Pioneer

The Militarist and Civic Spirit at Work. The week has been notable in South Wales for many reasons. The Executive Committee of the S.W.M.F, have taken a stand against the independent chairmanship of Lord "Muir Mack- enzie, which speaks volumes for their vigilance so far as the material interests of the men are concerned, and also discloses in surer terms than anything hitherto has the earnest- ness of the men's plea and their determination to fight it. But that is not what we had chiefly in mind at the moment. We were more concerned with the more immediate concerns, of the Merthyr Conscientious Objectors who were taken away on Tuesday, and the Tonyr- efail sedition charge an d 'its sensible ending. Here we have had a display of the two ma- chines—the new military caste ruling, and the old civic court ruling. We do not remember anything whic has served to throw into relief the folly of the one and the sanity of the other quite so well as these two incidents. Let us look at them for a moment. On Tuesday six Merthyr boys who refused to admit the right of the Government to over-ride their conscien- ces surrendered quietly to their bail, appeared before the Stipendiary Magistrates, who went through the usual formality of imposing the penalty of 40/- fine and handing them over to the military authorities. Their conduct was quiet and respectful, and they willingly acceded to the suggestion that they should travel down to Cardiff with an unarmed escort of one man. Anyone who knows Merthyr and its adherence to Democratic policy, and its kindly regard of the Democratic Peace Movement, will readily recognise this movement as a states manlike arrangement on the part of the au- thorities concerned. Anything calculated to arouse bitter feeling would have been avoided; and in this the boys were willing to play their part. They were paraded on the platform with their one man escort, when the muddle- headed military machine must needs declare that fhey should not travel except under an armed escort and they were recalled to the Town Hall and held far five hours, awaiting this needless parade of force. Not only need- less but utterly foolish, since it was provoeative of a resentment that is far from .erving the best interests of the nation, even as the mil itary machine might have been expected to see it—as, perforce, it is always telling us in strident terms that it does see it. Contrast this with the sanity of the action of the Stipendiary Magistrate iB. the T'onyrefaiil case. A working man, earnest in the cause of De- mocracy, is going, 'his roifcids selling "Pioneers" he meets and engages in conversation with a soldier and another. The contact of distinct views leads to conflict of opinion, and '-engen- lers heated words, and unfortunate remarks on both sides. An over-zealous patriotism lands the Democrat in the police court on a charge of sedition—and the Magistrate seeing, from his long experience and judicial common sense, the triviality of the offence, binds the defend- ant over to keep the peace for twelve months. We cannot help but wonder what would have been the result had the same detached judg- ment as the Magistrate has shown, characteris- ed the proceedings national and local of the past few months. If those who parade their patriotism as a priceless possession, any re- ference to which except in superlatively laud- atory language is a serious crime, had end- eavoured to realise that their conception of Empire based primarily on force of arms was the very antithesis of the Democratic concep- tion of Empire based on mutual aid and social justice, much that has been would -have been avoided. But they refused to see, they screamed "Pro-German," "Shirker," and Compulsion," and a thousand and one things which were untrue, and which even if true would have been best left unsaid. They oast reason aside, and by their sheer brutal in- toxication, engendered a combative moral re- sistance en the part of our young men, which whatever our opponents may say, has defeated the very purpose which they sought to achieve. The very brutality of the Tribunals in riding roughshod over the sacred convictions of the young men; brought over to the side of those young men the intellectual leaders who had hitherto rather been against than for them; and filled the time of responsible Ministers re- plying to questions in Parliament, and final- ly wrung from a Cecil the admission that the Tribunals have been "muddle-he:a"ded." The young men were strengthened in their stand, and made stubborn by the recognition of the injustice that they had been subjected to, they stood firm1 and fast and they broke down the Act. For on no other ground can Lord Kit- chener's new scheme be explained. In the conflict of physical and moral force, it was the militarist party that first saw red and practised injustice-what would have happened had they tried to conciliate and convince the Conscienti- ous Objectors? Much would have been avoided; the history of the past few months would have been written differently. But tnere is no use in might-have-beens; the past is east*, and the future moulded in part. The blame is not ours

The Unregistered Hundreds. I We are not surprised to learn, on the auth- ority of Major F. T. James, that hundreds of men in Merthyr remain unregistered under the Registration Act of last year; and that for the reason that the registration was carried through in such a perfunctory manner; but we cannot understand why so long has been al- lowed to elapse before the fact was made known. Surely the unstable element among the civil population of Merthyr is not so large that hundreds of men can evade an Act without the hope of detection before the lapse of so many months? Nor can we see how it is hop- ed to weed out the defaulters. Major James seems to suggest that it is a task for the po- lice r but why a sadly depleted force called upon to work a long stragling town so full of nooks and crannies that it offers manifold dif- ficulties to effective control, should be called upon to remedy the deficiencies of another de- partment we are at a loss to understand. It is not the police who have burked the job, but the scratch lot of voluntary assistants that Mr Aneuryn Rees, as the Chief Registra- tion Officer had to utilise. We do not see how Major James happened to pick upon the Chief Constable as the remedier of the ill, since the task of taking the registration was not one of the functions of his department; though the attachement of his name to the deficiency un- doubtedly has tended in the public eye to sad- dle upon him—quite unjustly—the responsibi- lity for the muddle." If the police are to re- medy the ill—and it will only be at the re- quest of the registration authority—it will mean virtually a, house-to-house canvass for cards, and with the force already below the requirements of the town, we fee] some appre- hension as to the more important duties that will have to be dropped whilst this task is in hand. Even then it is difficult to see how anyone laying themselves out to shirk the Act can be brought to boot. To suggest that the matter will be met by merely instructing the Chief Constable is to shirk the point. and looks like searching for a scapegoat. It would he interesting to know just how Major James thinks the Chief Constable should con- duct the matter without seriously affecting the more important duties that fall actually within his department.

