THE MILITARY PAGEANT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 15, 18 January 1924, Page 8

THE MILITARY PAGEANT

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS PROTESTS,

A deputation representing the Society of Friends, consisting of Messrs: J, Rigg , and E. ll.Do.vf sett and Miss M. • Pumphrey, waited- upon the Mayor, Mr. It. A. .Wright, this morning to bring ■ before his notice a resolution passed at the half-yearly meeting of tho Wellington, Hawk.es Bay, and Taranaki . branches of ' the society protesting • against the holding of "a military i pageant at Newtown Park next month. 'The minute; from-the meeting and the' 'resolution passed are as follow:—" A ; concern at.the prominence given to milii tary ideas in certain quarters has been;; .brought before this meeting, and we dei sire to reaffirm our adherence to the historic testimony 'of the Society of ; Friends in regard to war and all that •makes, for war1. We believe that the i military spirit is a source of great evil .; and makes war more possible. ■ We be- : lieve also that real peace can be secured ;;only by a world-wide acceptance of the i ideals of trust and goodwill ant! faith : in the power of Christian love. "This being so, wo desire to protest "against the holding" of public displays of such military methods as are proposed to be included in tho programme .of the forthcoming Military Pageant to :be held in Wellington early in March. , We feel that spectacular demonstrations ; of military fireworks, of gas attack preparations, of bursting shrapnel, etc tend to make popular tho idea of war ■and to throw a glamour over its horror and will, wo fear, hav e 3 dangerous effect upon tho impressionable minds uf children.".