“TOO SUPERIOR”

Evening Star, Issue 19662, 15 September 1927, Page 15

“TOO SUPERIOR”

DIVINITY STUDENT AND MILITARY SERVICE RICHARDS FINED £5 [Peb United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 14. The Divinity student, Alan Morgan Richards, who recently refused to attend military parades on the grounds of religious belief, again appeared in the Police Court to-day, when two charges of failing to attend drill were preferred against him. > Sergeant-major Landman said Richards claimed exemption on the grounds of religious belief. Ho refused to parade. Richards said he had applied for exemption. „ „ T 1 , The Magistrate (Mr Hunt); What do you do for a living? Richards: I am studying at the university. I intend to go into tho ministry. The Magistrate: Why cannot you drill? -

Richards: It clashes with my religious belief, It is not for any other reason.

The Magistrate then suggested that Richards could play some useful part, such as cleaning out latrines. “What about the ambulance?” he added. “ Would you object to assisting the suffering and sick?” Richards replied that he would be able to do that if it was quite separate and apart from training. The Magistrate: Can you take him in the ambulance or put him on latrines, Mr Landman ? Sergeant-major Landman; I am afraid not. He refuses to do anything. He considers war is butchery. Richards: Yes, I do. The Magistrate imposed a fine of £5 on each charge. “ Others can go to drill, but, of course, he is too superior,” he observed.