Pioneer

The Palace, -The creators of the delightful comedy-drama, •' Potash and i'erlmutter," Messrs. Yorke and Leonard, will appeal' pro- duction entitled "The Tailor of-Bond Street." It will be remembered that Pot-ash andPed-1 mutter had a long ru in London, being playedl at the Queen's Theatre 664 times. It is a wonderful portrayal of character, and is some- thing quite different to any previous screen plays shown at the Palace. This play will only be shown for three days—Thursday to Satur- day—and will be supported by two fine dramas —"Three Men Who Knew" and The Old j Sin." "Aerial Warfare" and The Bom-, bardment of Reichaclcerkoff are the special War TopioaJs, Mid the Gazettes st^pplies the latest news. On Monday next the biggest and greatest at- raction ever placed before a Merthyr audience wiR 'be presented in the U Welsh Singer," fea- turing Miss Florence Turner in he'f greatest triumph. This picture is drawing great crowds in Cardiff, and took the trade by storm in London. Vorv few people need to be reminded that the "Welsh Singer" is by Allen Raine, and surely nothing will appeal to the people of this district like this charming story of Welsh life-- -one incident of which is found to occur, :n this town viz., the visit of the circus to Merthyr. It is in the circus that Mifanwy, who is a servant of Mrs. Pomfrey's, is "discovered" as being gifted with a wonderful voice. Nothing •an surpass the remarkable fidelity to natural surroundings portrayed in this exceptionally fine production. This picture is not running tor a season—only three days, commencing oa Monday next. This attraction, great as it is, is not the only one. "The Family Divided" is 51 remarkabLe domestic drama featuring John Cossar. Edna Mayo, and Bryant Washburn, These are favourite artistes who are popular with Palace audiences. A further episode being the 9th of the series—of The Broken Coin." featu ring Lucille Love, will be shown, and the first of a series entitled "British Sports" will also, with the Gazette, provide en- tertaining items. There are three attractions for Thursday next—Leon D. Kent's fine drama, The Dream Dance," in 3 acts; a great comedy, The El- opement, of Venus," the story of a charming model and a town improvement committee the scene is Paris before the war; andanotner fine picture. "The Awakening Hour," a drama featuring Nell Craig, Joseph Byron Totten, and Ernest Maupain—in a storv of a stage- struck girl and an actor. All exclusive. "Brit- ish Sports" (No. 2) will be in tfhis programme, with the Gazette and other entertaining pic- tures.

S h W 91) ;} "0.;) I "Stop the War. t:;¡ CROWDED RINK MEETINGS DEMANDS. "DICK" WALLHEAD AND THE LESSON OF VERDUN. The first public meeting at which an audi- ence of nearly 3,000 people have passed a stop- the-war resolution, "YUS held by the Merthyr L L.P. at UieRink on Sunday afternoon. The chief speaker was Mr It. C. Wallhead. who started a week's campaign an the Boroughs at the time. Bert Brobyn. m the chair, reminded the au- dience of the great meeting that had been held in that hall to protest against the intro- duction of Conscription some months back, and said that the intervening had not caused the I.L.P. to modify one of the views it then held; rather, the intervening time had established our opinions more firmly, and had strengthened Hie arguments then put forward. So far as the agitation to. the repeal of the Act was concerned, he did not suppose that we should succeed in having it expunged from the Statute Book so long as the war lasted, but we should k-eep alive the spirit of resistance until after the war. Then we could move for the re- moval of this piece of Prussianism in England. We were grateful to some extent to the Milit- ary Tribunals set up all over the country for helping us to make the Act as repugnant as possible. He considered that we should be traitors to those who were fighting for supposed liberty, and freedom on the continent if we were to allow the Act to remain in force on45 "noment longer than was necessary. He ap- pealed to all present to stand by the young single men. who were fighting for the things that their forefathers had fought and died to secure. Air. W. H. Evans then moved the following resolution: — That this meeting of Merthyr citizens en- ters its emphatic protest against the Com- pulsory Military Service Act. and demands its repeal forthwith. The passing of this Act. he said, was but the thin edge of the which file militarist caste in this country would do all in its pewer to drive home: it would affect not only the single men. but the married men also; it would affect not only military service. but would be extended to cover industrialism also. We had to remember that the power of the law laid in the subjects' obedience thereto, and if the subject protested strongly enough and vigorously enough, then Conscription in