▁concern . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁English ▁Qu aker ▁and ▁wife ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁John ▁Ell is , ▁Maria ▁R ount ree , ▁wrote ▁about ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 ▁object ors , ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁stone w alled ▁by ▁the ▁Commander ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁forces , ▁Richard son . ▁Harry ▁Holland ▁MP , ▁cit ing ▁an ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Domin ion ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁November , ▁dedu ced ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁Government ▁had ▁condem ned ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁government ' s ▁sending ▁of ▁cons cient ious ▁object ors ▁to ▁the ▁front . ▁The ▁paper ▁had ▁written , ▁" the ▁Imperial ▁authorities ▁have ▁no ▁wish ▁to ▁be ▁trouble d ▁with ▁men ▁who ▁will ▁not ▁fight , .. ". ▁This ▁effectively ▁ended ▁such ▁deport ations , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁mean ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁those ▁already ▁in ▁France . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁the ▁National ▁Peace ▁Council ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁wrote ▁to ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Def ence , ▁James ▁Allen , ▁express ing ▁concern ▁about ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁B ax ter ▁and ▁the ▁others . ▁Of ▁particular ▁concern ▁was ▁the ▁sending ▁of ▁the ▁object ors ▁to ▁the ▁front , ▁where ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁court - mart ial led ▁and ▁shot ▁for ▁not ▁fighting ▁the ▁enemy . ▁Harry ▁Holland ▁MP ▁also ▁took ▁up ▁their ▁cases , ▁writing ▁to ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁and ▁newsp apers . ▁ ▁As ▁further ▁news ▁came ▁of ▁the ▁in hum ane ▁way ▁B ax ter ▁had ▁been