Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-18

LONDON, June 90
A GOVERNMENT official whose special
"A duty II is TO know all about German
propaganda tod me the other day that the
Germans had tried 10 reach the votaries OF
every religion except two. Those were tne
Christian Scientists and the conscientious
obiectors.
''They consider both as purely Anglo
Saxon products, so they know 1t Is USELESS
he told me.
The conscientious objector came in as
a result of conscription in England al
though his voice was heard in the land
under the voluntary system. He Is an IN
teresting and annoying phenomenon ana
since he may make his appearance at nome
l am setting down some details OF MS
history.
First. to give him his due. l have met
in the last half year about five conscien-
tious obiectors--they are known as {, u s.
and ! shall use the abbreviation. although
II also stands for commanding oihcer-
whose convictions I thoroughly respect
Three of them are Quakcrs one is a Toll
stoyan nonresister and the fifth Is an inter-
nationalist who has fought against war for
years and honestly believes that this war IL
n mistake. OF the first three TWO are
heartily anxious 10 see Germany beaten, be-
cause they believe that there can be no
lasting peace until this Is accomplished
Would they fight? No. They would serve
their country in some way not con-
nccted with killing II is a perfectly hon
est obedience to their religious precept not
to take human life which keeps them from
the front Even among the G. O's whom
] do not respect so far 7 have found none
who stands for a German victory. Most ~
them are for a peace by negotiation.
This type OF conscientious obSector makes
himself as completely annoying to the mill
tary tribunals as he can. The religious type
puts himself often into the hands of the
Government and asks only not to have a
gun put into his hands. When the Govern
mcnt decided to recognize n mans con-
science before tribunal they also decided
to make work Of national Importance the
test If it is merely an objection to killing,
they argued, there can be no objection to
working on the land. But the out-and
outer, as he calls himself, will not agree.
lie insists that anything which can help
the war along is repugnant to his soul
Don't Make the Same Mistake Twice
The tribunals which we're set up to pass
on the eligibility Of men are composed.
generally, Of representative men Of the dis
trict and representative of the military.
Between these two there is seldom any love
lost The military representative is there to
see that men are found for the army The
civilians are there to see that no man is
sent in who can be of more use elsewhere
or who Is Indispensable in his present oc.
cupation. The furry of volunteerism had
removed many indispensabes from their
places. Before they could be returned the
business Of the country had suffered and the
civilians on the tribunals had decided not
to let the same mistakes occur again.
But on the question Of the c. rs the two
were agreed. If a man mentioned his con-
science he was always met with the ques-
tion. suppose German tried to kill your
mothcr?" IL became a stock phrase and a
Joke. II gave a number of c. Os a splen-
did opportunity for oratory. 1t irritated
the serious and 1t satisfied the half-penny
papers At the beginning the reports of
tribunal procedure were very full. They
were vulgar and quite amusing Then they
became serious
That the Government made some mistakes
in dealing with the c. O.s is admitted by
both sides The great mistake, according
to the majority of Britons, was in recog-
nznE them at all. No other European
country does recognize them, although the
authorities know that conscientious scrupes
exist The argument Of the antis on this
matter is that war, by its nature, is a con-