Mennonites in the World War

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Jonas Smucker Hartzler. Mennonites in the World War

Mennonites in the World War

Table of Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

EARLY HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

Beginnings

Heresies

Church and State

Developments of the Papacy

Persecutions from within

Peter Waldo, the Waldenses and Kindred Sects

Reformers and Nonresistance

Menno Simons

Menno and Nonresistance

His Work and Death

Menno's Followers

From Germany to Russia

Militarism and Emigration

MENNONITES AND OTHER WARS

Growth of Militarism in Europe

Effect of Military Training

Russia Rescinding her Promise

European Trend and Nonresistance

Nonresistance Affects Actions

Ancient and Modern Councils of Defense

Mennonites and Tories

Some Trials

Exemptions: Letter of Thanks

Fines, War taxes, Oath of Allegiance

Finances and Mennonites

Emigration to Canada

Lesser Wars of America

The Civil War

Pre-War Military Laws

Christian Good

The Second Call for Men

The Shenandoah Valley; Sheridan's Raid

Lincoln's Call for Men

Testing the Draftee

The Poor Draftee's Fine

Contrasted Effects of Exemption

THE WORLD WAR

The Seeming Cause

Underlying Causes

The United States Drawn in

War Declared––Preparation

Position of the Church

Nonresistants Position True and False

Position Towards Government

The Load of Militarism

Another Reason for Opposing War

Orchard and Holmes on War

Smoking and Profanity

Immorality

"Trench Salvation"

THE ISSUES INVOLVED

Nonresistance the Only Issue

Noncombatant Service Defined

Attitude toward Noncombatant Service

Human Reconstruction

Misrepresented Motives

Application of the Principle

IMPORTANT MEETINGS AND THEIR RESULTS

Meeting at Kitchener

General Conference of 1915

Letter to President Wilson and Premier Gordon

The Ohio Conference

Meeting at Clinton Frame Church

General Conference of 1917

Committee Sent to Washington

OUR BRETHREN IN CANADA

Difference between U.S. and Canada

Exemption Laws

Russian Immigration

Benefits to other Mennonites

Noncombatant Service Expected

Church Letters

Norman B. Stauffer

An Interpretation Wanted

Local and District Tribunals

No Uniform Decisions

Work of the Committee

Parliament and the Committee

Leave of Absence

OUR BRETHREN IN THE DRAFT

Draft Boards

Registration

A Scare

Confidence Instilled; Examinations

Exemptions

Effect of the Questionnaire

Giving the Soldiers a "Send-off"

The Position of the Church Tested

Lack of Uniformity in Camp Officials

Getting Men to Accept Service

The C. O.'s a Trial to the Officers

"Specially Qualified Officers"

General Bell

OUR BRETHREN IN THE DRAFT (Continued)

The Conscientious Objector

General Crowder's View

View of Norman A. Thomas

Denominations Represented

Political Objectors

Religious Objectors

Captain Hough

The Board of Inquiry

Classification

Lack of Uniformity in Furlough Plans

Better Segregation Necessary

Discharges

Accepting Pay

OUR BRETHREN IN THE DRAFT (Continued)

Courts-Martial

SOME EXPERIENCES IN CAMP

THE DISCIPLINARY BARRACKS

Size

"Going to Leavenworth"

On Arrival

Getting Prison Clothes

The Prisoner's Probation

Prison Precautions

Prisoner's Rights

Psychopathic-Psychologic Board

Shall he Work?

Gang Work

Star Parole

Room-mates

Meals

Overcrowded Conditions

The Solitary

The Attitude at Washington

A Retrospect

HOME EXPERIENCES WHICH GREW OUT OF WAR MEASURES

False Patriotism

Senator Conrad's Statement

CAMP VISITATIONS

Duty of Pastors to the Brethren in Camp

Work of Committees

Segregation

Getting an Understanding at Camp Meade

Centralizing the Work

Benefit to the Parents

Benefit to Camp Commanders

Wilful Neglect

Undue Criticism

Position of the Official

Injudicious Camp Visiting

RELIEF WORK

Causes

Conditions in War Countries

Avenues Through Which to Help

Mennonite Relief Commission for War Sufferers

Our Obligation

Mennonites in Canada and Relief

Seeking Avenues for Work

Work of the English Friends

Brethren Allgyer and Smucker Sent to France

Work in Syria and Armenia

The First Contingent Sent to the Near East

From Eye-witnesses

Near East Relief

Russian Relief

LESSONS TAUGHT BY THE WAR

The Teacher

War Has Taught Conservation

Conserving for the Kingdom of God

Worldly Insecurity

The Influenza

Mine, yet not Mine

The Folly of Militarism

True Preparedness

God's Overruling for Good

Two Lessons in these Incidents

Need of More Christian Work

Prophesies and Prophesies

Value of Right Living

PROBLEMS FOR THE CHURCH

Military Training in the Schools

Universal Military Training

Indoctrination

Trench Salvation

Consistent Separation

Abnormal Conditions

Evangelizing America

Our Place in the Mission Field

The Money Side

The Other Side

"The Field is the World"

"Church of God, awake, arise."

Why Was She Kept?

Отрывок из книги

Jonas Smucker Hartzler

Non-Resistance Under Test (Historical Account of Mennonites in WWI)

.....

In the spring of 1862 the call came for every able-bodied man between the ages of eighteen and forty-five to take up arms. Again a number went into hiding. Some seventy of them, Mennonites and Dunkards, made an effort to escape to the northern states, but were captured and finally landed in the dreaded Libby Prison. Two of them escaped and reported the matter to the home Church. That was a time of prayer and supplication. Through some of the officers of the Confederate government who knew something about the Mennonites and their religious principles, a law was passed which gave them exemption. L. J. Heatwole says, "This bill provided that all people professing the peace doctrine as a part of their religion. .. .residing within the Confederate States would be exempt from military duty on conditions that each male member of such religious body who was subject to bear arms, should pay into the treasury the sum of five hundred dollars." This was paid, "and all the brethren liberated from their confinement." In 1864 the word came that the Confederate government had repealed her exemption laws, and that all able-bodied men between the ages of seventeen and sixty should at once report for service. Many went into hiding again and some made their way to the northern states.

In none of the other Southern States did so many Mennonites live as in Virginia, and by far the greater number of them lived in the Shenandoah Valley. The soil is fertile and many of the farmers were quite prosperous. Both armies looked toward this valley for part of their supplies and in order that the South could not get any more from here the Federals decided to destroy all the food in sight in the valley. Another quotation from Bro. Heatwole express it very graphically: Then to cap the climax, there came the never-to-be-forgotten Sheridan's Raid.... From the evening of October 6th, to the morning of the 8th nearly all the barns and mills. .. .were set on fire in that part of Rockingham county where the Mennonites were located."

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