MILITARY SERVICE.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1917, Page 1

MILITARY SERVICE.

Position of Clergy

trER PRESS ASSOCIATION.—OOrVfUOET t .

WELLINGTON.. Fob 27... In the course of an interview to-day Sir Jas. Allen K.C.B. referred to tho report of a deputation from Christchurch Miners’ /Association, which • waited on the Hon. Air. llussell at Christchurch. “I notice,” said Sir James, “that “there was a feeling that some private “arrangement exists between the Government and the Homan Cathode “Church. I wish to make it perfectly “clear that there is no private arrange“lncnt; between the Government and ‘the Homan Catholic, or any other “Church.” “Any arrangement made'would have been! publicly notified, and publicly acted upon. “In simple language the arrangement is this; —that where heads of any Churches take upon themselves the responsibility of saying that any certain clergyman cannot be- spared, and that it would not be in the public interest to send him to the front, the Minister of Munitions would sign a certificate to that effect to that Military Service Board before which the case would come. “The Regulation is perfectly clear which says that “in determining an appeal on the ground sot out in paragraph C. Section 18. of the Military Service Act the Board shall, unless it sees good reason to the contrary, accept as sufficient a' certificate from the 'Minister of Defence” etc. “These Boards, So far as I know, have accepted these certificates as sufii cient in cases of all Priests and all Clergy, Jmtpi the case of two students of the RtSman Catholic Church for whom certificates were sent in the Board, in judgment -came to the conrfusfcin ithat there was gdod reason not to accept these certificates. “Those are the only two cases I know of. “Certificates have been sent down for each of the denominations in every case where the head of the Church .has accepted the responsibility of asking for them. “It is not correct to say that the Ho man Catholic Church is the only 'one that has made applications for exemption. “As fnr as I know nearly every Church has made applications for exemptions. “In the telegraphed report pf the de-. putation Air. Russell said ho could not give a' specific reply to the assertion that a secret understanding existed between the 'Government and the Roman Catholic Church and that only the Acting Prime Minister could do so.” <“I can give a' specific reply,” said Air. Allen, “there is no secret understanding between the Roman Catholic Church and the Government. “There was no understanding which did not apply to all other Churches, and other Churches all know it.”