FOR MILITARY TRAINING PURPOSES

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1919, Page 7

FOR MILITARY TRAINING PURPOSES

AUCKLAND MINISTERS' VIEWS.

(IT TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL TO THE POIT.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The proposal of-Sir James Allen that youths of eighteen should undergo four months' training in military camps was discussed by the Auckland Presbytery ;on Tuesday evening. A committee appointed to consider a communication on the subject from the Christchurch Council of the Churches submitted the following motion :• "The Presbytery, whi% believing that every* abla-bodied man should be ready to defend his country, has strong moral objections to militarism and the formation of a military caste, and believes that before any addition is made to the. pre-war system of training the whole question should be carefully considered by representatives of the people in a, new Parliament. The Presbytery is strongly of opinion that the proposed four months' segregation of our youths of eighteen in military camps is open to grave objection from a moral standpoint." The Rev. J. W, Shaw, chairman of the committee, moved the adoption of the motion. He said that members of the committee were not pacificists, but they did not want the country to be dominated by a military caste. All the opinions the committee had been able to get pointed to strong objections, on moral grounds, of the segregation of youths in camp. . The Rev. I. Jolly, who seconded the motion,- said he viewed with alarm the introduction of anything approaching militarism into New"Zealand. The committee held that no change should be made in the training of youths until the people were able to express their opinion at the approaching elections. The Rev. A. A. Murray, minister of St.' Andrew's Church, said he thought it would be a very great mistake for the. Presbytery to put any objection in the way of military training, in view of the fact that all other nations, especially those involved in the recent war, would not cease the training of their young men. Earl Haighad said that as far as he. could see; there would be need of Territorial camp's. It would'be suicidal on the part of our nation to cease military training as long as the present spirit was in tho world. What the Church should aim at—and it should be the supreme task of the Church—was to change the spirit of the age. Previous speakers had referred to the bad moral influence of camps. It was for the Church to see that its young men went into camp clean in body and mind, and woll fortified by the Word of God to withstand the evil influences of camp life. The committee had affirmed that it was the duty of every man to defend his country. That being so, was it not necessary for the men to bo trained effectively ? . The Rev. J. Patioson said the proposed period of training was much too long; even the nine days in camp under the present Territorial system imposed a severe test on the character of the young man. "The language of the average young fellow in tents —one hesitates to say it—is unspeakably vile," Mr. Patieson said. "I would be distressed if my boy had to go from his home into camps where this blasphemy and vile 'hash' is served up." . Tho Rev. K. Fell, a returned soldier, said the spirit of militarism was fairly rampant in tlio land. His experience of military camps.was that the men were crowded like beasts, and fed like beasts. It required only one or two men to get the upper hand, and they demoralised the others. The Rev. D. J. Albert said he considered no good purpose could be served by taking a youth away from his mother's influence, and putting him into camps where all sorts of temptations presented themselves. The motion was then carried, Mr. Murray alone. dissenting. , :