Usually my blogs start with the documents and necessary translations or transcriptions. In this blog- the document is an eight page newsletter of sorts sent to students across America. I just learned a new internet abbreviation this week: TLTR (too long to read). This kind of made me laugh- but in respect of those who get overwhelmed by lots of words- I'm putting my blog post first so you can sort of get the summary first. Then you can read through the document and really absorb it at your own pace. I hope you will- it's a fascinating document.
You
might be wondering why in the midst of letters and professional
correspondence - we have a Student Digest from 1939. It was in Opa’s
file from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and on page 4
you will find a nice little write up about him and his needs for a
school to attend in the USA. This publication was sent out from the AFSC
and had more than just refugee services in mind.
This
newsletter type publication looks like it was sent to schools
(colleges) with active or potential student peace organizations. You
will find a wealth of information inside- from current events to an
inside look at the perspective of peace-loving folks on the world around
them. I spent perhaps a little too much time reading and researching
this “Student Digest.” But I couldn’t help myself. With each story and
each piece of information- I had to find out more.
It
is fascinating. It blows my mind how incredibly little I know about the
history of anything. I was talking to a teacher about how history is
taught, and how it is very difficult to teach history in a way that
gives students a broad knowledge base and a sense of causality. As small
as the world is (and honestly, studying history makes it smaller to me
everyday) - the information about how humans have interacted over the
ages is so vast- it’s impossible to cover it all.
Students
in the USA are going to learn an American/Western European centric
story-line of our human history, because that’s the story line that
seems to affect us most directly- and that’s primarily who is telling
the story. However- how can we possibly gain anything from a study of
history if all we learn is about a series of dates and events that
happened to important people in our neck of the woods? I’m sure every
history teacher that reads this will want to jump through the computer
screen and smack me- because I’m sure many of them see what they teach
as far more than dates and events about kings and queens. And they are
right- but for some reason the majority of my recall from history class
is a very sanitized and leadership-focused version of what happened. I
don’t even think I realized until much later how very messy history is.
Even the way we tell the story, or WHO is telling the story- makes all
the difference. There is no such thing as a 100% factually true
historical rendering (there are certainly more and less factual
versions). What I mean by that is that history is the study of human
relationships- and human relationships cannot be completely captured by
facts and events. The facts and primary documents are essential to
getting the best idea of what happened- but at some point, we have to
make a judgment call on what was going on.
All
of history is like a big unsolved mystery- some things more easy to
guess than others- but there are countless voices and nuances that we’ll
never know. It’s fun for me. Part of this project for me is to engage
in my own family history, but also to share with others the idea that
history is not something that happened in the past to important people.
Studying history - our collective story- is essential to understanding
our lives today. Why do Americans celebrate individuality so much? How
did Germany fall so easily for the hateful propaganda of Hitler? Better
yet, what could the US have done to avoid Hitler’s rise to power?
This
pamphlet from the Quakers is all about history, all about making
decisions now that will start to turn the tide of a history gone wrong.
Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr made the hard decision to move
forward with peace and forgiveness, because they had seen the
historical ramifications of hatred and violence. The Quakers (who at
this point did not have the examples of MLK and Mandela to draw from)
were advocating a new way to write history. They quote Jesus as saying
“If thine enemy hunger, feed them.” They likely understood how
appropriate this quote was… if Germany were saddled with food instead of
debilitating reparation payments, perhaps someone like Hitler would not
have had a foothold into the German psyche. Now I understand that
things are complicated, and that as of the writing of this student
digest- the ship had already sailed on Hitler’s aggression and vision
for an Aryan nation or world. It may have been too late… or maybe not.
