manner. Tlio motion was carried.