The Washington herald., 1917-07-19
Problem in Great Britain
Demonstrations Objector

should not scme others be willing to
part with their principles?
3Conseientious yoIunteers.-
However, the C. o. got the jump on
the government. probably because the
principles Of pacifsm were so wide
spread in England before the war. II
was up to the authorities to disting-
guish between real and false c. O.'s.
There would be, of course, a number
of towards who created scruples on
the spot. From all / hear this trick
was not often worked and very sell
dom succeeded. 1t was always neces-
sary to establish objections dating
from before the war.
The promise and the performance
of the authorities did not hold well
together. although there was a sin
cere effort at fair play. The govern
ment had to play fair with the peo-
pie who did enlist, the conscientious
volunteers, as q friend of mine has
called them, as well as with those
who refused to enlist on the high
ground of conscience. Between them
compromises were made. The first,
work of national Importance, did not
satisfy all A great many c. O.'s
earned the contempt OF their more
radical brethren by accepting such
work. Others refused.
But when the authorities were not
satisfied with the proofs of objection,
and handed the men over to the mil
itary, trouble sometimes began. q
hope 1t will be understood that the
whole tribe of c. O's is small in
numbers. I do not want to suggest
that this group is important nu-
merically. The principle alone is i'm
portanO Usually the C. o. took
things philosophically. Sometimes
not.
Members of the house of commons,
with a soft spot for conscience, made
the prime minister give a pledge that
those C. O.'s who refused to serve,
after they had been compelled to
Join. would not be subject to court
martial. This was arranged by the
understanding that they would not
be sent to the area under martial
law, 4. e., the front. But things hap
pened and there was a very unpleas-
ant ting all around. No conscien.
tious objector. however, has been
made martyr to his cause.
The agitation has died down. Other
topics-Cuthberts, for instance
have come up. "Cuthberts' are men
employed in Government offices who
are eligible for service. They are
being bounded by the cheaper press
and they are, in most cases. invalua bic
servants of the government But the
c. o. remains a topic Of interest to
himself and to his friends.
The man at the front Is usually
tolerant of the ''blighter." II the
soldier, In training at home. comes
into contact with a c. o. in khaki
he makes 1t very unpleasant for him.
What most people object to is the
pretense the CO. makes of having
a monopoly on conscience. Except
for the Quakers I have met here, l
must confess that the G. o. does give
Off the impression of being a much
more soulful and spiritual person than
the benighted heather who has heard
his country's call and answered it.
A final point about the c. O.-he
has missed some of his best bets. He
thought, at the beginning. that he
would have the support OF all the
big guns, the intellectuals, the men
men who had minority minds" found
themselves, much to their surprise. in
favor of the war. They tolerated the
C. o., but they pitied him.
On the whole, the c. o. has been
well treated. Today, in the midst of
a bitter need for men, have heard
Of three to get total exemption on the
sole ground that they had objections.
But 1 am safe in saying that IL the
thing had to be done over again the
c. o. clause would not be written
into the conscription act in the form
which It now has. 1t is too much OF
a nuisance.