We’ll never know. But it is important for us to think about how we
respond to things, big and small…
What
I do know is that in the midst of educating its readers about what was
going on in the world around them, the American Friends Service
Committee (AFSC) also gave people a chance to do big and small things to
help now. One part of the digest talks about refugees of the situation
in Europe, mainly German refugees. If you’ve been following the blog,
you’ll recognize the explanation of the hold-up for American consuls
when granting entrance to German refugee students. The refugee students
that are still in Germany are basically stuck. But, the digest explains,
there are still folks who can be helped within the current political
structure. There is then the write-up of a German professor and my Opa,
Thomas Doeppner. Opa’s write up actually cracks me up a little bit, and
I’m intrigued to see if he saw it or wrote anything about it. I know
from stories he has told me that his shorthand abilities were very
limited. He was in a jewish version of boy scouts before they were
outlawed, but I do love the phrase “enthusiastic boy scout.”
I
encourage you to look through this digest and pick out names or events
you don’t know much about- look them up online or grab a few books at
the library. Trace the timeline in your brain of when certain things
happened and how or why they might have something to do with another
event in history. Something I learned in my short researching of this
digest was about the Spanish Civil War. I had not made the connection in
my mind that the Spanish Civil war was directly prior to WW2. I had
compartmentalized it to another section in history- my fault entirely,
I’m sure I was given the right dates. I had no idea that Nazi soldiers
were involved in the struggle. Hitler sent help to the side he wanted to
win. The truly mind-blowing moment for me was when I read that Nazi
soldiers were a large part of the bombing of Guernica. I remember very
vividly the art piece by Pablo Picasso that depicted the horrors of
Guernica. This bombing resulted in the deaths of over 300 civilians in
Guernica. Picasso’s mural was titled Guernica- and for some reason that
image and name has stuck in my head. When I made the connection that
Picasso, Spanish Civil War, and Nazis were all converged in this one
event: my mind was blown.
You
might be way more knowledgeable than I am and have known all of this.
If so- that really is so great- I’m jealous. But I’m sure that there is
some corner that you haven’t explored, some connection you haven’t made.
So my charge to all of my readers today is this: if you see a name or a
quote or some event that you’ve never heard of- look it up. If you hear
of some struggle in the news, do some research on the background. Right now isn't a bad time to read up on your Russian history. Pick
up a random biography of someone you don’t know about. You won’t find
pure facts- but you’ll get more pieces of the story. In celebration of
“Black History Month” a friend of mine has been posting quotes and short
stories about people of color throughout American history. I have been
looking them up, finding out more and learning so much. It’s a nerdy
kind of fun- and very humbling.
The hope is that we can make choices and judgments about current events with a much more informed and open mind. The highest hope is that we are humbled enough to recognize that we just might not know what is right...
Enjoy the reading! (even if it is "TLTR") I transcribed each page so you don't have to hurt your eyes!
Student Digest
Student Peace Service
American Friends Service Committee
20 South Twelfth Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April, 1939
U.S. GUN PEDDLAR During the days of the Nye munitions investigation we were shocked by reports on activities of our munitions makers before, during, and after the World War. Reports now being published indicate that we learned little from the lessons taught us then. The United States is once more serving as the arms supply base for countries all around the world. This is shown by the recent report of the Munitions Control Board.
During the past three years our arms exports have risen from $25,000,000 in 1936 to $94,000,000 in 1938. The largest single item is made up of American bombers and fighting planes. During January and February alone we sold $17,000,000 worth of military equipment to France and England. Further large orders are being placed by the Dutch for the Dutch East Indies, and a Russian mission is now negotiating contracts for naval material.
At the same time we continue our arms expansion program here at home. Apparently, we are to have 6,000 new planes at a cost of about $300,000,000. An interesting little side item is the guaranteeing of 12% profit to the airplane manufacturers. We can't help but compare this with what the farmer and the small business man is able to make on his investment today.
The President is now asking for an immediate appropriation of $14,700,00 to strengthen Panama Canal defense. He is also seeking authority to construct additional locks at the canal at an estimated expense of $275,000,000. Then there is an item of $110,000,000 for the purchase of more army equipment. It looks like this would be approved by both House and Senate without opposition.
