World War I and Reconstruction Work / 173

A reply to Resolutions: United States Senate, Washington, D.C., June 9, 1915.

C. Z. Yoder, Wooster, Ohio.

My dear Reverend:

Your favor of the 6th inst. received, enclosing a letter addressed by your Moderator and yourself to President Wilson, commending him for maintaining the peace and expressing your views against preparedness. I shall take great pleasure in presenting this to the President.

You may be assured that so long as President Wilson remains at the head of the Government, this Country will not be involved in war if there is any honorable way to escape it. The Preparedness program is not intended for the purpose of waging any war against any people. It is only intended that we shall not be put in a position where we will be defenseless if any foreign people should attempt to overrun this Country as some of the smaller countries in Europe have been made to suffer.

I know the high purposes which prompt the Amish Mennonite Church and I beg to assure you it is a pleasure to serve your people whenever I can.

Very sincerely,

Atlee Pomerene.

In 1915 the Mennonite General Conference showed anxiety about the war and passed a strong resolution stating that "under no

circumstances should we enlist as soldiers and fight, choosing rather to suffer affliction and persecution than to inflict violence upon

others. "

As the European war deepened, the anxiety of the Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference continued and in 1916 the following letter was sent to President Wilson:

To the Honorable Woodrow Wilson, President of the U.S.A.

In the district Conference of the Eastern A.M. representing 4100 members assembled at West Liberty, Ohio, June 1, 2, 1916, who believe in the doctrine of nonresistance as taught by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his inspired apostles, do hereby commend his excellency in his duty to maintain peace thus far. Knowing that there are differences of opinion concerning military preparedness for the maintenance of peace and knowing the desire of his excellency to execute the wishes of the people, we hereby voice our disapproval of greater military preparedness, being influenced by nothing save the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war against Germany. The churches were, of course, confronted with a new situation. On April 12, 1917, or six days after the declaration of

war, a committee of the General Conference Mennonite Church went