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WILL YOU HELP? THE CASE* OF FRED ARROWSMITH, OF MERTHYR. PLAIN STATEMENT AND PROTEST AT RINK MEETING. ???J-?-?- took advantage of Miss MUtlel Wallhead's "?? to the Rink on Sunday fwrnoon  ?? before the Merthyr public the facts relating to the case of Fred Arrowsmith, \ocal C?nscientious objector now serving his t 1l'd ? ] of ?priaonment, whose treatment at  hands of the authorities has been such a8 ?to -?? endanger his future health, and of na„H- a resolution calling for his release un- der the alternative service scheme, as a prelude to t„ | the whole case to the local trades Union for There was a good audi- frotv. when Mr. J. Williams opened the meeting from the chair. It was originally intended that enm Tv i :a^r Jones (Hope), who has taken a d int?rest m the Arrowsmith case, should W^before the people, but unfortunate- ?y ? W?S ill to do this, and had to be de- l£ inti i by Comrade Bert Brobyn. Mr. Brobvn ?aid lie ^anted to lay before his auditors the acts of the case of Wilfred Arrowsmith, a local 0 •un and a member of the Merthyr I.L.P., and ?O tell how he had been treated bv a Govern- 41eiit that expressed sympathy with" the revolu- ttonlf,ts of Russia. On Tuesday, May 30th, 1916, ?.owamith appeared before the Merthyr Magis- tra+ was fined 40s. handed over to a military it and removed to Cardiff Barracks, where be was ???'tialled and sentenced to 112 /j_ hard labour. He was taken to Cardiff ?son, and on August 24th, in company with a goodly number of other C.O. 's, was taken to Wormwood Scrubbs, there to appear before the CWnTmTri-ounal1, set up to determine the gen- lnenesBor otherwise of the conscientious ob- J,?ctor8. As an outcome of some of Arrowsmith's «Were to the questions of my-lord of Salisbury d others, he was adjudged not to be a genuine ("OrLsc-ientiotii objector, and was then sent back 0rii le?-a to complete his sentence. On com- J?? c?g i? sentence he was again handed over t~ milfi. tary authorities and removed to Kin- U,e| p where he was again conrt-martialled, s?p? ?ed to two years' hard labour, and re- Uiov e di 0 Wormwood Scrubbs. After being there some time the Government d?-ided that all who refused to accept Alternative Service, or ""?ho ?? ?dindged to be not genuine ConscIen- tiOUS Objectors should be removed to Wands- \orth ""??- To use Arrows mi th's own words ?hey ??'?T?<-ked in the removal "like sardines m a box, ^\nc* iii the journey Arrowsmith met tPT1r4Q  shgt accident, which, had it been at- Wi+V. 'o i 0 when ?" complained would have been rlght In a Yery short time. However the pri- son a" +horities at Wandsworth refused to pay ?y attention to him from the time of his ar- "lv'al untd a.bout the 16th of last month, and his ?y gradually grew worse. On the 3rd of ? ?ch, as Iii-- he was allowed to see th6 prison doctor, but that gentleman only <?. ? 'sed him and told him that if he was in pain l must put up with it as lie could not help it. ? ?complained again on the 9th, and on the 12th of V vra i 1 ^he Ward official himself brought the doctor to h.m, but. with no result. Arrowsmith then i C(\mPhnned to the Visiting Magistrates, 'tho had lumexamined, and placed in a cell for w£ u,? ?• tire re he asked to ?e allowed to lay hi i V 1 Ilis bed on e 001 because of the pain lie en- d ?? redi i this was refused. (Shame.) He had ad yisitol'sand ??'? got in touch with the ?eact(ttiat-tei-s who affaitl got in touch Wth \r p* s' and these members complained to ??i Hi- gher authorities. On the 16th March he ?? s examined by a doctor who ordered him to I)e in n to ? ??? not allowed to get up un- dr any circumstanees.' On the next day, the 1, th, he Was taken from that bed bv a military  removed to Kinmel Park. (Shame.) ? had To walk across London without a penny !Q hk Pof-ket, and he would have had to go with • b?i? food until the following dav, had it 16 Ti°5 the kindness of his escort. At ?hv?\ had to walk four miles to the camp. H? ? t? ? ?"'?martiaHed for the third time. 'Stiinri; on the barracks square when Hie sen- t?alidiii- 11 on tli(-(-I?s sqtiareiN-ii.entlic- sen- tell,?, ? ???? ?"? ?e was supporting himself ltil his "?s Lehind liim when a non-com- Isi. oned omcer crossed the square, and struck his ?f ? J^•th his cane; his heels were also ?i(? to bring hi.ui to attention. When he MnS) ?'? that he was straight out of hospital ) .Wa.s eu !'sed. He was sentenced to two years' ¿aId labour, ?"? was taken to Stnmgeways Ga ArU,1( S, er' but last week they had to ta k eh e hIm. T'? "? ?'