At the same time there has been a good deal said about balancing our national budget. We can think of only one way to do this - by cutting military expenditures -- by refusing to enter this suicidal arms race. If we must spend money at such a rate as to make it impossible to balance our national budget, we ought to spend it on something worthwhile, something creative. If for one year we could spend on reconstruction what we are now spending on armaments, the history of the world could be changed.
WHAT TO DO NOW
1. Now is the best time of the year to finance Student Peace Service Volunteers from your campus. Make certain all applications are in soon.
2. Lay final plans for Campus Peace Week. Be sure the culminating event on April 20 is genuinely anti-war.
3. Write one letter each to your Senators and Congressmen urging that our Neutrality Law be strengthened - not weakened.
Address Senators -- Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Congressmen -- House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
"Twenty-four years ago a major war broke out in Europe. At its start the American people expected to remain neutral. At its close they found themselves completely involved, with 300,000 killed and wounded, a staggering national debt, an enormous pension burden in prospect, and a peace which gave the lie to all the exalted purposes for which they had been told they were fighting. In the light of that experience an overwhelming majority of the common people registered in their hearts one simple vow: Never Again!
"The neutrality law is the legislation by which Congress tried to safeguard this purpose not to be drawn into another European war. It was written after the Senate had conducted a long and detailed examination into the course by which we had been drawn into the war only twenty-two years ago. It consists of seven main regulations or prohibitions. Here they are:
1. The export of arms, ammunition, and implements of war to any belligerent is prohibited as soon as the President has declared a state of war to exist.
2. American vessels are forbidden to carry such prohibited exports.
3. All manufacturers, exporters and importers of arms must register with the government and obtain licenses from the state department for all shipments of munitions.
4. All loans and credits to belligerents are prohibited.
5. The President is given power to put goods other than primary munitions on a special list, which cannot then be exported by Americans but which belligerents may purchase for cash in the United States and take away in their own vessels. This is the 'cash and carry' provision. It expires, May 1.
6. American citizens are prohibited from travelling on belligerent ships. (Remember the Lusitania!)
7. The provisions of the law are extended to apply to civil wars." This provision has failed to accomplish the results expected; i.e. in the Spanish conflict arms have reached France by way of Germany and Italy, while supplies to the Spanish government have been cut off. Many believe that this provision should be repealed.
"Study the provisions of the neutrality law as here outlined and it will be seen that behind every one lies this simple purpose -- to keep individual American citizens or corporations from engaging in activities which might involve the entire country in war.....
"It should be recognized that the substitution of an inclusive 'cash and carry' law for the present statute would undermine the whole purpose of the act about as effectively as outright repeal or the Thomas proposal. For such a 'cash and carry' law, applying to arms as well as goods, would be equivalent to placing American resources at the disposal under all circumstances of Great Britain and her allies, since the sale of the three billion dollars' worth of American securities held by Great Britain would provide her with ample 'cash' to start a war boom here and she alone would have sufficient command of the seas to count on being able to 'carry'."
This lengthy resume is given to help you make up your mind as to the course our government should follow. From now on you can expect some warm debate in Congress over this question. It has already come up once or twice. Senator Capper expressed the opinion of a large body of Americans when he said "Let us insist on strict neutrality. Let us strengthen the Neutrality Act, not weaken it. I say that we have no business trying to settle boundary disputes among England, France, Italy, Germany, Russia and a score of lesser European nations. It is just out of our sphere, no matter who may think we have a rendezvous with destiny somewhere in France."
DEFEAT FOR SPAIN As this is written a copy of New York Times lies on my desk. Its leading heading reads: MADRID YIELDS, ENDING WAR; VICTORS ENTER UNRESISTED; REPUBLICAN LEADERS FLEE.