DOWLAIS I A .O F. PRESENTATION MEETING.—A very en- joyable event took place on Saturday evening- last at the Beehive Hotel, DowJais, when the members of "Court Pride of Glamorgan" (An- cient Order of .Foresters) nresented Brother T. Evans Spring Street, with an emblem of the Order of Foresters. The members were de- sirous that honour should be bestowed where honour was due, and that their praise and their loyalty should be tendered to one who has so steadfastly devoted some years of his life for the promotion of the Ancient Order of Foresters in general, and Court Pride of Gla- morgan in particular. The presentation was on the occasion of his marriage, and suitable re- marks were made by Brother R, J. Richards, who handed Brother Evans the present. Bro- thers D. Price (C.P.), Alec Lewis, and J. H .Peters (secretary) spoke in high praise of Brother Evans' good qualities and true devo- tion to the Court, and all expressed the hope that Brother and Mrs Evans will be spared to celebrate many years of their life together, and that they will consider the em- blem only a small token of the good feeling that exists towards them by all the members of the Court.

Theatre Royal. The Daylight Saving Bill, a.nd the first really protracted tiisto of true summer wea- ther has somewhat adversely affected the The- atre Royal— though not to the same extent as some of the other local houses—and the con- sequence hag been houses quite unworthy of the fare provided. It is a, singular thing that the best bills fall flat when playing to little businesses, since the > audiences are too self-conscious to express their honest opinions, and I have not been surprised to hear this week's bill--which in the winter season would candidly be playing to packed houses every night—described as "Not so bad" and All Right"—two unenthusiastic comments that do not do justice to the merits of the perform- ance There are three turns there this week that would do credit to a Royal Command per- formance in the Brothers Home, Miller and Lyles and the Pasquali Brothers; and I noticed that even the most dejected occupants of the stalls who gazed sta-gewai-d with glassy eyes and the hstlessness of neurotic rabbits, showed signs of fife and animation during their per- formances. Personally, I am builded on as- bestos lines, and can stand high temperatures with an equanimity that gives some counten- ance to the Anti-Socialist prophecies of my final destiny, and I was wakeful enough to enjoy thoroughly the good things that Mr Evans had down for his patrons. Mil lei- and Lyles are absolutely unique. They have described themselves as Blessed with ignorance," and I would be inclined to take the phrase as a line from a. pre-protean character given them by some cynical employer did I not know that it is artistic ignorance and not a Providential blessing. No one blessed" with ignorance could entertain as they enter- tain but it is wonderfully fine art with its easy nonchalance. But my real weakness is in the direction of the Brothers Horn. I like co- medy boxing as well as the fat boy of school tales relishes "tuck" but I had dispared of ever seeing anotherJ really good turn of the kind. But here it is, a slap-up, clever little sketch with some really funny glove work. My teeth are tight, but I nearly lost them in explosive laughter. Ordinarily equilibrists and tumblers leave me cold, but I am enthusiastic over the dean clever work of the Pasqualis. They are quite distinct from anything else in their line of business. Harry Russell-—and his conductor-is an old favourite of mine, and lik^ good friends and better wine he improves with keeping. I have seen him often, and every time he is better to my way of thinking. The Phil Rallis Trio of Crazy Ragmen are excellent entertainers, and Miss Hilda Lethwaite is a mezzo-soprano in the concert platform accept ance of the term, as distinct from the music hall reading of the words. She is sweet, mu- sicianly, tuneful, and happy in her repertoire. Mr Evans is catching on very well, and looks very much like filling the big gap that Mr Norcliffe's going promised to make,. He is al- ready surprisingly well known, and everyone votes him Al. Directly he has the weather with. and not against him, he will come into his own. PLAYGOER.