?"" '?? P?? him In hospitaL olit Of 1)1-isoYl and .pait lil iii inlio, ly l:rowSnllth"" was only one case of many equally as bid rni ,hx a1 i c omrades had tried every way to hax-« l^i h'• s thing, altered—through the Home ?111(l s(?iidin-(, a deputation to Lord Salisbii.. ? London, nut without avail, ?nd thev \fir 't now asking the assistance of the IHtb- he.' fi t'-ndes unions to shift tIwauthori- tllc? trades un i ons to shift the authori- ?"?"? P'-otcsting against the har?h W nm s ?<1?.?? trentmcnt mctcd out to Arrow- ?'?ith ?i?""ng upon the Home Om(?- to see ??t h W\ aS Sieved for Alternative Service— ?uch h ???pai ed to accept—forthwith was seconded rr Mr. IdrisDîwies and carried un ani- by id,,i,, ,Ind unan i wbx?th?r??"?"' ??"? wit), tbe stand 11(" 1 t Ie I r 'I:> 1 L tl Tl I.L.P. was t/ *"? 'dc against the war. The t.J   "?' poHtical party 'n the coun- rv W lIe 1 h 1, 1 ?.L.wP. hich hath???''?? ?ncinsm, and had been ?'ghting for T? 1^1^'11'011 of the work ers' In- ternational. Thoth,'ee y«ars had been most ?'Ulilatiu'rnn? lltJlllJ atUland this had h(en hrought home 1)l?re pa'heulal'ly hlst recently when in the ?. to?urin'?or ?? ? ?'?-Y Conscription, the torturing of ()biet,tors' the ??P? pre?ion of tho?? of T free speech and a fl. I the lY"(I lre,s,undh(' rt'nOllIWPH1pnt of all our prized '?rties. our Gover?m. to ?? h:?' ?' ?'???f ???'? We of the I.L.P. ^ihei fesiC 1 v n, f 7l<) could congratulate Russia for w« if 00 those ideas and ideals that had m? ?? the H.us8Utn revolution possible. <Ch?rs)

l Miners and Combing. Out. I DEMAND FOR BALLOT AND COALFIELD. I I DOWLAIS TAKES A STRONG LEAD. I A mass meeting of the Dowlais miners on Sunday was addressed by Mr. John Davies (agent) on the question of further combing out of underground and surface workmen from the mines. He said the voluntary recruiting of miners was a failure. It was said men were coming in in droves. Three had come from Dowlais. (Laughter.) Now had arrived the scheme of the military authorities through Mr. Guy Calthrop, the Con- troller of the Mines, that if the necessary num- ber of recruits were not forthcoming single men between the ages of 18 and 23 or 25 should be first called upon to join the colours. And be- fore this war was finished he (Mr. Davies) main- tained that all fit miners would be taken. He believed that would be best and let the authori- ties work the collieries themselves. (Laughter.) At the previous Wednesday's conference of the S.W.M.F. at Cardiff a resolution was passed to have nothing to do with the new scheme. He did not believe in that. He maintained that the miners of Great Britain should be balloted as to whether they were in favour of war. If by a majority they were, then miners had no right to be given the privilege of military ex- emption. (Applause.) They ought to help the country by fighting for it. If the miners were against the prolongation of the war then they should stand firm and not a single man should be allowed to be taken from the collieries. What were we fighting for? At the outbreak of the war it was said it was a war to protect the neutrality of Belgium and small nations; it was not a war for land-grabbing. To-day the German colonies in Africa had been seized and Smuts and Botha had said That land is not to go back, to which the aristocrats in London had said: "Hear, hear." Was not that land- grabbing? Germany was ready to hand back Belgium. Therefore the object of the war had been gained. What we were fighting for now was revenge. With regard to Monday's conference of the S.W.M.F., although it was not on the agenda, he believed that the demand for a national bal- lot of the miners would be strongly supported by delegates and he hoped that the Dowlais vote would be unanimous in this direction. It was said we were fighting against German- ising England. Prussianssm was already here and the people would be cteeper in its toils if it were allowed to go on. A general discussion follow ulr during which the agent added that if the national ballot re- sulted in a decision in favour of peace by nego- tiation the influence of the vote in itself would save the surface as well as -no underground workmen from military service. Mr. T. Prothero thought it was cowardice on the part of the underground men now they were in danger of being taken by the military authori- ties to seek to protect themselves by a national ballot when they had acquiesced to the combing out of surface workmen, which was already being done. Ald. Charles Griffiths said that the miners found themselves in their present difficulty be- cause of their apathy in the past. They had had many chances but had refused to give a de- finite declaration of their opinion. To-day it was coming very close to them. However, he believed that the national ballot would place the South Wales miners in the hands of some of the districts in England which were war mad, and South Wales would be "swamped." He was of the opinion that the participants of the ballot should be only men from 18 to 41 and men liable for military service, and failing the adop- tion of a national ballot by the conference of the M.F.G.B. at London on Thursday there should be a ballot of the South Wales Coalfield. Eventually it was decided to recommend at Monday's conference a national miners' ballot, and failing this being adopted at Thursday's conference of the M.F.G.B. that a ballot of the South Wales miners should be adopted. Ald. Griffiths' suggestion to restrict voting only to men of military age was dropped.