For days we have all known it was coming. A week ago Spanish Republican leaders had fled to Burgos to negotiate a peace. Nothing else could be done. Republican Spain was in utter ruin -- no food for the hungry -- no gas for the cars -- no coal for trains -- no munitions for the guns. Seven million people huddles together in a narrow wedge of country running from Madrid to the sea. Of these seven million, a goodly number are communists jailed by their Republican allies -- five hundred in Valencia, it is said as many in Alicante, and thousands in Madrid. It doesn't take much imagination to foretell their fate.
Thus ends another war -- a war which has been incredibly cruel and wasteful. The cost in lives of thirty-two months of civil war in Spain has stamped out more than one million, nearly five per cent of the population. Complete casualty lists are not available, but military observors estimate more than 700,000 killed in battle, 30,000 assassinated or executed, 15,000 civilian killed in air raids, and between 40,000 and 50,000 have died of disease or malnutrition directly attributed to the war. No figures are available on the number of wounded. This loss of lives is only a percentage of the total cost of this struggle, which has not only failed to make any gains for democracy, but has set democracy back several generations.
A great deal will now be written about what might have been. The United States and other democracies might have been more helpful to Loyalist Spain. Munitions might have been withheld from Italy and Germany. Sanctions might have been involved. A world war might have resulted from the Spanish conflict. We realize there is reasonable ground for a good deal of difference of opinion as to what might have been. Our "might" is projected along a different line. The Republicans in Spain might have refused to resort to arms, might have allowed an unjust election in 1936 to run its illogical course, might have lived on for a few years under conditions which were not ideal, and in the end might have won their liberal struggle through non-violent means.
As it is the Republican cause is lost. Spain is laid waste, at least one generation of liberals is dead, and most of the liberalism has been drained off into the soil of Spain as the blood of heroes has been shed. Truly, "those who take the sword must perish by the sword."
To us there is only one bright spot in this whole dismal picture -- that spot finds its focus in simple homely feeding kitchens which dot the shell-scarred cities of Spain. Clustered about these feeding stations are hundreds of thousands of children, women, and men whose lives have been spared through humanitarian work carried on by Quakers and their allies. At the moment we are feeding half a million people a day. This requires 3,000 tons of wheat a month which gives 24,000,000 rations of bread.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the work is about to begin. As fighting ceases, the Spanish people must once more learn to live with one another. Because the American Friends Service Committee has carried on work on both sides of the line during the struggle, we now hope for opportunity to help heal the scars of hatred which disfigure Spain. Even if we should not be allowed to stay in Spain longer than the summer, we will at least "have given a cup of cold water in His name."
EDUCATORS AND STUDENT AIR TRAINING We have heard a good deal lately about President Roosevelt's plans to train aviators in a wholesale manner in schools and colleges across the country. Personally, we like the idea of "young America in the air." We don't like the idea of tying this up with the military. There are other questionable features. In a recent letter sent to Congressmen, President Wilkins of Oberlin College says: "I should like to register first of all as strong a protest as I can against the procedure which led to the making of an announcement as to what 'several hundred educational institutions' are to do without previously consulting those institutions. This seems to me to have shown a serious disregard for the simplest principle of cooperation and to assume, on the part of the government, a degree of control over the private educational institutions of the country which the government does not possess, and which, if it existed, would be repugnant to the nature of democracy."
STUDENT STRIKE AGAINST WAR This year as never before it is important that the student strike against war be in every respect what its name signifies. With so much division of opinion and with so much confused thinking, it is important that we adhere rigidly to a positive peace program and refuse to compromise on the question of violence as an attempted means of achieving ends. We trust that you as a peace worker on your campus are laying adequate plans for the strike on April 20. Last month we sent you a call put out by a number of student peace organizations. You can point your strike through the suggestions made there or you may find helpful the specific action program of Student Peace Service listed below. (Taken from SPS Handbook)
1. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - Every opportunity should be taken to maintain channels of confidence and goodwill across national boundaries through both governmental and non-governmental agencies and to search out opportunities for friendly service and conciliation.
