PLEA FOR MILITA? DEFAULTERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5288, 28 December 1946, Page 4

PLEA FOR MILITA? DEFAULTERS

(Press Assn-

SHOUL'D BE RELEAi ONLY A FEW HII BEHIND BANNESI

— . By Telegrcivfi — Copjl

_ ^ AUCKLAND, LastJ Thougli their camps been closed for some nio military defanl^ers have nc been permanently dischaij they are still on parole, 1 position, which they descrj most ynsatisfactory, was] phasised tG-dscy in- an intei] by Aucklanders who still the welfare of def anlters much at heart. They ad ticularly anxious that thel ernment s-hould immgfl OVerhauI the regulationl place defaulters on the I footing as other eitizens. I In sq far as 'Military defaull no longer held in confinemeal position in New Zealand is d| from that in the United States,! accordii ng to a recent cable m| demanstrators in convict striJ aded outside the White Hol manding a Christmas amnel conscientious objectors of whol inally 6000 to 7000 were 1 prison terms of up to three yeal message stated that more than J would he released before Glul While the cable from New 11 ferred to these men as "consca objectors, " it has been stresse« country on numerous occasJ men sent to prisons or caij "military defaiuilters"— thosfl coulci KOfc satisfy appeal tfl thaf they W&ve genuine conscl objectors. These whom the tfl considered were genuine "C.O.fl allowed their liberty, and thrfl the war carried out their ■ business ocoupations. 8 C.O.'s Uncompromisiiifl •Speaking on behalf of , defl and those who have fouglfl cause, Mrs. H. D. 'Crump saidfl beefi given to understand byfl our candidate at the generalfl that most of the Labour M.lfl anxious to get the matter defl but nothing had been done. "B the regulation should be imnfl. altei'ed," she said. |

"We-knoW these men pi They are very responsible, minded people, who had the of their country at heart m to do their best for it. They compromising in theif attituc Mrs. Crump agreed that ti some who raised objection to vice to teave their sMnf, \ were a very small propoifion 'Some defaulters had delj gone to pi'ison in preference ing in defaulter camps, theil being that they could do raoj work in gaol. She quoted j of a man who had "lea prayed" for permission to cj his professional work in a j camp, and on account of ij allowed to do so, had deeidedj prison "where he .could do fitj for his country." "These men genuinely fj war does not accomplish 4 people set out to do. In ti Hitler was killed, but tlj which started the war has J killed." j According to many repol tary defaulters, generally I were treated considerably hel convicts sent to prison, Inl trict servicemen in camp oi that when they were marl various places of entertainml tary defaulters in veliieles fl their disposal by camp authoD quently passed them on the W Criticism of r-S.Afl A further concession gifl defaulters was that they ed to visit their homes for fl or longer, on parole. fl Throughout the war ret« vices' associations, notably fl land R.S.A. , kept a close fl the position, and more fl members criticised the Gfl for alleged solicitude shoflj faulters. fl Just before the general elfl R.S.A. requested the £°vefl state its policy regarding fl right to vote, and it was ■ announced by the Prime their names were to be the electoral roll. For h^yfl are to b'e 'deprived of t"1* vote has not been stated. ■ Though . military defa* their supporters have ances on account of the not amending its regula fl gard to them, it seen1® * enjoyed a brighter Chri ■ their comrades inthejM^fl