Page:Mennonite Handbook of Information 1925.djvu/102

 direct aid to the war machine. In some cases where this service was refused brethren were charged and brought for trial before military courts, where sentence was passed on them for a term of years in army prisons.

Probably one of the most important meetings ever held by Mennonites in America was the meeting of the Mennonite General Conference held at Yellow Creek Mennonite Church, Elkhart county, Indiana, Aug. 29,30, 1917, about five months after the United States had entered the War on the side of the allies. Because of the momentous problems facing nonresistant churches at this time it was felt that we could not make our position too clearly known among all people, that all might know the reasons for our attitude, Accordingly two papers were drawn up and adopted. The first, "Mennonites on Military Service," (which, because of its importance, we herewith print entire) is a discussion of the scriptural reasons for espousing the nonresistant faith. The second was in the form of an appeal to the President of the United States and the Premier of Canada asking for exemption from military service. A committee of three was appointed to carry this appeal to Washington and lay both papers before President Wilson and Secretary of War Baker, and a similar committee of Canadians was appointed to apprise the authorities at Ottawa of our position on the war question. In both capitals the committees received respectful hearing.