its fullest garb could never enter into this country. It was not the power of the military caste that would render it possible, but only the indiff- erence of the workers and then- selfifsbness; and unless we were prepared to voice our pro- test' vigorously enough, then the liberties that were left to us to-day would vanish and the Kct would not only remain, but would be ex- tended. Referring to the Tribunals that had been set up to deal with the Act. he said that from their work it seemed that the only qua.li- ficetion needed to serve on these bodies was insolence, and not brains. (Cheers.) The stock questions that were asked showed the inepti- tude of these Tribunals, and their entire lack of thaught anrl originality on the part of those who put them. They lacked an under- standing of the psychology of the man who came before them with a conscientious objec- tion. they could not understand the principles that moved him. Their one measure bv which to measure him was that of milftary exigency, which recognised no law but might,. (Cheers.) Consecfuentlv we must battle hard for the principles which we hold dear. remembering that it was not alone for ourselves that we battle, but also for the children who would fellow after. (Cheers.) Mr, Herbert- Davies, M.A., seconding, de- scribed the Act as the most iniquitous measure that had ever disgraced the Statute Book of this country. It was passed, not because of na- tional necessity, but because it was expedient, and there was all the difference in the world between expediency and righteous dealing. George Meredith once said that expediency was man's wisdom, doing right God's. The Bill could not possibly bring in more than 300,000 men. and that could not compensate for the break which it meant with British traditions, or the bitter hostility that it was arousing in this country, and which it would arouse in the future. (Cheers.) In 191.4 this country had entered into the war as a protest against Prus- sian Militarism; in 1916 we had adopted the very principle upon which that militarism was founded. Militarism could not possibly be a treasure of liberty in one country and an abo- minable and evil thing in another. It was an evil and abominable thing in all countries. It seemed to him that there was no reason why the war should go on any longer. It was pat- ently ev ident from the German newspapers, and the speeches in .the German Reichstag, that if the case- was stated fairly and impartial- ly to the British army and nation, and a refe- i er.dum taken of the nations, the vote would not be for war. Cheers.) The people of all na- tions had been induced to enlist because they thought they were fighting for freedom, but if the statesmen of the nations were so disinte- rested as they would make out they could find some other way of settling their differences instead of sending millions to destruction and all for nothing. (Loud cheers.) We did not settle our private quarrels by killing one another: why, then, should we settle our public quarrels in this primitive and barbarous man- ner ? The iaw tells us that it is wrong to kill our enemies at home; how. tfien. can it be right to kill abroad ? (Cheers.) A lasting peace was not going to be brought about by force of arms, but by the wisdom of Governments. (CLeers.) Mr. R. C. Wallhead emphasised the fact that in bringing forward the resolution we were not beating the wind. He did not suppose, any more than any man in the room supposed, that the passing of innumerable resolutions just now would bring about the repeal of the Compulsory Service Act. What we were conscious of was that familiarity with political questions ulti- mately dulled the edge of resistance, and that meeting was for the purpose of keeping alive the spirit of that opposition to Conscription which he firmly believed permeated the minds of great masses of men in this country. It was fairly obvious so far as we had gone that mili- tary service was much the same in all countries. It did not differ at aJI in kind it might differ in degree, and however terrible the militarism on the Continent he did not conceive that it could surpass the tyranny that the militarists were exercising in this country already. In spite of the avowed promises made in Parlia- ment that certain things would not be done, it was very patent that exactly the reverse of ministerial pledges was in vogue at the present' moment. The Military Tribunals were a com- plete farce. (Cheers.) The men who sat upon them to decide whether some other men had got a conscience or not were the most ludicrous collection of fossils. (Laughter and cheers.) It must be patent to all who read their doings that the gentlemen now busy proscribing the size of another man's conscience were not trou- bled with tremendous consciences of their own. (Cheers.) At least, as one looked down the various names given