2. ADEQUATE PEACE MACHINERY - A truly representative League of Nations should be built on the basis of progressive ideals in the interests of all peoples. The United States should become more active in the International Labor Office.
3. BETTER LATIN-AMERICAN RELATIONS - The United States should renounce what still remains of its imperialism in Latin America, and aid in building Pan-American peace machinery on a democratic basis.
4. WORLD ECONOMIC CONFERENCE - The United States should call a world conference to face realistically the needs of the nations with regard to raw materials, markets and currencies, population pressure, standards of living, prestige, and permanent security. Adjustments should be made in terms of the needs of all peoples rather than the selfish interests of the favored few. The Van Zeeland report offers a definite plan.
5. STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRACY - The United States should make intensive efforts through education and practical action to overcome the failure of our own democracy as a means of meeting the threat of fascism. We should continue active resistance to the armament program, to industrial mobilization, and to militarism in our schools, colleges, and the C.C.C. Attention should be given to social legislation, to the defense of civil liberties, to the extension of the cooperative movement and to the protection of rights of labor.
6. Sane Policies in War Areas - Our armed forces should be withdrawn from war areas and our nationals encouraged to leave when hostilities break out or stay at their own risk. At the same time private agencies should offer help in the form of food and shelter to the non-combatants of both sides.
7. WAR REFERENDUM - People of the United States should be given the opportunity to vote before war can be waged abroad or troops sent to foreign soil.
8. FREEING OF COLONIES AND POSSESSIONS - Immediate steps should be taken to free colonies, or where this is not immediately possible, arrangements should be made for an international mandate system. The United States should give up her extra-territorial rights in China and other countries and grant full freedom to the Philippines.
9. NEUTRALITY LEGISLATION - Our present neutrality laws, although far from perfect, should be invoked at once and maintained until present wars end. No efforts should be spared to strengthen the present law when the opportunity offers.
These nine points or any three or four of them may help to guide you in your positive action.
FROM A FIELD SEC'Y'S NOTEBOOK Dan Wilson's report of last week will picture for you what these "itinerant peace peddlars" do from week to week:
625 miles travel
6 college campuses visited:
Omaha University Hastings College
Midland College York College
Nebraska Central Wayne State Teachers
2 student conferences attended:
Miss. Valley I.R.C. conference,
Omaha, Neb.
Neb. State S.C.M. conference,
Wayne, Neb.
4 talks given:
"Volunteering for Peace" "Friends
of the World" "Personal Attitudes
toward Conflict" "Volunteers"
18 letters written
8 addresses heard:
Kirby Page five times
J. Donald Kingsley, Antioch
College on "Status of England
as a World Power"
Amy Hemingway Jones, Carnegie
Endowment
F.F. Figgures, overseas Secretary
British League of Nations Union
25 students interviewed about
Volunteer peace work
20 and more students interviewed
about campus peace program and
personal attitudes
5 students interviewed about work
camps
1 college president interviewed
2 college deans interviewed
4 faculty persons interviewed
2 ministers interviewed
1 session with Leon Thomson, state
executive peace sec'y
1 planning committee session for
setting up peace emphasis at
summer S.C.M. conference
1 movie
1 evening roller skating
1 tired field secretary
MASS MEETING On April 6, the Keep America Out of War Committee and the Youth Committee Against War are holding a great mass meeting at Manhattan Center, New York City, in honor of those who voted against our entrance into the World War. Jeannette Rankin and Harold Knutson will be among the speakers. Both of them belong on the honor roll for having resisted the war makers in 1917.
Among the many people who deserve special mention for helping to make these conference successful are Marjorie Littell of Cornell College. James Claypool and Eugene Nelson of Augustana Seminary, and Bob Burgess, Midwestern field secretary for Student Peace Service. Both of these conferences have their roots in permanent state-wide organizations which carry on work throughout year. Plans are already laid for the conference gatherings in 1940.