Bargoed Notes. I The Study Circle..1 l The Study Circle, meeting on the evening of the 15tli, for the further discussion of the I.L.P. leaflet on Education, took occasion to ex- press its disappointment at getting almost no report of Ramsay Macdonald's meeting, in spite of a tolerably full report having been sent in. Comrade Matthew, leading off, remarked on the danger of getting into a groove. Education was not confined to children. The self-educated man was the best. The great obstacles we have to contend with are ignorance and stupidity. The great hope of the world was the enthusiasm of the young; the older men were apt to lose touch with the people, and to let themselves be bought by office and salary. Comrade Wm. Jones urged that merely me- chanical processes of education were inevitable so long as we had huge classes and underpaid teachers. With that came the danger of getting into ruts; of which military discipline was an extreme case. The world depended on thinkers and not on fighters. Self-discipline was better than any external one. which tender to destroy the power of initiative. Comrade Arrowsmith urged that ordinary edu- cation was bad alike for the very quipk and the very slow. And few people had grit enough to go on educating themselves. I quoted the "Iahour Leader about an ex- ceptional number of the Cambridge C.O. 's being distinguished in mathematics and the obvious comment on it that the clear, accurate, con- tinued, and complete thinking demanded by mathematics was unfavourable to belief in war, lor in this war in particular.

Or HELP THOSE WHO HELP YOUR PAPER!

Merthyr War Pensions Committee. I CONSIDERATION OF SPECIAL CASES. I A meeting of the Merthyr War Pensions Com- mittee was held at the Town Hall on Friday last under the presidency of Councillor H. M. Lloyd. The Treasurer (Mr. W. R. Harris) submitted the following claims from the various Ward Com- mittees: Dowlais, R7 13s. 5d. for 77 dependants; Penvdarren, £ 5 Is. 3d. for 31; Park, zC12 Os. 3d. for 60; Cyfarthfa, £4 14s. 3d. for 46; Town, tl4 18s. Id. for 90; Plymouth t4 10s. 9d. for 26; Troedyrhiw, £4 9s. 9d. for 23; Merthyr Vale £ 6 8s. 3d. for 34; Treharris, J613 Os. 9d. for 90; Hon. Secretary, £ 1 12s. for 3; total, £74 8s. 9d. for 480 dependants. A brief discussion arose on two of the claims presented, which resulted in the total amount asked for being reduced to £ 72 3s. 3d., and the number of dependants to 479. The Secretary (Mr. W. M. Meredith) sub- mitted the following special cases: (1) Soldier discharged from the Army without pension on account of tubercular trouble. Subsequently treated at the Mardy Hospital. At present un- dergoing treatment at home. Army doctor says he was affected previous to enlistment. Family doctor questions it. Decided to relieve and apply for pension. (2) Two ophthalmic cases treated at the General Hospital by Dr. Frank Cresswell, eye specialist. Some difficulty with authorities as the General Hospital is not on the official list. Decided to continue treat- ment and apply for recognition. (3) Merthyr man, married to a German lady interned in Germany. Wife and children sent back to this country as British subjects. Applied to com- mittee for relief. Decided to write to Statutory Committee for permission to relieve. (Wives of interned Germans granted relief by Board of Guardians under special regulations). (4) Pen- sioner not received his pension since March 14th. Enquiries made on three occasions-no reply. Decided to relieve. Mr. Roberts for the Dowlais Committee sub- mitted the following: (1) Soldier going into Sanatorium to receive treatment. Applied for a grant to provide the necessary outfit. Decided to accede to his request. (2) Young soldier dis- charged from the Army owing to defective eye- sight. Ward Committee recommended treat- ment and training at an approved centre. This course was adopted, Mr. Whiting drew the attention of the com- mittee to the valuable assistance rendered by the district nurses since the outbreak of war to our hard pressed local practitioners. The medical men of the district fully appreciated these services at such a time. The lady members present also bore testimony the work of the nurses.