in various localities, we bad never been very conscious that they were conscious that they had a conscience, and as he remembered the various fights that had taken phee in this country against social and indus- trial iniquities of the very worst character, he did not SEi\m to remember that many of these gentlemen had been particularly forward in combating these evils. (Loud cheers.) He protested against the idea efa-ny local big wigs, w ho were generally occupied in discovering the difference of a sixteenth of a penny profit on yards of i-iliboii Ito-r pounds of butter, and whose minds moved in trivial circles of tha.t kind, having to decide in any question of conscience. (Loud cheers.) As a. matter of fact, many of them did not seem to have made up their minds as to what size the drain pipes should be in their own town, let alone the size of their fellow- men's consciences. (Cheers and laughter.) "As regards the conscientious objector there was a tendency to heckle him too much. The Legislature has provided for him. and he ought not to be questioned as to what he would do in particular circumstances requiring actual self- defence. This is quite a different matter to engaging in warfare, especially warfare beyond ?iar f ai-e beyond the seas; and. of course, conscientious Objection is not confined to particular religious beliefs, nor does the Act support such restriction. Each man is the keeper of his own conscience." That was from the leading article in the" Solicitor's ■Journal." the official trade union organ of the solicitors of this country. That was how they read the Act and interpreted the work of the Tribunals at this moment. (Cheers.) Moreover, we were there that afternoon ask- ing that the opposition should be kept alive, not so much on these grounds, but. because of the methods which had been used to introduce t i ,ie Act. M- v,- T,oi- d of the Act. "M:v Lord of De.rby" was ÜJsatiahle; his appetite grew by what it fed upon. (Cheers.) He protested against my Lord of Derby becom- ing the Dictator of Britain. (Loud cheers.) "A poltroon who delib-erately used the great powers lie had got for the purpose of appealing for men to give their lives, whilst lie refused to the nation that which was as much essential as the bodies oLmen." What would Lord Derby sav if we proposed conscripting Lord Derby's Yet that was the nearest and quickest way of getting peace. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) If Lord Derby were to offer his money he could understand him better. But even if the nation proposed to conscript every ounce of wealth t-o-morrow. he would still be opposed to the conscription of men—(cheers) -—because he held that there were two fields in which the State had no power and ought to have no power. One was- that the State had no light to proscribe a man's religion, and it had no right to decide what a man should do with his life. (Cheers.) We had been worked into this Act by a process of the dirtiest trickery that had over disgraced any section of politi- cians yet. They had been very astute over it, admittedly. First, we had the Registration Bill which, we were told over and over again in the "House of Commons, was not intended for and would not be used for purposes of military conscription. Then we had Lord Derby's Scheme, and we discovered that the promises of Air. Lloyd George and other tricksters who had been tricking the nation for the last 15 months were swept aside, and the basis of Lord Derby's scheme was the Registration Act. Then we -were to have no compulsion if there was only a negligible quantity of young men remaining unattested. The Lord Derby told us there was more than a. negligible-quan- tity. and the married men were made into rpcruiting sergeants; made into the tools of Oonseriptionists and compelled by the cir- cumstances. of the case to desire Compulsion, ag- ainst which their inmost soul rebelled, to save their own families. (Loud cheers.) And so Con- script ion came, and we discovered that we had been tricked again, and/that when Lord Derby gave figures to the Cabinet lie was a liar, and that lie did not even know the figures. Mr. Tennant, pressed by Sir John Simon, had had to admit that Lord, Derby did not know the figures. Then Lord Derbv with his class motto Noblesse oblige "which we discovered only applied within the charmed circle of aris- tocracy. turned round and blackgaurded the man who had convicted him of falsehood. (Loud cheers.) Dick" Wallhead then quoted figures to prove that had the Allies all contributed the same proportion of men as Britain—14 per cent. of the population—we should have an army of 41.000.000 of men exclusive of Portugal, India and the Crown Colony detachments, against 19,700,000 at the disposal of the Central Pow- ers In face of those figures he denied that the militarists had made out any case at a,1,4 for