The Dominion MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1926. THE CHURCH AND MILITARY TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 43, 15 November 1926, Page 8

The Dominion MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1926. THE CHURCH AND MILITARY TRAINING

Friday’s debate at the Presbyterian General Assembly on the subject of compulsory military training revealed a little, reluctance on the part of several speakers to associate themselves with-the full scope of the motion that was finally adopted. While most of them were agreed that there.should be an early and substantial reduction in the amount of training at present expected from the young men of the country, there was some difference of opinion as to the form and extent of the reduction. ... If one interprets the mind of the Assembly correctly, it would ■ appear that the necessity for at least some military training is recognised. People who declare that there should be none at all are the victims of an obsession which excludes reason and ignores facts. If, for the sake of argument, the public were to agree that a reduction of the training was both prudent and desirable, what remained would still have to be compulsory, in order that shirkers would not be able to evade their duty. A return to the voluntary system, even, if only Senior Cadet training were retained, would be inequitable and The tendency of churchmen —a natural tendency influenced strongly by the pacifist ideals of their professional mission- is to regard training for defence as a form of militarism. This attitude of mind is out of step with the evolutionary process by which the Christian ideal of “peace-on earth, -good will towards men,” may ultimately be consummated. “The will to peace” must be. securely, consolidated upon an international foundation as a condition precedent to “the will, to disarm.” The Church should concentrate first upon the strengthening of the peace spirit. If it can help in this way die rest will follow automatically. Until that happens we must train for defence. ■ Training camps are not harmful: for the average youth. On the Contrary, there is evidence that they do a great deal of good. Several of the speakers at the Presbyterian Assembly, who spoke from experience, showed good sense and fair-mindedness by recognising this. In fact, the whole debate, to judge from the report, was gratifyingly free from the suggestion often in the past used’ against military training, that the camps were undesirable breeding-grounds for social vice of one kind or another.

The mover of the Presbyterian Assembly’s resolution said that the military movement had come from the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. Would it not .be much more effective, and to the point, if that American religious body were to exert its influence in the direction of -influencing the United States Government to abandon its policy of isolation from the peace movement in Europe? It is not possible for a nation; any more than an individual, to live for itself alone., " But that is by the way. The fact we have to face is that it is still difficult to secure international unanimity for disarmament. To follow the suggestion of the Presbyterian Assembly would be.to invite insecurity instead of promoting security.