# Mennonites in the World War/XIV
## RELIEF WORK
### Causes

War is always cruel. Killing and destroying property are its immediate aims. Cripples, widows, orphans, immense national debt, and enormous taxes are a few of the results which follow in its trail for many years, while some of the more immediate results are starvation, exposure, and epidemics. Grief caused by war is indescribable. With improved implements used in the late conflict all these calamities were correspondingly increased.

### Conditions in War Countries

Armies surged back and forth; strategic points were taken by one army only to be retaken by the enemy. Homes were either burned or wrecked by bursting shells from the enormous cannon. Mine and shell holes from two to twenty feet deep were in evidence. When the enemy came upon a town or neighborhood the common people fled from their homes taking with them a few of their belongings, such as could be gathered in haste and conveyed to places of safety. But when they came back they found their homes gone and their fields in such a condition that they could not be farmed. Aside from being shell-torn, much of the land was covered
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with tons and tons of barbed wire which had been used for defense.
Other countries away from these contested plac es were not so badly torn but were robbed of their cattle, horses, crops, and in fact everything that would be of use to the army. The people were left destitute and the suffering was intense. If these people were to be saved from starvation, help must come from sources outside of their own country. Information came to this country through the news papers, Red Cross, consuls, and other agencies and the people were touched with sympathy. Many wanted to give toward feeding and clothing the peo ple and helping them to rebuild their homes.
Avenues Through Which to Help
Not knowing where to send their contributions and still remain consistent with the nonresistant doctrine, many Mennonites began to send money to the treasurer of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, G. L. Bender, Elkhart, Indiana. He sought ways and means of distributing this money but for a time found none that were very satisfac tory. The Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. were ready to assume the responsibility but there were objections to both. First, they were allied with the war, and to give them money was only another way of abetting the conflict; second, both distributed to bacco in some form, and other things objectionable, among the soldiers, both in this country and in Europe, thus tending to debauch the soldier rather than to lift him up. This was more than many peo ple could endorse, and it became more and more evi dent that a separate organization should be effected
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which would inform the Church of the needs and would solicit liberal contributions in order to carry on relief work more effectively.
Mennonite Relief Commission for War Sufferers
A missionary conference was held at the Forks Church near Middlebury, Indiana, December 24-26, 1917, and it was determined to bring up the matter at that meeting. This was done and a lively discus sion followed. As a result the Mennonite Relief Commission for War Sufferers was organized. A constitution was drawn up and adopted. Article II of this document reads: "The object of this organ ization shall be to solicit, receive, hold and disburse or distribute funds or supplies for the relief of war sufferers." The last two words are suggestive as to the intended duration. So is also the last article in the constitution: "After the conditions which call for the organization of this commission shall have ceased to exist, this organization shall be disband ed." Later many have thought that it should be or ganized on a more permanent basis so as to be ready for any emergency along the special line of its work.
Our Obligation
Information went out rapidly. Announcements were made in the congregations and through the church papers. Those who had been at the confer ence were full of the subject and talked it wherever they went. If we could not support the Red Cross or the Y. M. C. A., we were none the less under ob ligation to relieve suffering which seemed to be on the increase. Tracts were sent out; articles and editorials appeared in the church papers, setting forth conditions, and showing the obligations of
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stewardship. People were being pressed to support war measures, and many gave as much to alleviate distress as they would have been asked to give to support the war ; others doubled or trebled these amounts. At the time of the organization of the Commission some thought that it would be possible to raise one hundred thousand dollars, but it was soon beyond that. Several of the smaller branches of Mennonites were given representation in the or ganization and contributed liberally. Then it was suggested that the Commission in company with the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities should try to raise two hundred thousand dollars, but in one year from its organization that amount was exceeded by an additional fourth of that a- mount, is still coming in and doubtless will so long as the need is so great.
Mennonites in Canada and Relief
In Canada it was thought best to do their relief work through an organization that was Canadian rather than to send their contributions to an organ ization existing in another country. As Mennonites and Tunkers united in an effort to raise two hundred thousand dollars for this purpose it cannot be defin itely determined how much was raised by Menno nites alone. However, knowing the amounts raised by the Commission and tlu* Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities and making a con servative estimate of the part raised by the Menno nites of Canada, it is evident that before the signing of the Armistice, November 11, 1918, the total a- mount raised by the Mennonites in America had passed the four hundred thousand dollar mark with
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money still coming in. Very good and yet it could not be truthfully said of the Church, "She hath done what she could," for she might have done still much more.
Seeking Avenues for Work