Conscription. Instead, thev stood revealed for what thev were—men in flared with the desire of Imperialistic expansion abroad and indns- ifria.1. reaction at home. On being put to 1he meeting, the resolution was carried with only one dissentient The Cimirman (Mr. B. Brobyn) then moved the following resolution from the chair: That this meeting demands that the British Gove,"nment--in conjunction with the Allied Governmentshal1 immediately seek means other than military means for the purpose of stopping the war; believing that the further continuance of the war can only result in further unnecessary destruction of life, and the political, industrial and economic slavery of the working classes of Europe. The mover declared that this was the only honourable means of settling the war, and it would be to the everlasting glory of the British. nation if the belligerent nations could be got to accept them. People who wanted t. go on with this terrible business were not the friends of the workers. Mr. T. T. Jenkins found great pleasure in seconding. There was a time when the entire British natÏlm would have risen in glorious manner to say a word for peace, and the stoppage of any war. But now we were in it ourselves there seemed to be some reluctance. The House of Commons was not sane enough to deal with the question. (Cheers.) The people of the country must rise and say, "This war must be stopped." Perhaps we should not be the means of doing it to-day, but we could commence agitating throughout the country, and there were thousands and thousands who would register their votes for peace in prefer- ence to war. We talked about the rights of smaller matrons, but he was afraid that all to many would take advantage of 4he smaller na- tions bv using them as the cockpits on which to fight the battle of he world. He wanted to see Belgium as free, happy and progressive as she was before the war, but if ?ie war were to continue another two, three or ten years until we drove back the Germans, would she ever have a chance to be so? ("No" and cheers.) The 1 anger the was was kept going the les* our chance of doing a good turn for the small nations. (Cheers.) Mr. Wallhead. supporting quoted an article from the ?English Review," in which it was stated that Sir Edward Grey had smashed the bottom out of the British programme of the rights of smaner nations b- handing over tke Dalmatian territory, with its 75 per cent. J Slav population, to the protectorate of Italy- "Mr. S. Watson," he ¡;;aid, "tells you that- You have been tricked again by your Govern- ment in knocking the moral bottom out of all your programmes." (Shame!) What oil eart-fe was it all going to result in What could it- re- sult in? We had all been reading the story and tragedy of Verdun during the past 1* days. Had the blackened pages of mankind ever teemed with such a story as had been poured out at Verdun during the past weeks ? Read the stolry of swathes of men mown down with machine guns so thick that they could not fall. What did it He had said I" many time and Mr. P. Snowden had said ik in his great speech in the House of Commons,. that stalemate was bound to be the end of this fearful an d bloody struggle. What does Vet dun. "Some of you who talk about smashing through; some of you who may vote against this resolution, some of you who are damning me because I speak as I do. are iø favour of collecting all the guns and shells and men and then hacking and smashing througb to the Rhine. What '(I() e s I show? On 10 mile front thousands of guns belched forth. ;J million Sin. and lOin. shells; backed up by the mustered troops of three-quarters of » million men, and they had fought and strug- gled 111 a liloodv mire composed of men's />lood and flesh and bone for the last three weeks, and now they have to admit defeat. They cannot get through. Will you tell me, those of you who believe in smashing through, what force you think can get through if thev cannot? Does it seem as though the game is worth the candle? A journalist friend of mine says he thinks it can be done, but it will cost a million men The population of South Wales is 2 mi!!ion. Can you imagine half the population of South Wales—men, women and children— one bloody hecatomb? And yet that is what some of you calmly talk- il)otit ",lien you talk about "hurling a million men. (Loud cheers J Who are the men who talk like this, who keep this thing going how: who prate of shedding the last drop of blood and spending the last shilling? Who are the men who write silly leading articles and enter the realms of pro- phecy P They are the men too old to go: the bald-headed men with 60 years behind them- These are the proprietors of newspapers: these are the people who talk with nens dipped in gall of what WE will do; WE WE WE (Loud applause.) On being put; to the meeting the was unanimously carried, a.rn idst cheers.

