PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 42, 13 November 1926, Page 10

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING

ABOLITION URGED BY ASSEMBLY

The General Assembly of the Prcsbjterinn Church resumed its sittings yesterday, the Moderator, the Rev. G. H. MeNeur. presiding.' -7 ’ .?. „ - The Rev.-J. Allan moved a-motion, oil'behalf of the Public .Questions Committee, expressing thanktulniss that the Churches of the world were coming to-."ether-in a sustained effort against war; also, "That In yieiy, of."the necessity ot loyal co-operation, with’ the League of Nations, which hasyfrom tire first contemplated disarmament ■'•as'- cue or its primary objects and chief lesponsibilities, and which is now pressing on in the matter, the Assembly records -Jts conviction that .fhe military activities of the country should be. .leduued as 'much and as rapidly ■ t-s. possible, and that as a step in this-direction compulsory military training should be abolished; and directs that a copy of this resolution should be. forwarded to tlie Prime Minister and the Minister ot The mover said that the initiatory - movement had come from the Federal Council of the .Church..of Christ in America, a body which, had a inagnificent record in connection with peace ‘propaganda, largely-bringing ?bont the Washington tvjThe Roman Catholic Church was wholehearted]}? with the movement. What was wanted was the spirit of peace, but the mmpulsory system tended in the opposite direction. Why should the boys be brought up with the ideal before them of the potential slaying cf their fellows? They wanted disarmament es speedily as possible. (Applause.) ... The Rev. H. G. Gilbert (Hamilton), a returned padre, seconded the lesolution, which, he said, was not a pacifist one. The Church did the. right .thing when it scat its sons to the war. Compulsory military service was a war,measure; the war was over, and the Dominions, while using every effort along the road to disarmament, and universal peace, should be. to defend itself.. An adequate defence could be set up under the voluntary system. (Hear, hear.) The Rev. D Dutton (Otago), speaking with a long experience of military camps, and work,, in peace and war, ventured the opinion flint. the camps were not necessarily hotbeds of vice. It was not the place of the Church to dictate to the State ‘ what its policy should be in connection with defence, and military training. 7'he proper channel to attain what some people wanted was the political franchise. It was a political question, not a moral one. (Applause.) The Rev. G. Budd (Devmipnrt) said he lived in the neighbourhood of the Auckland forts, and saw .the results of the military system. lie had had an acquaintanceship with i military camps, and agreed that a man could go round there and hear nothing.. He could, if he liked, keep on smiling; -on the Contrary, he could also, if, he. wished, hear "all the devilry of the' night?’ The Rev. J. Milne (Thames) said there were splendid men in -Hie regiments of 1 lie line, hnth in >lhe regular army and the Dominion forces.; i’l’lie first line of defence was the Navy, and that and a voluntary Territorial system should suffice. (Hear, hear.) Mr. M. .1. McGregor (Auckland) advanced the opinion that pe’ace could be purchased too lightlvA He recommended ■the fathers of .the Church to 'study their Bibles; some of them did not’do so, apparently, to much advantage. (Laughter.) There had ' been a lot of hot air that morning, and the only .speaker who had displayed any sense at.all .was the one who said they must be.prepared for war. 1 Applause.) ? The Rev. Di J; Shaw (Hastings) moved an amendment to exclude from the motion all reference to'-the abolition of compulsory service.’’• i'He asked: Why put the burden on. the willing men, leavlust out the shirkers, wasters, and liars? The Rev. E. AV. MticLeam (Oainaru) asked if the assembly • was " prepared to abolish its Chaplains’ ’ Committee. ("Yes," "No.”) . Ho niainlained-'the-coni-puleory system was the fairest one wjiilo a defence system was, needed. General Young had contradicted the. suggestion that the Defence authorities intended, to institute a system of. three months?camp training. (Dissent.); . The Rev. D. C. Herron (Auckland) asserted that the officer” in charge of the northern command find .definitely endorsed tlie suggestion that - there should be three months’ training in camp, and had stated ■ that from his experience in Trantham - Camp beneficial results would accrue from the military, civic, and moral points of view. At this stage a motion that the vote be taken was defeated. ...

The Rev. Dr.? Merririgton (Dunedin) considered the resolution should stop at the recommendatiop that the military activities be reduced as-rapidly as possible- In his opinion the average young man was improved both physically, mentally,, and morally, by'...a .stay in camp. (Hear, hear.) :', ' '■ Mr. J. Aitken (Wanganui), favoured the motion, but reminded .the assembly that war was hiot pforiiofed by?’the people, hut by military leaders... (Hear, hear.) .He disagreed with UioSe who suggested that the League qf Nations wpuld- bring in the. Kingdom of God, which: would not come about until the Lord Himself returned to the earth. The Rev. T. J. Tock-er,. (Invercargill) deplored the apathy hithqrto exhibited by the Church in'(lds matter. The issue was now.joined. (No.) "You can say. ‘No’ until yoti are black in the face, byt I-stand to my statement," continued the speaker. The duty of the Church was to interpret the ideals of Christ. On what side were they go ing to be? He supported the motion. The amendment was defeated, and the motion was then put and carried, but a large number of hands were raised against it.