REFUGEE SERVICE American colleges have responded whole-heartedly to the needs of refugee students in Europe. Barnard raised $1293 for scholarships; Antioch has raised $750; University of California at Berkeley raised $2770 in cash and over $600 in room and board or work scholarships. The Intercollegiate Committee to Aid Student Refugees, 100 East 42nd St., New York City, advises the local committees. International Student Service, 8 West 40th St., New York City, has placed 80 refugees.
In order to obtain a student visa the student must satisfy the United States' Consul that he has a domicile to which he can return or a visa to another country to which he will emigrate after completing his studies. Under these circumstances students from Germany (including Austria and the Czech territory) and Italy have virtually little chance of obtaining student visas at the present time. It may be that consular policy will loosen up a bit; in fact, an effort is being made to influence the State Department in that direction. However, for the time being it is more practical to secure scholarships for students already in the United States.
In the past month the Refugee Service of the American Friends Service Committee has placed six German scholars in academic positions: as special students, "interne teachers," visiting professors or full-time professors. The following paragraphs describe two of the refugees who are trying to get a foothold in America:
In his 33 years of life, Dr. B.---E.--- has accumulated a variety of training and experience. He was born in Berlin; studied in Heidelberg, Paris, Prague; taught in Florence, Italy, and in France; travelled extensively throughout Europe and the British Isles. He is prepared to teach History of Art -- his special field in which he holds a doctor's degree -- French, German, Italian, Latin and Greek. He is also an experienced orchestra and chorus director. Dr. E. --- is now in this country on a visitor's visa.
Thomas Doppner wants to be an engineer. He is especially interested in electrical engineering and hopes to specialize in the theory of high frequency currents. He is prepared to pay part of his living expenses here and to earn the rest if given an opportunity. He knows shorthand and typing. He is now 19 and has found temporary refuge in Holland, but must leave there as soon as possible. His father was manager of the United Press Associations for Holland and Belgium; his mother was a teacher. He has been an enthusiastic Boy Scout and a member of the Quaker Youth group. He likes all kinds of sports, especially water sports.
If you have openings in your school for either one of these men, write to Charlotte Salmon, 20 South 12th St., Philadelphia.
BOK AWARD Within recent weeks honors have come to Rufus M. Jones, Chairman, and Clarence E. Pickett, Executive Secretary, of the American Friends Service Committee. The $10,000 award was divided equally between the two men. In a certain sense the award was given to American Friends in their capacity as true internationalists. During recent months they have acted as ministers of mercy to thousands of needy war refugees on both sides of the line in Spain. More recently representatives were sent to Germany and America -- a work which will relieve some suffering, and it is hoped, will permanently solve some problems for individuals caught in the trap of race persecution. At the present time the Service Committee is urging the passage of resolutions now before Congress to permit the admission into this country of 10,000 German children beyond the regular quota limit.
EXCERPT Arthur O. Rinden, Diong Loh, Fukion, China, writes: "Before the war there were perhaps less than half a dozen real 'Quaker style' pacifists in the country, but there is reason to believe that the present crisis is causing much thinking along this line, and that the issue will become more prominent after the cecession of hostilities. There is an FOR organization in China, but it is largely concerned with foreigners. As opportunity has offered, I have spoken a good many times about the Christian attitude towards war as Friends see it, but for the most part it has not appealed to the listeners as a real issue. Others, of course, think of it as an impossible ideal. I think that within the next five years there will probably be a great change in thinking on this matter."
WORK CAMPS Applications for the six Work Camps to be conducted this summer by the American Friends Service Committee have been coming in quite steadily during the past few weeks, showing an increase in number over the same time last year. All the directors for the Work Camps have now been selected. Educational leadership, as before, will be drawn from regional as well as national sources.