NOTICE. /~VN MAY 1st the system of facing periodicals on Sate or Return" ?omes to an end, and newsagents will regulata their wholesale orders to the actual requirements of their cus- tomers. Therefore, to ensure a copy of the Pioneer," it is necessary to place a definite order with their I newsagent before, or send subscriptions direct to ,the "Pioneer" Office, Williams Square, Merthyr.

Westminster" and Edgar Jones. I A REPLY TO AN INSPIRED ARTICLE. I "Westminster" in his coaimns "In the Smoke Room of the 670 of the National News last Sunday week rextrned to his stric- tures on the junior M.P. for Merthyr as sub- joined. It will be remembered that we repro-. duced his first criticism in our columns a week or two ago. "A correspondent has sent me a newspaper cutting, adorned with a portrait of Mr. Edgar Jones, M.P., in his juvenile dafs, and containing an obviously inspired reply t( my recent stric- tures in this column on his appointment as Con- troller of the Priority Section n theVMinistry of Munitions. No attempt is made to gainsay the statement that Mr. Edgar Jores, who has never had a day's experience of business, is empowered to exercise a veto on some (f the leading en- gineering firms in the land m anomaly that would not have been tolerate in any other country in Europe. Equally significant is the silence of the inspired article that Mr. Jones has brought with him into th: Priority Section his own political agent, an CK-sehool teacher, who is now being paid by the State no less than fifteen shillings a day. It is to be hoped that further questions will be ask<d in the House on this point. But the article contains certain statements that are wide of the truth. For instance, it is said that Mr. Edgar Jonas vas invited by Mr. Lloyd George to take up work at the Ministry of Munitions. I have high authority for stat- ing that the statement is jjrossly inaccurate, and that neither Mr. Lloyd Creorge nor Dr. Ad- dison knows anything of the matter. Mr. Jones came in to help with clerical tvork, but, like the camel of old, having once gpt his nose in, he was not satisfied until lie got his hump in also. That is the explanation of his presence. It is really comical to find this inspired news- paper article giving all the credit to Mr. Edgar Jo ties for the success of the Ministry of Muni- tions. Not an iota of credit is given either to Dr. Addison or to Mr. Kelliiway for all their hard, strenuous work for many long months at the Department. We are assured that the Min- istry of MunitVins owes its success to the brain of the junior Member for Merthyr Boroughs. Perhaps Mr. Jones, who is of military age, will now explain why it is that he has not joined the colours, especially, as Lord Derby has said, there is now a greater need of men in the Army than ever."

