The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1916. NOT WANTED IN NEW ZEALAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 8, 12 April 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1916. NOT WANTED IN NEW ZEALAND.

There is to-day absolutely no room in New Zealand, or in any other part of the British Empire for that matter, for the so-called “conscientious objector” to military service. Every ablel>odied young man must now that we know what war means, take his part, or take the consequences. The Christchurch Press, in a re-

cent issue, puts the case' very clearly, and the views expressed by the journal referred to must be universally approved. The Press says:— “Every publicity is given by the High Commissioner to the fact that national service is in force in Now Zealand, and young men coming to the Dominion will bo required to join the Territorial Force. Notwithstanding this fact, two young men, recent arrivals from England, appeared before the Auckland Magistrate a few days ago and claimed exemption on the ground that they had ‘conscientious objections to military service.’ It is a great pity in that case that they ever came here. Young men who are prepared to enjoy all the advantages this country offers, but are not prepared to lift a linger in its defence are not wanted here, and we hope Parliament next session will make on amendment in the law excluding such shirkers, whether ‘conscientious’ or otherwise, as undesirable immigrants. One of these bright patriots, we note, said he was a member of the Church of England, but had been in the habit of attending Quakers’ meetings. We are delighted to see from a letter addressed by ‘A Quaker Mother of Three Officers’ to the ‘Spectator,’ that between two and three.' hundred young men Quakers in Eng■ land have joined Elis Majesty’s FoVces in defence of their country and its honor, and already several have made the supreme sacrifice, A ‘conscientious’ objector in the House of Commons was recently trying to explain his policy of ‘non-resistance’ when a member interjected: ‘What if the Hermans took your wife?’ For the moment he ■' is speechless, but in a letter to the ‘.spectator’ he merely defends himself by saying that Quaker women share the views of the Society of Friends on war, and have in the paft shown their wu lingness to act on it. How oven that fact could reconcile any man to seeing Jus wife in the hands of the Him and making no effort to save her, we cannot imagine. But ‘An Englishwoman by the Grace of God’ tints the matter in the most compelling fashion. She refers to the treatment of Belgian apd French girls by German soldiers, and adds:— We hold our lives as lightly as many of our bravo defenders hold

.theirs, but the nightmare horror of what an invasion of England by. the' Germans would mean to Us must bo faced by every woman who values her honor far more than life. We ask of the ‘conscientious objector to man-killing' whether he would stand by and see us—his mother, his sister, his sweetheart, or even merely his fcllow-couiKn women--'.' on ton ly outraged, when he had tho power to keep the gross olfcnder away from the door. And that question must, be answered. In Belgium no doors were to be locked, not even a hed-j room door! And our children —lit lie, girls and schoolgirls-—would ho stay, his hand and let these innocents bej worse than slaughtered in Ids pre-j sen coy Surely God Himself would despise the man who, sheltering be-j hind the letter of his Commandment, ‘Thou shalt do no murder,’ would allow tho woman He gave him to he worse than murdered by another. We confess that we have no longer, any patience with the ‘conscientious j objector.’ There might have been! some excuse for him before the Germans showed us what war meant; but any man who deliberately says that such horrors as have occurred in Bel-, gium are no concern of his, and he is I quite content to wait until Providence j has touched the German .conscience and melted the German heart, puts himself beyond the pale. If he is not, a poltroon, ho is out of place among beings endowed with reason.’’