MR. ISITT'S VIEWS ON COMPULSION.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 27, 8 September 1911, Page 14

MR. ISITT'S VIEWS ON COMPULSION.

"It is the sacred duty of a citizen to defend his country against the aggression of an enemy," said Mr. L. M. Isitt at St. Albans. "The preparations for military and naval defence are absolutely necessary. They are the price of national existence. I am not afraid of Germany. I don't suffer from the anti-German fever. I think that our real danger lies .in tho military development of tho semi-civilised races, which are preparing armies and navies that some day may be used against us. Wo must be ready for attack. But when I have said all that, I still say that tho system of compulsory military training was forced upon this country without adequate, opportunity being given for full consideration, by the people. ' I believe that wo might have devised a system that would have obviated the necessity for the compulsory clauses that press so heavily upon people who have conscientious scruples.

'*\Vhy should the who believe in universal service ram their views clown tho throats of the Quakers? The Quakers are the salt of the earth today. Now I do not believe that it would not be possible to modify the compulsory clauses without lessening tho effectiveness of our military system. . I shall be ready to support posals for such a modification. Were it not for the miserable way in which the Government treated the Voluntecis, there would have been no need for any element of compulsion. The Volunteei service was starve:!, and now, while we- are prosecuting am! imprisoning the conscientious objectors, we are actually refusing to allow young me3i to secure military training because they are over twenty-one years of age. Four la-Js were rejrcL'ul for that reason in Christeiiuieli during the last few weeks."