Important Housing Conference. I TRADE UNIONS AND CO-OPERATIVE I SOCIETIES TO MEET IN CARDIFF. The organised Labour and Co-operative Move- ments of South Wales should welcome with joy the Conference of Trades Unions, Trades Coun- cils and Co-operative Societies organised by the Welsh Housing and Development Association, the National Housing and Town Planning Coun- cil and the S.W.M.F., and to be held at the Gory Hall, Cardiff, on Saturday, April 28th. Housing, notoriously bad in all our older indus- trial centres, is nowhere worse than in South Wales, where hovels unfitted for human habita- tion hurt the eye, and spell needless suffering and premature death for present producers, and the potent workers of to-morrow. Labour has striven hard for years to have this disastrous state of affairs altered, but the results have by no means been compatible with the energy ex- pended and have been altogether inadequate to meet the needs of the moment, let alone to probe the cancer to its heart. The war has taught us that the money which was so very difficult to get; is easy of accomplishment when it is really wanted; it has taught us, too, that the responsibility of fighting and dying for a country in a very real sense should demand as a corollary a country worth fighting and dying for. No one would pretend that the horrible dens of dismal Dowlais are worth the sacrifice of an infirm Chimpanzee, let alone of a flesh and blood Briton, and what is true of Dowlais is true in only a relatively smaller degree of any one of our larger industrial areas in South Wales. Mr. Walter Long, as President of the Local Govern- ment Boaxd, has recognised this for he has said "To let our heroes come from the horrible water-logged trenches to something little better than a pig-sty here would be indeed criminal on the part of ourselves, and would be a negation of all we have said during this war, that we can never repay these men for what they have done for us." So much for a responsible Ministerial recognition of the justice of the plea, and Gov- ernmental responsibility in its solution; but ex- perience should have taught even the most re- trogressive trades unionist or Co-operator that the honeyed words of the politician when speak- ing of an indefinite future, are something far different from the recognition of those phrases in tangible, beneficial actualities. The only way to have those phrases translated in this case into healthy, happy brick and mortar homes for the people is for the people to insist that they shall be, and this conference will be a good way of starting in to insist, but only of starting. The passing of the three comprehensive resolu- tions down for discussion ? ,,<M not b? the alpha, and omega of trades unionist insistence in South Wales, it should only be the alpha, and a great deal of very real and very effective agi- tation and effort should have been put in before our organisations work out at the other end of the Greek alphabet. We sincerely echo the hope of the conveners that every organisation will re- cognise the importance of the conference by sending at least one delegate, and we gladly re- spond to the request of that indefatigable housing reformer, Mr. Edgar L. Chappel, :i the secretary, to extend an invitation to secretaries of Trades Unions and other bodies, to whom no- tice may inadvertently not have been sent, to apply at once for invitations to that gentleman at 38 Charles-street,, Cardiff. The resolutions will not only deal with the question of Govern- mental possibilities, but that equally important and difficult nut of the local authority activity will be cracked. The speakers are to include J. Winstone, J.P., C.O.; Wm. Williams, chairman of the South Wales Building Trades .Federation; Tom Griffiths, Steel Smelters; Councillor W. Jenkins, J.P.; T. Richards, M.P., and E. Charles, J.P., Pontypool.

S.W.M.F. and the Military Authorities. NO CO-OPERATION IN COMBING-OUT I MINES. By J. WILLLAMS (Merthyr Miners Agent). I The Conference held last Monday is another addition to the long list of conferences in the South Wales Coalfield, and it has been one which can very well be regarded as one of the most significant assemblies ever held at the Cory Hall. Strictly speaking, it is true that the matter on the agenda was not an industrial one. It was called to consider a circular-letter from the Coal Mines Department as to the best methods of obtaining the men required for the army from the South Wales Mines, with the minimum dis- location of that industry. The contents of that letter were very clear; each colliery should con- tribute its proportionate quota of men: (1) the single men in the lower ages, 18-23 or 25; then, if necessary, the mines should contribute single men from higher age-groups, and thirdly the married men from the lower age-groups. There- fore the issues involved in that circular de- manded the utmost consideration of the Federa- tion, and the interest taken by the delegates was very marked in their pronounced enthu- siasm. After 30 months of this war, the most appal- ling in history, there was unmistakable evidence, clearly manifested, of its waning popularity among the South Wales miners. A reflection on recent events brings back to our memory how impossible it has been at these gatherings to express ai} opinion in opposition to it. Yet throughout last Monday's deliberations, during a very highly toneddisellssion no one had a. kind word to say in favour of it. and the sympathy of the conference has once more been triumphantly secured in favour of reason and justice. It is said that before wars can be made possible the nations must first be driven mad. The mine's have certainly been participants in this insanity, but it is gratifying to observe that they are gradually recovering from the malady. The issue before the conference was whether or not we should become parties to the invitation contained in the circular referred to above, in arranging a scheme under which the men