Mr. J. R. Macdomald's Con- currence, I HEARTILY AGREE." Harry Morris, the Secretary of the Merth.V/' I.L.P. dispatched the two resolutions immedi' a-tely to the leaders of tke Government, the Party, and the l(a.l .M.P. ;nd on Tuesday received the following reply i'rom our leader, J. "My Dear Morris, I 'am ghLd t" have your resolutions, witb every word of which 1 he?tH? agree. 1 had great meetings in Swansea this week-end* and am glad that you seem to have been. ha-V' ing the same În your district. Yours sincerely. J. R. MAODONALD. MUSICAI.- SuocKss,—One of the successful can- didates at the recent Tonic Sol-fa Examina'tie*5- was Mr. Evan Poiey. of Troedyrliiw,

Went for Sparkes Like a Madman, ST;FCNDIARY'S COMMENT IN BEDLJN0& ASSAULT CASE. Jot Sparks (Bedlinog) nuule his second alt1 peaaance at the Merthyr Police Court on I'rl ■ day, summoned by Frederick Gibbon for as- sauc ing him on February 26.—Mr. C. B..Janice' represented the compiainant.—There was cross-y um,mo.n,s. Complainant said tha-c on the day in qtlos- turn he was coming home from a meeting of tile Checkweighers ConMnittee, of which her was chairman. The llight was frosty, and he fell on a slide near the railway bridge. fie went into a tish shop on High Street kept by Italians and owned, he understood by Sparkes- Then- was a disturbance in the shop, and M*- Sparkes rushed into the shop, alid, instead of going past coi-iiptai-iiaut, to the other end of the counter where the tiis- tuibance was taking place, defendant butted him in the groin and brought him to th^ ground. He called Sparkes a pro-German, ti they had a struggle in the shop, but no hl.oW$, were struck on either side. John oribbon. brother of the complainant whe said he was in the shop when his lro- thei entered, said that the "bother had beeo on in the shop before his brother came in. SpaJkes had butted his brother. L, ml Jenkin Edwards, another customer i" the shop, gave corroborative evidence. Sparkes said that on the night in question he was in his own shop, next door to th chip shop—-which belonged to his wife, whe some children came in and said tli ere, was 1tIi "row on next d08r." He heard the breaking 0 glass and he went into the chip shop, wher^'j he saw Fred Gibbon behind the counter. T? men were quarrelling, ?m?t he want betwe? them. Gibbon came from behind the counte* and sirtrgk him. Later in the roadway GibboJ*|| stn.ck bm tWHX\ knocking, out two teeth, j J. Thomas and W. Thomas spoke of Gibbo^i striking Sparkes in the shop. and &.rgt. Sniiw said that he was coming along the High Sta"? wh'? he heard someone shouting, ?You're v? thing but a pro-German." He went  w e n t ong further and saw Gibbon and parkes o? side tne chip shop. He saw Gibbon sti'i? Sparkes on the side of the faœ and on ag?? trying to strike Spark es he feU in the roadwa* Witness got hold of Gibbon's hand and told hio to go home like a good chap. ø At the close of the Sergeant's evidence, tb,f Stipendiary said the Bench were quite coT?! vmced that the aggressor thoughout this IJ).8<. ter was Frederick Gibbon. "He seems to hav 9()n for the defendant Sparkes like a madm? We are quite convinced that he was under fyj influence of drink. We have decided to CO viet Gibbon fo' assault and fine him 151-. Th" summons against Sparkes is dismis?e?- —

This terrible war is kHIing a lot of businesses^ Make it a personal resolve that the Pioneer shall not be killed. _— Printed and Published by the Labour Pi°?^! Press, Limited. Williams' Saiiare, Glefceto*1 Street, Merthyr Tydfil, March 18, 1916.

