THE LIE DIRECT TO AN ANTI-MILITARIST

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2285, 20 October 1914, Page 7

THE LIE DIRECT TO AN ANTI-MILITARIST

PETONE SHIRKER SHOWN UP IN ENGLAND. In these days of war the cry of the anti-militarist seems to have _ been wisely silenced and probably will not be heard again in this country until after the end of tho big European struggle. According to information received the outbreak qf hostilities has had tho same effect in England, and thero tho objectors to military training have either hidden themselves or joined the ranks at the front. The following extract taken from a letter written by a well-known Now Zealauder at prosent in London affords an illustration of the length some young men will go in exaggerating the conditions and system under which tho young soldiers of tho Dominion are trained, and tho penalties inflicted on the recalcitrant: —

"Little Englanders, anti-territorial-ists, reduce-the-Navy-estimaters aro now cither deadly silent, or, liko Blatchferd, have admitted their errors and boeome staunch Imperialists. What a, lesson to those misguided people in New Zealand who talk of "conscription" in connection with tho Hon. James Allen's scheme of compulsory service; and, in this connection, a really splendid thing . happened here which I must tell you. _ Before I arrived here my wife was in Bristol, and she road in the paper that a_ young man who had intended settling in New Zealand had gone to that colony, and against his will had been press-ganged into military service, and when ho protested had been cast into gaol, herding amongst thieves and felons, and that the said young man would deliver an address warning intending emigrants from such a place. Before the address was given she was able to communicate with the High Commissioner and get a copy of the conditions under which settlers are guided, and there it stated that youths from _. . . to a certain age put in military training coinpulsorily. Armed with this she (I think) for sucli a placid lady pluckily attended the meeting and heard that young Petone malcontent pile up misleading and unfair statements; that he was dragged up to Court for refusing "conscriptioii!" lectured, fined, and, on- refusal to pay, thrown into a dungeon on Rip'a Island amongst murderers and cut-throats—all for the sake of conscience. The audience cried 'Shame! Shamol' 'Disgraceful!' He also said that his family was induced to go out under false pretence's, and they had no idea that 'conscription' was rampant ii , . tho land., "He finished amidst salvoes of applause and sympathetic cheers, but before the usual vote of thanks was acoorded my wife's cup was too full and she rose and asked whether sho might say a word or two as a New Zealand lady. The chairman, thinking some adulatory speech was going to be made, said, 'Certainly.' I can't repeat what she said, but the gist was:— "I want this largo audience not to be carried away by what this young man has said,' for it is misleading and a lot of it untrue. I recognise in him a resident of Petone, wjto was one of a company of young hoodlums who nightly used to go to the drillshed and disturb the other boys in their drill and endeavour to stir up discontent. 'His fattier is a man of strong Socialistic tendencies, calls himself Comrade something, and no doubt egged on the boy in his outrageous conduct. This youth says, he was'induced to go to New Zealand under false pretences. Well, here 13 the circular issued to his father, in which 'compulsory military training. is clearly specified as a condition of citizenship. How daro he make these false statements! Hβ also said that ho appealed to Mr. Fisherj tho Primo Minister. Would you be surprised to hear that Mr. Massoy is tho Prime Minister, and not Mr. Fisher? This little circumstanco clearly shows what wild statements this youth is capable of making. I may as well tell you all that when this yoiing man refused to serve and refused to pay the fine, 'he was sent to Ripa Island along with some other youths; they were not herded with criminals, but kept absolutely apart from all but their own contaminating influences. This youth forgets to tell you tlwt' when Colonel Collins wont down from Wellington to reason with tho young men he could not obtain a hearing owing to their horrible language." "This rather flattened out the youth, who when called upon to reply to the charges f,ot white and shaky and said his father had told him nothing about the High Commissioner's circular, and his father told him Mr. Fishor was Premier. The meeting for once heard the other side."