THE CALL TO SERVE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2973, 10 January 1917, Page 6

THE CALL TO SERVE

——a ' APPEALS FROM THE BALLOT , i

AN AMERICAN [CITIZEN'S i OBJECTIONS . By Telegraph—Press Association. . '-':> \T. ■ '-. .'-"' . ','■"-'• ■'". .- ' "'-;;.'.'•" Chrlstchurch, January 9. Tho"'Military Service Appeal .Board sat at 'Ghristchurch to-day. Kelyngo E. England, motor repair engineer; appealed upon tk'e'grouiid of business obligations in February. Ho sad lie had arranged to enter tlie Motor Patrol Service in England, leaving his father to look after his business, but his father died!, and he had ■to come, hack to look after it. In the event of his being'called up he would > .'simply Kavo to lot his. business go. . The chairman stated that the hoard 'did not regard tho motor business as indispensable. It was simply a luxury. The appeal was dismissed, the appellant ,being allowed two mcnths to make "his arrangements. _ , Percy B. Atte.y, Methodist ministor, ftsked to he allowed to be posted to the Red Cross or other non-combatant .branch. The chairman said that all the board could db was to mako a recommendation, unless the appellant came within the religious objectors' clause of tho 'Act. "-.'. Appellant: I don't do that. .:•■' Tho'chairmaa: said that :the' .'.board -would make such recommendation, and ho 'would ho' allowed!.fourteen days' leave to-attend to'his private affairs. William Templeton Home, dairy ex-par-t, Spreydon, appealed upon the grtund that ho was an American sub- . jecb by' paTen.ta.go and naturalisation. Mr. Wright, who appeared on his behalf, submitted that the appellant was not a natural-born British subject within the meaning of Section 3 of Subsection 2 of the Military Service Act. The American law provided that a child . born of American parents in a foreign country could elect to remain an 'American citizen when he was 18 years of age- Tho appellant made a declaration~to this effect before the American Consulo, and when ho turned 21 he took the oath of allegiance to America, dhis constituting lim an.American citizen. The chairman dd not consder that the hoard should! take upon itself tho •obligation of deciding a matter which • might call forth a note from the American President. : (Laughter.) The best thing would bo to state a case to the Supreme Court, and itho appeal would he adjourned for. a month in tho inean- . time.