Mene, Mens, Tekel, Uptiarsin. I (Continued from Front I William Duns ton. workhouse attendant, annealed on conscientious grounds. In reply to a question, lie said lie believed war was all a game." Aid. Thomas ft is a game that has been on for a thousand 1, It his I Aid. Thomas: Do you think that by aJ. the objections you have you will ever do away with wa,r?-Ye,. tlit- people become more sensible. z I' Major Ja-mes: o you belong to the N.C.F.? —Y es and for vears have belonged to the Too prefer someone else's skin being hurt 'before your own?—If they were all like me there would lie no skins hurt. That is humbug.—Rejected. Joseph A. Engl.nd. fru, believe" inl the teachings of Christ Who qnjoined His fol- lowers to return good for evil, and not evil for evil, appealed for exersipHTm. Supposing your foes were here; wotUft you do nothing to protect your country?—I should try to convert them into th? same way of thinking as myself. Do :)l) think your enemies would .lan d by and be converted*?—I flunk they would listen to reason. Would TOU try to protect vourself? Cer- tainly everv man wou ld try to protect himself without recourse to arm.?. He was not a member of the N.C.F. Rej ected. Applicant: I casrie here with a conscientious obiecrt-ion to have a fair hearing. You are prepared to let other people fight for vov. ?-I never asked them. If they feel it is their duty to go, they are at liberty to do so; if I feel it is my duty to stay at home, it is my nut. to do so. T. Fvans. a Merthyr Vale ?Mf.tman. had n I conscientious objection to taking up arms btv ca.n?' it innicted bodilv IT arm and punishment on innocent people. The Chairman ?aid that pretty well every member of the Tribunal held the same opinion. Thev did not wish to take life. but they wan- ted to protect the country, and the homes of the people. Would applicant not take up arms few this?—Applicant: No: he thought it was about time the Government tried to come to terms, which They could get if they wished. (Applause.) You are a Government workman ?—Yes. Do you support the Government ?-—I support no government. No. the Government support*; you?—No, I earn all I get. (Applause.) He was not a mem- ber of the N.C.F. WoTt-combatalnt service.—He waft willing to join the R.A.M.C.. and was an arabul-aftce man. (lichard John Nicholas was asked what he would do to prevent a foe ooming over. [ believe that wars are the games of kings, and that if the Democracies were to look what they were doing, there would bo no more wars. (Applause.) What brought about the war-I do not know. I have net gone into that. I In reply to a quest-ion' respectiHg Belgium tii repiv to ?i qii(?stionBek?,itim !IQ Sli(,i li? (,lid not expect Thomas L, Parry, insurance agent, appealed for exemption on conscientious grounds. He was not a member of the I.L.P. Chairman: Supposing a. foe came over and killwd your brothers, and committed all kinds of atrocities?—That is an imaginative question Not at all: it is a real question.—No, it is very imaginative. It is not. It has happened in France and Belgium, and is likely to happen bei-e.-I do not wish to be a modern Sinbad the Sailor. in what respect?—In using any implement of war against YCppk?linS, as the monkeys threw at Sinbad. I \ou mean that you regard these bombs be- dropped down as monkey tricks?—Not exactly. I compared myself with Sinbad. Supposing a homb came down on your hons? would you take steps to be nnmged?--1 should use my reasoning powers then; I have not second sight like you hare. The Chairman: The question is not an im;1-! ginative one?—It is purely imaginative. Yolli must have the power of second sight, Exemption refused. .¡ I) 11 --I Sidney P. Sellek, a.not her conscientious ob- jector. who did not belong to the N.C.F., ex- pressed his determination not to assist in tak ing life. Suppose the Germans attacked you?—I have no knowledge of any enemy attacking a coun- try that has met them by peaceful means. There is a Peace Society here?