Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-20
"SLACKER" ADMITS
HE'D LET A BOMB
KILL HIS MOTHER
Tells Military Tribunal He
Would Not Fire Anti
Aircraft Gun
PACIFISTS S HOW FEAR
Bv ELLEN ADAIR

Written Specially for the EVENING LEDGER
LONDON March IL have just at
tended an interesting session at mill
tary service act tribunal, which sits to
hear excuses on the part Of single men
who do not wish to Join the army.
In each big district there Is tribunal
but the proceedings are more or less the
same at each Members Of the tribunal,
consisting chiefly Of busines or public men,
sit round long table, with the chairman
in the centre. Close by sits the clerk
with typewritten list OF the exemption
applications, which he calls out In turn.
At another table sits the military repre-
sentative, generally gentleman OF Spar
tan calibre. who makes short work of the
Shy" young man unwilling to take his
turn in the trenches.
When the applicants name is called
out, an usher leads in the bashful and
blushing youth.
The first man in was an manufacturing
person, whose case was n conscience"
one. No, nothing would induce him to
eight.
"If a man hits you on the nose" said
the chairman with some heat, would you
hit him back?"
NO" said the lackadaiscal one plain
lively, IL would do nothing at ALL"
Would you turn him the other cheek2"
YES would"
would you undertake duty which
would be saving life?"
NO, / would not do any work which
would enable man to do what am not
prepared to do myself"
The military representative stirred an
grily in his chair, then interrupted: Sup
posing you saw submarine about to sink
Lusitania, and you had the opportunity
to destroy the submarine what would you
do-allow the Lusitana to be sunk or de-
stroy the submarlne?"
WOULD LET SHIP SINK.
"If you mean at the risk of destroying
the crew of the submarine, l say It would
be n very sad case, but the pacifst view
is that the Lusltania would be allowed to
be sunk" was the answer
The Chairman: Suppose your sister
was being murdered by the enemy what
would you do?"
The Anemic Young Man, wearlly: "I
should endeavor to persuade the enemy,
and bring myself before him to receive
his blows, but 1 could not go the length
of killing him."
The Chairman, assuming an attitude of
horror: mot even to prevent your Sis
ter being murdered?"
Nor
The Chairman: "Then think you're
hopeless!'
To the furious indignation of the
Anemic Young Man, the tribunal recom-
mended him for noncombatant service.
lie protested loudly, but the next case was
called UP and no one listened to his la
A little hairdresser, &c years old, said
that his business was in the Soho dis
trlct of London, and that he was the
only Engllsh-born barber in the neighbor-
hood. II he went to war, his foreign
would take all his business
and he would have nothing left. He de-
clared that he gave his parents SIS and Sc
a week, had a sister 10 years old, also a
brother.
I'm the national interests this man
ought to CO." said the military representa-
tive sternly.
BARBER GETS A CHANCE.
Then the chairman spoke: "one does
not like utterly to destroy the mans pos
sessions" he said in kindly tones. I'VE
will postpone his case for a month, so
as to give him time to make arrange
ments for the proper carrying on of the
business. He can, If he likes, then apply
to us again for a further postponement."