PEACE VOLUNTEERS In a certain sense this is the most interesting time of the year for Student Peace Service headquarters, interesting because applications are coming in from possible recruits all across the United States. Also, communities here and there are becoming interested in having Volunteer Units.
We are always glad to see past Volunteers applying a second time. Constance Beecher, now in Harrisburg, Pa., worked in Windsor, Conn., in 1936. She is applying again, and some community is going to be lucky to get her. We don't know where she will work -- somewhere between Maine and California. Then there is Francis Paul Burr from Des Moines, Iowa, who applied early last spring but plans failed to materialize. This year he says there is nothing going to stop him. It is surprising the number of foreign born students who are on the application list. Ellen Jean Rugg is one of these. She was born in India and has seen a lot of the world. She will see a good deal more this summer if the Personal Committee puts a final okay on her application. Another man, Clayton Moore Shotwell, comes from Saratoga, Wyoming. He is now at school in Hastings, Neb. We have not seen Clayton, but if he is as good as his picture and application indicate, he'll make a real contribution to the cause of peace in July and August. So our applications go.
"El PORTAL" Adolph Hiter's recent seizure of lands in central Europe is nothing less than wanton lawlessness -- so lawless that it reminds us of the days when England and France were over-running Africa or of the days when the thirteen Colonies were pushing their territorial acquisitions westward across America. Aggression now, as ever, is an ugly word, and although in some instances excuses for it may be made, we do not believe it can be justified.
Hitler has undoubtedly become one of the enemies of a peaceable world order. Therefore, we instinctively raise the question as to what we should do. In answer, we find there are two ways of dealing with enemies. One way is illustrated by our recent action in raising duties 25% on all German exports to the United States. This naturally came as a stunning blow to the German people. The new duty, for all practical purposes, shuts Germany out of her potentially biggest overseas market. Of course, there are others who must suffer, too. Germany will likely retaliate. In this the United States has far more to lose than Germany, because last year American exports to the old Reich territory alone amounted to 404,600,000 marks. This is much more than Germany shipped us. True, we are better able to stand a shrinkage in trade than Germany, but even America has her problems. There are many discouraged farmers here and over 10,000,000 unemployed.
We turn now to the second way of dealing with enemies. What did Jesus have to say on this subject? He said, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him." The fact that we would consider any other course indicates how far "Christian" America has drifted from the Christian teaching. Sometimes we excuse ourselves on the basis that things are different today. They are, and yet they are not. When Jesus spoke of feeding enemies, he knew what enemies were. A conquering power had laid a heavy hand on his home land. Palestine was a seething mass of hatred. At one time during Jesus' life close to 2,000 Jews had been crucified. Yes, Jesus had hammered out his philosophy of life on a white hot situation. Still he insisted that the only way of overcoming evil was with good. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him."
Insert: "They say to me: If we refuse to fight, we'll all go to hell together. I say to them: If we agree to fight, we'll all go to hell together. We've tried fighting. Are you satisfied with what fighting has done? Let's try not fighting. Let's see what that will do." -- Horace Traubel
Clarence Pickett has recently pointed out that there are three things we ordinarily do to enemies: First, we shout at them; second we starve them; third, we shoot at them. For many months we have been shouting at our enemy Hitler. Now we are entering upon the second stage, that of starving our enemy. This is the implication behind our 25% increase in countervaling duties. Personally, we can think of no more effective method of driving Germany faster and farther to the East. This may eventually lead to a general war. Thus we will have reached the third stage.
We believe that Jesus' way is fundamentally right. No other method will achieve permanent results. No other method will work in the long run. As followers of Jesus, our course is relatively clear-cut. We would not starve Germany; we would feed her. We would not raise duties against German trade; we would lower them. And in the end we would see the bright dawn of a new day in international life, just as surely as Easter dawn followed the darkness of the crucifixion.
Harold Chance, Director
STUDENT PEACE SERVICE
