ABOUT EXEMPTIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3015, 28 February 1917, Page 5

ABOUT EXEMPTIONS

ALLEP BARGAIN WITH CLERGY SIR JAMES ALLEN GIVES HIS "SPECIFIC REPLY." The Acting Prime Minister (Sir James Allen) referred yesterday to the Press Association report of a deputation from tho Ministers' Association to the Hon: G. W. Russell at Christchurch, and ho made the following statement concerning it lo a Dominion reporter: — "I notice," said Sir James Allen, "that thero wa6 a feeling that somo private arrangement exists between the Government and the Roman Catholic Church. I wish to make it perfectly clear there is no private arrangement between the Government and tho Soman 1 Catholic Church, or any other Church. The arrangement made has been publicly notified and publicly acted upon. "In simple language, the arrangement is this: That where tho heads of any Churches take upon themselves the responsibility of saying that a clergyman cannot be spared and that it would not bo in the public interest to send him to the front, the Minister of Munitions would sign a certificate to that effect to the Military Service Board before which tho caso came.

"The regulation is perfectly clear. It says: 'In determining an appeal on the ground set out in par. C, section 18, of the Military Servico Act, tho board shall, unless it sees good reason to the contrary, accept as sufficient, a certificate from the Minister of Defence,' eto.

"The hoards, so far as I know, have accepted the certificate as sufficient in the cases of all priests and all clergy, but in the case of two students of tho Roman Catholic Church, for whom certificates were sent in, the board, in its judgment, came to the conclusion that there was good reason not to accept the certificates.

"Those aro the only two cases I know of. These certificates have been sent down for each of tho denominations in. every case where the head of the Church has accepted the responsibility of asking for them. "It is not correct''to_ sav that tho Roman Catholio Church is the only ono that has made applications for exemptions. As far as I know, nearly overy Church has made applications for exemptions. "In the telegraphed report of the deputation, Mr. Russell said: . " 'Ho could not give a specific reply to the assertion that a secret -understanding existed between the Government and the Roman Catholio Church— only the Acting Prime Minister could do so.'

' "I can give a specifio reply," said Sir James Allen. "There was no secret understanding between the Roman Catholic Church and the Government. There was no understanding that did not apply to all the other Churches, and the other Churches all know it."

"I note that some mention is made of exempting classes _of men. No classes of men are being exempted in classes. Every individual case has to come before a Military Service Board, and is treated on its merits."

THE QUESTION GN THE . HUSTINGS | By Telegraph—Press. Association. Hastings, February 27. Sir John Findlay, in his speech last night, strongly opposed conscription of the clergy._ He said it was a most delicate question whether wo should forco a minister of religion to go into tho trenches to kill the enemy. If persisted in there would be most serious trouble The rights of objectors had been admitted and provided for in the conscientious clause of tho Military Service Act. The ministers were doing expellent war work in New-Zealand,-better than they would do if forced into the trenches to spill human blood against the tenets of tiftSir creeds. "When we find men standing firm upon their convictions, the time has come to pause. The consolation of religion is dear to many, and while it is being sought by bereaved mothers and wives there is ft call for ministers of religion' here, and while that call is heard I shall oppose the calling up of ministers of religion to fightl" Tho Hawko's Bay branch of the Catholic Federation held a meeting and passed resolutions similar in terms to those passed in other centres in,protest against the conscription of the clergy. PROTEST FROM THE WEST 'COAST.' . ',' Westport, February 27. 'A' largely attended meeting of Roman Catholics unanimously decided to send the following protest, to the ActingPrime Minister:—"The Catholics of the Westport district 1 respectfully, solemnly, and •_ emphatically protest I against the calling up for military service of priests and professed religious upon the following grounds:—(l) That their vows preclude them from such servico, and the idea of military service for priests and professed religious, except as chaplains, is abhorrent to all Oatholics. _ (2) That tho violence dono to the feelings of Catholics by conscription of their priests and professed! religious (which has not been applied in any other part of tho British Empire) would not be counterbalanced by any adequate military advantage in tho prosecution of the present war."