"RELEASE THEM"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 245, 10 July 1920, Page 6

"RELEASE THEM"

PLEA FOR CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS GENERAL RUSSELL'S VIEWS :5' There was a nlild sensation at yesterday's gathering of commercial travellers when General Russell, in the course of his address on National Defence, digressed for a moment and advocated the release of -conscientious objectors from all further imprisonment. ~ „ , In leading up to the subject General 'Russell said that there was a point on which lie wished to make himself -perfectlv plain. He would preface what lie had "to say by admitting' that although lie had been a soldier and. recognised that forco must be met by force, lie was one of those who believed that no victory could ever be won ultimately by force and force alone. There .was no way of driving out war for all time except by the influence of good. Incidentally ha explained that whathe had to say was not the view of the National Defence League. Wise, Right, or Good? - The question, he continued, had. been asked of him whether it was ■ a wise thins, a Tight thing, or a good thing that conscientious objectors should still be kept in prison, seeing' that the war was over. Before telling theni his answer he wished to relate a story of the only conscientious objector he nctually camo in, contact with overseas. This man actually came under his. own personal notice when lie was a prisoner in a military compound. He (General Russell) did not believe in this practice, and at.-his instance the conscientious objector was released and sent, to live for several weeks among the troops. His object was to see if actual contact with his fellow soldiers who were doing their, bit would, have the effect of convincing the objector that his beliefs were untenable. At /the end of his sojourn among the'men, he still maintained the same attitude towards the war, declaring that he could not seethat he had any right to kill his fellowmen. _, • , „■■. "There," remarked the General* was an absolute conscientious objector. I believe he would tare sooner been shot himself than shoot somebody else. A had him sent back to'base." His Personal Opinion. "You may say it is asking an impossible thing, but my own personal opinion, however, is that at the end of the war conscientious. objectors should be released." ; '''.'" Several voices: No, No! General Russell: I quite understand that you dissociate yourself from 'my views, and I only told you what I-'think about it myself. I promised to make my opinion public. Ihavo done^6ol