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CONSCIENTIOUS
OBJECTORS
Move By R.S.L. For
Action
The State secretary of the Re-
turned Soldiers' League (Mr. F. E.
Reynolds) said yesterday that his
branch intended to request this
Federal Congress of the league,
which will assemble next month,
to press for appropriate action
against conscientious objectors de
liberately evading their responsi
bilities to their country.
Mr. Reynolds said that members
of the league in this State were
alarmed at the large numbers of
conscientious objectors who had in
recent months openly declined ;o
take any part in national defence.
"We realise.' he said, "that
there are a number of genuine '
cases where people base their views
on sincere religious convictions:
but it is fairly obvious that many
applicants for registration as con
scientious objectors are using their
alleged convictions as a cloak to
mask their real thoughts aud in
tentions."
Mr. Reynolds's announcement
follow.s a number of requests for
action by sub-branches iu South
Australia.
Mr. Reynolds said that the
names of all conscientious objec
tors were being recorded with the
question of post-war employment
in mind.
While considering their approach
to the problem league officials had
been mindful of the fact that
thousands of soldiers, sailors, and
airmen were now defending their
country, not with the thought of
any personal gain, but because
their homes and the lives of their
women and children were threat
ened by a ruthless aggressor who
could only be fought by his own
methods. The feelings towards
conscientious objectors of all these
fighting men and their women folk
deserved some special mention.
Mr. Reynolds also announced
that the State council of tbe league
had recommended that tbe State
board be given power to cancel the
membership of any person who had
been associated with the Fascist
Party or any subversive society.
Italian members of the RSL, how
ever, would not be expelled unless
they were proved guilty of subver
sive activity. In the last war
Italy was our ally, and Italians
were thus eligible for membership
or toe league.
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