On This Day, 21 March 1916

Evening Despatch

Tuesday 21 March 1916

“ALL CONDITIONS OF MEN” AT TRIBUNAL.
ISRAELITES, BIBLE STUDENTS. “MORAL ARTIST,” ETC.

FIRST COURT – SIR WILLIAM BOWATER

An assistant master at a preparatory school sought temporary exemption at the Birmingham Tribunal to-day, and it was stated that he was assisting to train pupils for the Royal Naval College. All the original staff at the school had joined with this exception. The schoolmaster agreed he would make an excellent soldier and exemption was granted until 14 April.

A Father’s Protest.
A conscientious objector stated that he belonged to the “Community of God’s Son,” of which there was only one church in Birmingham. He was engaged on Admiralty work making fans for warships, and the chairman remarked that his conscience did not stop him working for warships.
Applicant’s Father: The fans play no part in the war.
The Chairman: if there was no ventilation on the men-of-war they could not exist? – Oh, yes, they existed before the electrical fans were introduced.
Exemption from combatant service was granted, and the father of the applicant heatedly protested that he had not had a full hearing. He was requested to leave the room.

The Sensitive Artist.
An artist stated that his profession rendered him highly sensitive, and the Chairman said he would soon get over it. His conscientious objection was on moral grounds: he did not believe in God.
The claim was refused.

The Israelite Baker.
Exemptions from service was claimed by a baker who said he was an Israelite, belonging to the Israelites of the House of David and of the tribe of Benjamin, and they believed in keeping the laws of God given in the beginning. They need to cut their hair nor shaved, being Nazarites. They were strict vegetarians in order to preserve the body; believing it to be the temple of God, and he could not undertake to use the sword of death or do anything.
He was granted an exemption certificate as being in a certified trade.