Compulsory Training.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 94, 20 December 1913, Page 5

Compulsory Training.

FOR CONSCIENCES SAKE.

THE DEFENCE ACT. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, December ID. Representatives of the Society of i r'riend.s in .New Zealand waited on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence to-day to present a memorial tdopted by a representative meeting 1 if tiie Society in London. The memirial expressed deep regret that as-! iociates of the Society had been lined j or non-registration and refusal to * frill, and pleaded that, there shall be | no compulsion of conscience, and no j nterforence by the soldier with civil | government or education or parental! •ontrol. The deputation desired to 1 mow whether, as suggested by the! Parliamentary Committee, the Govern-1 nent would legislate and administer he Act on a broad basis of meeting the! oriseience of all. Also that there had | icon serious possibilities of interfering! vitli education by the military authori-1 ies. It was desired to protest against J ny such action. With regard to the memorial, Mr i vfassey said ho could not allow the J itizens of another country to inter-' ore with the legislation of the Dei-1 1 niuion or with the administration of he law. There were proposals by the Defence Committee in the direction of i jroviding for conscientious objections, j ■nd he thought that was right. He j ras not in a position to say what Par-' lament would do next session, but he j lelieved something more should be done to help the conscientious objector, ’ho Government proposed to adminiser the law of the country with regard o compulsory training in strict compliance with its spirit, Mr Massey deled: “We propose to stand by the pirit of the people of .this country md their representative. Parliament •ame to the conclusion that we must jet into a position to defend ourselves f the necessity should arise.” He was >erfectly convinced that the adminisering of the Act was doing a great leal of good and he believed the peo)le of Britain would come to the same ■onclusion. In regard to self-defence, the etime was a long way off when, is the Scriptures said, “Men would ieat their swords into ploughshares,” .ml none of us would ever live to see t. The object of the Act was defence, mt offence, as he assured the deputaion ho was strongly impressed with he fact that the huge majority of New 'ealand people intended to keep the let on the Statute Book. Mr Allen: pointed out that the Act was a military Act, but the preliminary .Cages were civil stages. The military nthoVities had nothing to do with \ young fellow; until lie was registered. Vs to the- report of the- Defence- Com - nittee, it was set up to deal with the iuestion of conscientious objectors. Hie report would not have, been in the •Ivape it is, if lie had udt'beeriUn syrii>athy with it/ if" possible,’ something should he done -hewt, sdssiqn to deal with the conscientious/objector. It as not right, that any young follow iiould he let off service without makng an equivalent sacrifice. The prohem he had to solve was what altermtive service should he urovided. mcl he asked tlic deputation* to help him. He could not let such men off iltogether. The churches in the Douiniun reported through their chapains that the effect of the camps on •oung men had been good.