A Swan Song. I THE LAST WORDS OF AN UNREPENTANT 1 HERETIC. 11 As the readers of the "Pioneer" will hav,3 seen, the Abercynon rebels have been tried and sentenced. We have kept the faith. Some day the full details of the fight will be made i public, but the Defence of the Realm Act forbids any news at present, and a verbatim report of the proceedings of the Cardiff Court Martial would be enough to send the "Pioneer" on to the rapidly accumulating pile of j suppressed pamphlets and newspapers. Suffice it to say that the most encouraging comment came from a wounded soldier (one of the vie- h tims the capitalist press melodramatically ex- ploits) when he said "You put up a damned good I tight." And with that satisfaction, we go to 1 prison, knowing that we have done our share I in the great struggle for freedom and lildivida- al liberty. The attempt to turn us into sol- H diers has not succeeded, and the process which -1 started with the platitudes of Mr Wm, Lamb- [jg urn and ended with the peroration of Captain Cremlyn has not changed our opinions nor al- tered our attitude. The Government will soon be discovering that it has to solve a. problem—and that a proD- lean cannot be solved by ignoring it. As IdwaljB Williams told the Court-Martial, "I told this! :? j to the Local Tribunal. They said, 'We have nothing to do with it,' and passed me on to I the Appeal Tribunal. I told this to the Appeal I Tribunal. They said, We have nothing to do I with it,' and passed me on to the Police Court. and they said, 'We have nothing to do with it,' 1| and they passed me on to you, and now you I sav We have nothing to do with this,' and so I you roll us into prison." When the Conscien- f tious Objectors flood out the prisons, the Government will probably realise that the pro- | blem has to be solved. What the solution will | be, no one seems to know. Like all Gov- | ernment solutions, it will probably be a com- | promise in that case we shall remain in prison. I What is really amazing is the way the au- I thorities have pretended not to se,) the difficult- I ies. After a, thousand and more years they | surely knew that the propaganda of the Car- penter of Nazareth must have influenced some bodv or other) that Tolstoi and Keir Hardie must have converted somebo«J|\ and that in a civilised country there would be a. number of cranks or fanatics who would be mad enough to follow these principles to their logical con- clusion. Instead of thinking things out, the responsible people have let the Local Tribunals and the other social institutions which have sprung up, muddle amiably along and play the passing on game right merrly. What is to be done h There seem to be on.v two logical courses to adopt: either shoot [ us or leave us alone. Numbers of us have several times spoken enthusiastically about the former alternatives, but that would mean trou- ble at home, upsetting national unity, rousing the Unions and turning the churches into hotbeds of sedition. Besides, when some neutral newspaper would ask Sir Edward Grey what he meant by crushing German militarism he would have to point to our population in the milit- ary prisons, and say "This." And, again, it must always be remembered that however inarticulate a man may be out- side a prison, as soon as he goes into prison V the very fact that he is there is the most ele- j quent and persuasive speech he could ever hope to make. The Tribunals have shirked their responsibi- J lity, I can assure people that the military authorities don't know what to do with us, and would gladly kick us out bag and baggage. So everything seems to show that it is the Gov- ernment that will have to solve the problem—- either shoot us, transport us. or leave u& alone. The one thing they cannot do is to make us into soldiers. So instead of writing funny articles (1 hope Major Gray still reads the Pioneer"), I have to be pitched into a military prison to further clog the machinery. It's all a. mad business, but it's inseparable from militarism and conscription, which mean muddle-headed people trying to be tyrants and wresting from the workers the little liberties they have, and making the world a harsh and cruel place for their wives and children. We wish to thank all the people who have come to see us at Cardiff, and all those who have tried. F.t\IRYS HGHES. j ——————. y

MERTHYR I PROMOTED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.J, R.J,ones < (of Merthyr) has been promoted Second Lieut- 1 enant on the field. ¥XRtOlSTEl!jod.—The Military Representative j (Major F. T. James) at Monday's meeting of the Merthyr Tribunal, gave it as his opinion that hundreds of men had not been registered under the Registration Act, and directed the attention of the Watch Committee to the fact so that the Chief Constable might bo instructed o take action in the matter. i MERTHYR-ABERDARE SOLDIER KILLED. Pri- vate Tom Strong,, whose death in action was reported last week was a native of Aberdare, though resident in Merthyr. He joined the South Lanoashires, and Lieut. Smedley, in a letter to Mrs. Strong, pays a splendid tribute to her husband's good qualities as a soldier. The deceased soldier's father is a member of the National Reserve, stationed at Pontypridd. PENYDARREN INQUEST.—An inquest was held at Penydarren on Monday by Mr R. J. Rhys, coroner, into the death of Agnes Hennessey, married. Tanybryn Place, Penydarren. Evid- ence was given to the effect that deceased had recently been worrying over domestic affairs. She died on Sunday moaning, and a bottle labelled carbolic acid" and a cork were found in the bedroom. Dr. Williams said that the deceased smelt very strongly of carbolic acid, and he attributed death to poisoning; by taking carbolic acid. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity."

Rifleman Scott Duckers. 98 DAYS' DETENTION FOR LONDON SOLICITOR. Sentence of 98 days' detention was promulg- ated on Rifleman Scott Duckers, the London solicitor Conscientious Objector, who defended Aldred on his first appearance, and was "seiz- ed" by the Military Authorities before the remand came up for hearing, at a parade of troops at the rifle depot, Winchester, on Fri- day. It was further made known that the ori- ginal sentence of the court-martial was 12 months' detention, but this had been com- muted. Rifleman Scott Duckers was tried by court-martial last week on a charge of disobey- ing the lawful command of his superior while on active service in refusing to wear uniform.