Fighting Conscription.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 51, 1 March 1912, Page 10

Fighting Conscription.

# H. Cooke and E. Harman again before the Court. MALICIOUS PERSECUTION. 1 The persecution of boys for refusing te register under New Zealand's disgraceful Conscription Act continues with brutal and malicious severity. Of the thousands of youths who have manfully refused to register, tho authorities have fastened their eagle-like talons into thoso who openly carry on an an active propaganda against tho nefarious measure. It is so palpably evident that this is sjp, that the instances of young Cornish, Wise, Cooke, and Thompson and others need hardly bo recalled. But it needed the action of the "Defence" authorities in their atrocious prosecution for the second time of young Cooke and Hannan to show up in all its brutality what a contemptible and malicious crowd skulk behind the cover of this precious scheme. Harry Cooke and Edward Hannan, with others, appeared before Mr. Bishop, S.M., at Christchurch on February 22, charged with failure to register under the Defence Act. Copke was fined 40s. and costs, Hannan 20s. and costs. There arc thousands of youths in Now Zealand who have refused to register and have been left untouched, but those two fearless lads, whose courage and determination is a pleasure to behold, would, ,if these fiendish popinjays called officers had their way, be handled more relentlessly and viciously than if they were the meanest and vilest social degenerates whoever crawled upon tho face of tho earth. With minds which apparently are incapable of rising above the level of potty spite and revengo, they pursue with relentless fury those heroic souls who dare question tho wisdom of that atrocious measure, destined to hobble tho people of Now Zealand with tho dead weight of militarism. It is difficult to imagino a more tragic spectacle than that of a group of hyenaheaded creatures, braided and laced like some barbaric potentate, endeavoring to crush in a python-like grip, and to taint with the corroding atmosphere of the dungeon, innocent youths; and all in the name of —Peace 1 Alexander Cooke, another of F. R. Cooke's sons, was before the court at Christehurch on Friday last, and was lined 40s. and costs for having failed to take the oath under the Defence Act.