Another chapter has been reached in the long narrative provided by a Luton conscientious objector who has attained considerable notoriety in the town, both by his claims to be a missionary teacher and "Ambassador of God" and by his frequent appearance before the Tribunals locally.

This objector first appeared before the Luton Tribunal under the first Military Service Act applying to single men and was granted absolute exemption on grounds of conscientious objection on March 11th, 1916.

The Military Representative appealed against this decision, but it was upheld by the County Tribunal on March 22nd. Nothing more was heard of the matter until July, when the case was re-opened before the local Tribunal on the application of the Military Representative that the man ought to be doing some work of national importance.

The Local Tribunal thereupon decided to cancel the certificate of absolute exemption, and granted the objector exemption from military service only upon the condition of his undertaking work of national importance. Against this he appealed and, without going into the matter, the County Appeals Tribunal decided not to vary their previous decision, but gave the Military Representative leave to take the case to the Central Tribunal.

The Central Committee dealt with the case in September and their decision was to grant exemption from combatant service only, subject to the proviso that if within 21 days the objector undertook, under the direction of the Committee on Work of National Importance, work of national importance and under conditions approved by the Tribunal he should be exempt from non-combatant service so long as he continued such work.

On Monday evening [November 27th, 1916] the members of the Local Tribunal were informed that a further letter had been received from the Central Tribunal stating that the man had failed to comply with the conditions of their decision. In these circumstances they directed the Local Tribunal to sign and issue a certificate of exemption which was enclosed, under which the man now becomes available for non-combatant service.

This, it was explained, means that the Military Authorities are at liberty to call upon him to report himself for military service in the non-combatant corps.

[The Luton Reporter: Monday, December 4th, 1916]

At a hearing in July the man, when asked what work he had been doing and for how long, admitted he had not done any work, as he could not take on anything outside his missionary sphere. He was living off his mother and sister, contributing nothing to the home. He also admitted that he had been seen on many occasions playing tennis in Wardown Park.

He said he was prepared to do missionary or scholastic work, although no missionary society recognised him. And he claimed he could not get scholastic work for which he was qualified due to a condition that "no conscientious objector need apply".

The applicant, who said he would not take work on a farm or in the workhouse but would go to China or India to do missionary work, was described by Mayor of Luton, Alderman John Staddon, as a "loafer".