re- quired could be taken. The Executive Council had had the matter before them at their meet- ing prior to the conference and it was decided that it would ijpt take part in any such measure. This course was recommended to conference where it was accepted with an overwhelming majority. At the Executive Council meeting the Chairman ruled, as he rigidly ruled at confer- ence, that no alternative to this at this juncture was in order, and the delegates felt they had ar- rived at the parting of the ways. They had to say whether or not any further co-operation with the Government in this matter was possible, and to me they decided upon the only consistent and logical course open to them. They ordered Hands off." It must be remembered that this request or intention of the Authorities is not a matter con- fined to the South Wales Coalfield only. It ap- pears that there is an inteni. -)n of immediately securing 20,000 men from the whole of the mines of Great Britain and that the South Wales quota towards this shall be 5,500 men. These are re- quired by the 9th of May at the latest, and an additional number are wanted before the end of July. Then if this ghastly business is not over, a. regular contingent will have to be supplied, until as they say, it comes to the last man. We need not labour under any misapprehension. What the knock-out. blow. policy means, well -God. only knows* On the 19th inst., before this wild be published, there will have been a conference of the M.F.G.B. at London to consider this matter. The Welsh delegates have had their mandate and they must vote against any further co-operation with the military authorities in the nature of obtaining men from the mines. But we must re- member that we are not the .Federation we are only a unit of it; a large and important one, I agree, but it does not necessarily follow that we shall carry our views at this important gather- ing in London. In fact I think we shall lose, and this view was shared and freely expressed in Monday's conference, giving rise to no end of anxiety to the delegates as to what would be their position if what we have anticipated would happen. A number of delegates went so far as to say that they thought the South Wales Coal- field should take up an independent action. However at this moment perhaps we should not jump to conclusions. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." The next step has yet to be decided, but the conference has wisely accepted the chairman's undertaking, that the delegates would be called to a further conference to con- sider any new situation that might arise. The new order will cause considerable anxiety among vhe thousand hi in the 6c-eal. fields, as it will undoubtedly mean sweeping two or three brothers, in many families more, into the army, whether they like it or not. The war is now becoming a grim reality in the homes of the mining villages of South Wales. Thousands of families have already suffered this bitter ex- perience and they have my sincere sympathy. And in my opinion the fact that the military authorities are extending the application of Military Service Acts to reserved occupations accounts for the waning popularity of the war. The General Secretary narrated how he visited the trenches for five hours and admitted that he did not want to go there again. God pity the brave fellows who have had to stick it for nearly three years, and pardon those who have been and still are responsible for driving them there. Conference should tremble and shudder to think of it. It has taken a wise step and I hope the delegates will see, although late in the day, that the course now adopted will be followed to the end.

The Cardiff Inquisition. THE BLACKEST MARK ON THE 'SCUTCHEON OF WALES. On the 11th of December last the Cardiff City Council passed a resolution that a.fter De- cember 31st it was undesirable that any person who was a conscientious objector to military service should continue in the pay of the council or any committee thereof, and that a, committee, consisting of the Lord Mayor and the chairman of the various committees be appointed to go into each individual case. As a result of this resolution inquiries were made into the views of the council's employees, women a« well as men, and on March 14th the following rellprt appeared in the local press: — A meeting of the special committee re con- scientious objectors was held at the City Hall, Cardiff, yesterday, the Deputy Lord Mayor pre- siding. The heads of the various departments reported as to the results of the questions which they had been instructed to obtain from each member of the staff with regard to their views on military service. It was reported that there were no conscientious objectors in any of the departments except the education department, but as in several instances only verbrf questions had been put, it was decided that each member of the staff be asked to reply in writing." A number of teachers, including women teachers entirely declined to reply to this in- quisition at all, and they have consequently been asked to resign. As a correspondent to the "South Wales Daily News" points out: Their offence is not that they are conscientious objectors, still less that they have abused their position as teachers to inculcate views distaste- ful to the Council but that they have declined to answer a question on the ground that such an answer would be. in their belief, a betrayal of the principle of freedom of thought which, as British citizens, we all hold so dear. They do not, I would point out, claim liberty of speech or action. Even granting the desirability of removing women who are conscientious ob- jectors, it would be deplorable that a teacher should be dismissed without its being estab- lished that she is a conscientious objector at all." The ground for dismissal has been officially stated to be "having declined to answer the question as to whether or not they had con- scientious objections to military service."