Fighting Conscription.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 33, 20 October 1911, Page 12

Fighting Conscription.

At a meeting of, the Christ church Anti-Militarist League;, arrangements were made for the distribution of peace and anti-militarist literature Jjn the city electorates."" The following motion was unanimously carried: ' 'That tfcie meeting tenders its most emphatic protest against the scand-alous admissions of the authorities concerning the prosecu&igsa.. of those who had not registered under...&s& Itefence Act, wherein it is intended t© prosecute only in special cas©s ? and is of opinion that such conduct is a.deliberate prostitution of the people's ideals of equity and justice..", • ■ ■• * ■■ ■ ■ ' •

"Father of Four Soie" . writes: The Government is caving in, fast. Keep up the fight and do not. let. the. matter drop out of your paper. We.know who has been the mean-s of bringing them to their senses. It is an omiti-, ous sign to see resolutions being passed

all over the country aaid by the very people who have always this Government in power. Let its be very wary. Just before tlie election they are always so nice ana ; s.o full of promises which they never keep. At best they are a poor crowd and want close watching. If after the election they should try any of their monkey tricks, I for one would" go so far as to advise a general strike as an object lesson to Now Zealand and the world. Don't let' the matter': fkg. 'You are doing a grand work. f Success to all youa , efforts.

On a recent Sunday evening the Rev. J. H. G. Oliapple delivered a lecture in the Assembly Room; : Timaru, to the XJiritarian 'congregation on "Militarism. '■' The. building was packed. In the coins© of his address, Mr. Ghapl>le quoted from Norman Angel's book "The Great Illusion," and in the masterly manner inwhich he dealt with the subject proved himself to have read "the writing on the wall." He declared it was the interiteticinal industrial organisations y of the workers of. the nations who held within their gragj)'the power to prevent- warfare. The most hopeful outlook for future peace of the world wa>s the fact that workers' were becoming »:lass-conscious and beginning to know-how, to use their power. The Rev. Cbappell is doing splendid work as an advanced thinker and lecturer in Timaru. — A.M.H.

A mooting of'-tlie ..'Wellington AntiOonscription League was held on Oct. 12. There was a la.r,gq . attendance. Tlii© secretaaiy read ,-.- correspondence from all parts of 'N.'.Z. reporting on progress made and -answering inquiries. Things are'in good trim for the coming conference, and the , reports from headquarters, (Christchuch) are encou'- ,- aging v The president .(Mr. Scott Hodford) was selected to visit Ciirisi/iliaroh and make arrangements-feu , h-oMing the conference and drawing up the petition demanding the repeal of the DefencG Act and its. obnoxious clauses, and the holding, if possible, of a monster meetiiig at tli3 Oj>ftra Hoxise in AV-Gilington or any. other big centre.

Aboirfc 500 forms have, been filled up in Wellington containing several 'thousand signatures of people who protest against this conscription r< neonspiraey. A letter was drawn up, 'to bo &ent to the Minister of Defente and also to General G'pidlley, censuring a certain ColoneJ HesJ'irc), who at the Yorkshire, dinner held'in Wellington. ■ a few days ago made certain insulting references to anli-cmiseripi'vo-nists l . This Colonel Heard is to bo taug'it that it is bad form and entirely irregular to bring in controversial and political matters at an open convivial meeting sucii as th<? Yorkshire Societ-.' dinner. If Col. Heard decs not know better he must learn like the little boys at school. It was resolved a a follows : "That any government tlkit ena-ctd and enforces a law which makes criminals of respoctablo lads Who have committed no crime has forfeited the- conivlev.ee of tho peopla it represents and should ho immediately removed from office." It is requested that, as timeis getting short, the Anti-conscription Leagues all over N.Z. 'should get into toiioh with Christchu.rch ad make arrangements for being o'Fieially represented at tho coming conference. (live credit where it ifc due. . Already mc'iii>;;; Parliament aro ' beginning to pick tiio- s»i«c» ?~t of their cyos. Messrs lsitt, Wright anti liavo asked tho Minister of Defen«y& a few boys havo been pimishe<T i'us* iiiit icgistcring and tho Gthtfr 13,(318 delincpiciito allowed to la«gh tlio Goi'crii-

ment to scorn. These three honorable M.P.'s have at least done something more than nothing. What has "Fight' ing Mac," oiir ome and only La her M.P., done to justify himself in. this great campaign ? * a * The following interesting - cutting from an English newspaper of over 2C yeans ago has beon forwarded by Mr. Chris. Hansen, of Runaaiga: — CONSCRIPTION IN GERMANY. Herr Cohen, Professor of Mental Science, having received notice from the German Chancellor to present himself at Schruni, Prussia, for military service under tke conscription, has returned the following reply:—"My Dew Bismarck, —I feel highly flattered bj your kind invitation, addressed to mc at Bolzig, my native, town, to join the German Army; but am afraid I. :*hal not he able to accept, for I am now in England, engaged in the more useful work (as I consider it) of expounding mental seienCβ and teaching-people how to make the best use of their faculties For th« same reason I scarcely feel myself at liberty to accept, even the. hos-

pitality of six months' board and lodging at the expense of the State, which you considerately offer as an alternative. I much prefer basking in the sunshine of English liberty: to being forced despotically into military servitude in ray own. country. I haw a- l--together given up fighting since I left school. Ido not know I have anything particular to fight about now, and N nrcily care to engage in fighting at aaiyoiio ■else's bidding, if you have a quarrel with anybody, I would advise, you to settle it, amicably if possible, or else fight it out yourselves. If, after you , have 'fixed up , the army, you can make it convenient to run over hore'atj any time to on,e of my phrenological I lectures, I shall bo happy to point out' the superiority of life. in. Midland, nod, explain the nature and vtility of the,! as I say, more useful work which I '-sin; engaged in, and I will examine your] head, either publicly or privately, free \ of charge. "With kind regards to the; Governor, I remain yours faithfully,— I Gustav Cohen."