Mennonites in the World War: Non-Resistance Under Test. Jonas Smucker Hartzler
should soothe the boys in the trenches and show that they were being remembered by sending them cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, pipes, etc., and a great many Christian people fell into the trap, and helped the trust to turn clean men into inveterate smokers. Surely there will be a day of reckoning.
Immorality
This is another menace, shockingly apparent in many places. For illustration, let us quote from a government document, "A Message from the Gov ernment to the Churches of the United States." Among other things it says, "The war made it nee-
THE WORLD WAR 47
essary for the nation to face frankly and courage ously the menace of venereal disease. … Drastic measures must be taken to prevent during this per iod (demobilization) those conditions in civil life which made these diseases the GREATEST CAUSE FOR DEBILITY IN THE ARMY." Two things are certain; First, it must be true, or the govern ment would not have put out the statement; Second, it must have been alarmingly general, or the gov ernment would not have gone to the expense and labor of sending out pamphlets asking ministers to preach sermons on the care of soldiers after their return.
"Trench Salvation"
The profanity and immorality already noticed are an evidence of the wide-spread disregard for God and His Word. The "trench salvation" often preached from pulpit and press and camp encour aged this trend. According to this unscriptural doc trine the giving up of one's life in the cause of hu manity is an act so noble that God will extend to such an one His salvation independent of the kind of life that such an individual may have lived this by men who were professedly set for the defence of the Gospel, and in the face of such plain declara tions as, "No man cometh unto the Father except by me." "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," and "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Thus was the doctrine of salvation only by grace through faith, as well as the life of individuals, corrupted through the exigencies of war.
At its best, war is cruel and inhuman, and is
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constantly becoming more so as the -weapons are becoming more deadly and the whole is done with more precision. At one time it might justly have been called war, but today with the modern equip ment, and the definite calculations it should no more be called war, but scientific butchery.
THE ISSUES INVOLVED
Nonresistance the Only Issue
National honor, safety for democracy, and a few things of lesser moment were usually given as the issues at stake in this war, and it should be clearly understood that the nonresistant people were /iot unmindful of these issues, but there was another issue which they were made to face, and which vitally concerned them just at this time. Govern ment was making demands without regard to class or religion. Nonresistant people wanted to comply with these requirements just as far as they could, but they were nonresistant. They held that the Bible taught them this. They must obey God at all hazards. This brought on an issue between them and Government.
It should also be clearly understood that the only issue that was between the Mennonites and Government as to^the war had its root in the one word, nonresistanceO That was the issue in the home community and in the camp. The Church aimed to maintain this time-honored, Gospel-founded principle. It was deeply planted into the old and young. People who did not hold to that doctrine could not understand this attitude, and believed that (3 these nonresistants were slackers, cowards, pro-Ger- /) man, or to say the least, were not properly taught.
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The slogan of many in the home community and in the camp was, "Break his will," little realizing that when one was tortured so that he would yield to what in his mind was opposed to a vital principle, that the injury was permanent. Many a young man will be worth less to himself, to his country, and to the Church, both mentally and physically because he was compelled to pass through such dire experiences that he finally yielded.
It was not a question of the Church giving up her young men, much as she loved them no, not even if she knew that she would never see them again if she could be conscious that she was giving them by divine approval. But she could not be lieve that God would have her give them to take human life, either directly or indirectly, under any circumstances. She felt that war was wrong in principle and contrary to the teachings of the New Testament. With her it was absolutely, "God first." The main issue with the Church was not boys, not money, not sacrifice, but obedience to God.
Noncombatant Service Defined
Evidently Government considered that there was quite a difference between combatant and non- combatant service, but the Church considered that the principle involved was the same. No doubt Government supposed that most of the religious ob jectors would consent to noncombatant service, and that at best the political objector would have to be dealt with individually. March 20, 1918, nearly one year after this country had entered the war, Presi dent Wilson officially defined noncombatant service. The text of his definition is as follows :
THE ISSUES INVOLVED 51
"I hereby declare the following military service to be noncombatant service:
a. Service in the medical corps wherever performed. This includes service in the sanitary detachment attached to combatant units at the front; service in the divisional sani tary trains composed of ambulance companies and field hos pital companies, on the line of communicaton, at the base in France, and with the troops in the the hospitals in the United States; also with the service of supply and repair in the Medical Department.
"b. Any service in the Quartermaster Corps, in the United States, may be treated as noncombatant. Also in the rear of zone operations, service in the following: Stevadore companies, labor companies, remount depots, veterinary hospitals, supply depots, bakery companies, the subsistence service, the clothing renovating service, the shoe repair service, the transportation repair service, and motor truck companies.
"c. Any engineering service in the United States may be treated as noncombatant service. Also in the rear of zone operations, service as follows: Railroad building operation, and repair; road building and repair; construction of rear- line fortifications, auxiliary defense, etc., construction of docks, wharfs, storehouses, and of such cantonments as may be built by the Corps of Engineers; topographical work; camouflage; map reproduction; supply depot service; repair service, hydraulic service, and forestry service."
Attitude toward Noncombatant Service
C It was very clear, even before noncombatant
service was defined, that it could not be generally accepted. While it would not be carrying a gun, it would be directly connected with and under the military department, and that had for its purpose the taking of human life and the destruction of property and therefore could not be consistently accepted by nonresistants. Again, a careful scrutiny of much of this work suggests service back from the line of danger. This was spurned by many of the nonresistants since it would suggest that they ac cepted it because they were afraid of danger, and
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that was not true. With them it was not danger, or even life, but principle.
Human Reconstruction
When it was found that this line of service did not meet the issue the War Department offered work in the reconstruction hospitals of the medical corps. Evidently this plan was expected to be sat isfactory. The text reads:
"It is found that there are certain men, evidently sincere in their objections to accepting any existing form of non- combatant service, would be willing to accept work in the aid of men who themselves are not