--It has no significance so jar as this Government is con- cerned There is the Hague Convention? I have supported it for years, but it has never been .supported by the Government- of this country. Major James Non-combatant service for this man. Tribunal Yes. Henry James Morris, insurance agent, the popular secretary of the I.L.P. applied as fol- lows: I apply for total exemption from tak ing part in any form whatever of military ser- vice, on conscientious grounds, from a moral, ethical and political standpoint. Having been closely associated for manv years with one of the greatest advocates of Peace that the world has ever known, and one who was at all times a relentless opponent of all war. and its causes, and having personally taken a prominent part in organising opposition in its various forms to aril wars, and compulsory military service, come what may I shall not acquiesce by rendering any assistance towards the carrying on of the present European conflict in which my country is engaged. May I make a few remarks in extension of my statement?" asked Harry, as he took his place before the Tribunal. Certainly' said the Chairman. Having made that statement," prooeededi Harry, "I feel that I am prepared to stand by it. I have not made that statement with- out having cause to make it. I have taken a very active part in Socialist politics for the past ten years, and this has meant, from timel to time, taking an active part against all kinds of warfare. You will agree with me, gen- tlemen. that it has not always been easy and popular to take that part, when following a man like Keir Hardie. I put it to you that it has required more moral courage to take that part than to fight the Germans, especially with the opposition that has had to be met at times. Some of you gentlemen know that I have taken a very active part in trying to o b- struct your entry into public life." The Chairman: That will do. Conn. Owen: I admit that Mr. Morris has fought me very hard. Harry: Although I have fought very hard against these gen flemen I do not beat" them any personal hatred. Neither do I against the Germans or any other persons. I shall take no part in carrying on this war. The Ohairman: You have heard the ques- tions put to the other conscientious objectors. Would you answer them iø the same manner? —I do not know; I am not responsible for other persons' answers. You had better put me to the test. Do you consider yourself a patriot? Yes, very much so. I have taken a very active pavt in real warfare for many years—that is, for the betterment of the working class. The Chairman: Patriotism means a man who is brave enough to defend his country to prevent a foreign foe coming here. Harry That may be your definition we have a different one. The Chairman: It is not mine., it is the generally accepted one. Harry I am only responsible for my own views. Coun. Owen Ijelieved that Harry wa" quite sincere, Major J amies: Are you a' member of the N.C.F. ?—That is not a fair question. I am not asking you if you are a -Freemason. I a.m a mem'J' of the I.L.P. and that is enough. -Ma# or James; Yes. it is enough; Stanton proved that. Yon don't believe in helping your fellow men I to fight the war ?—I only wish the-- were COllh itia: back to-morrow. a.nd I shall do all that I can to get them back at an early date. And in your heart of heart.s there is not one of you gentlemen who doe.s not wish the same thing, especially- those of you with sons at the front. The Chairman You are not helping anyhow. Harry I have done what I oould to stop the war. and I shall continue to do so. I attended- an International Conferenoe a.t Easter. 1914, a,t which we discussed this very matter, and tried to find a way to prevent it. The Chairman: Your efforts were negative. Non-combatant service. Harry: I do not accept that. The Chairman: You may appeal. Coun. Davies: You are not prepared to fight the Germans?—No, Dan .Jenkins, compositor, also a,ppealed on conscientious grounds. Applicant objected to the questions that. had been pot to the previous applicants on the ground tha.t they were unfair. Asked by the Chairman how they were Un- fair. he replied that they were constructed on a purely hypothetical basis and therefore the Chairman had no right to put them. The Chairman contended tha.t they were not hypothetical because these things wer$actually happening in France and Belgium. Applicant: We liYEI in Great- Britain. The Chairman Tt is possible for them to hayy>en here. 'Applicant: If there was the remotest possi- bility of them happening here the people who engineered the war would soon see that a stop1 was put to the war. j Applicant had incidentally mentioned that he bad a brother in the war, and Conn. Owen asked if applicant sent parcels. Yes. replied the applicant. "I have not forgotten that he is still itiv brother. do not think of him as a soldier.'1 )ra.ior -lames: You want to stop here and not want, anvone to fight. Xon-com^ <>atant service