With the increase of funds naturally came the question of the best means of applying them. The Church wanted to send workers as well as money. The Red Cross being international in scope had re ceived exclusive rights for carrying on relief work in the war-stricken districts except where organized relief was already being carried on. Most of the churches did their work through the Red Cross, but that required the military uniform and was directly and organically allied with the army. The ordinary C. O. could no more work consistently with this organization than he could do noncombatant work in the army. It was also considered advisable, if possible, to get a certain section in the war-stricken district for which the Church would become re- soonsible for both relief and reconstruction, as that would create greater interest and men arrd money would be forthcoming more abundantly, but no such place could be secured.
Work of the English Friends
Early in the conflict the English Friends began work in devastated places in France. When this country entered the war the American Friends de sired a place where they could work, but the Red Cross was on the ground first. However, the Amer ican Friends succeeded in getting into the work un der the English Society. American Friends invited the Mennonites to work with them. This was ac-
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cepted and the Relief Commission at once began to send a stipulated amount of five thousand dollars each month to the Friends for reconstruction. On several occasions, when the need became very urg ent, the Commission furnished twenty thousand dol lars aside from the monthly amount. This was con tinued until the sector assigned to the Friends had been brought to a fair state of habitation and culti vation. Furnishing Men as Well as Money
A number of our brethren would have been glad to go to France and aid in the work of relief and reconstruction as soon as the way opened, but the scarcity of farm labor seemed to require all the available force in this country to supply the needed food. Much had been shipped to the warring coun tries and the prices for farm produce were almost prohibitive, especially to the poor, hence Mennonite boys who were not called to camp were urged to help on the farms. However, some of the boys who were in camp were furloughed for reconstruction work in France under the Friends. Others would have been glad to go because they could have been a benefit to mankind there instead of remaining in camp where they were consumers and were not able to do anything constructively, but the Board of In quiry refused them that privilege. After their dis charge from camp, quite a number of Mennonites accepted the invitation of the Friends to spend one year in this work.
Brethren Allgyer and Smucker Sent to France
Suggestions came from the Friends, from breth ren in the service of the Friends, and from a
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number of the Church leaders that one or two breth ren be sent to France to inspect the work that was being done and bring a report back to America. It was finally decided to send two, one an elderly man, well known in the Church and the other a young man. The Commission chose Brethren Samuel E. Allgyer of West Liberty, Ohio, and Vernon Smuck- er of Orrville, Ohio, but later of Scottdale, Pennsyl vania. These reports gave new impetus to the work and the interest was well sustained until the Friends decided that the work had better be left and other more needy places taken up.
Work in Syria and Armenia
The American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief (later known as Near East Relief Committee) had been at wofk in these countries almost from the beginning of the war, but had been doing their work through the missionaries on the field. Many people were touched by the reports of atrocities committed by the Turks, and the sufferings of the Armenians, and sent money to the Relief Commission with the instructions that it be used to relieve suffering in that country. The Commission found this Committee an avenue thru which to carry out these instructions, and for a time furnished one thousand dollars per month for relief work in these countries but later increased it to fif teen hundred dollars per month.
While France, Belgium, and Italy were torn by shot and shell, Armenia and Syria suffered more from other causes. The people were driven from their homes, robbed of their valuables, even to the clothing which they wore. Their crops were de-
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stroyed, or where it could be done, taken to the Turkish army. Some were driven into deserts to die of starvation while others were required to suffer tortures which were worse than death. Thousands died from these abuses. Some made their way to places of comparative safety such as Russia, Egypt, Jerusalem, or to some place in their own country where the danger was not so great. But what when they reached those places? In most cases there was not food sufficient to feed the residents, and because of the war food was both expensive and very hard to get. Besides, the ever present profiteers were getting and holding these things for higher prices. A very limited amount of relief work was done dur ing the war, but this was done almost entirely through the missionaries, and was principally given to women and children because it was considered that men were better able to provide for themselves. When the war was over some villages in Syria and Armenia had lost about seventy per cent of their men by starvation. Newspapers presented conditions in heart-rending terms.
The First Contingent Sent to the Near East
Many people urged that the Church send some young men to the Near East to do reconstruction work, and thought that it might be an advantage to have a certain territory for which the Mennonites should make themselves responsible. As the Amer ican Committee was about to send a number of men, the Committee invited the Mennonite Commission to send a number with them. At the same time there was more or less agitation that two older men should be sent along and get information first hand
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and bring it back to the Church. At a joint meeting of the Executive Committee of the Mennonite Relief Commission, some members of the Eastern Men nonite Board of Missions and Charities and mem bers of the Lancaster and Franconia Conferences, held in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, January 4, 1919, it was decided to accept the offer of the American Committee and send several young work ers and two older ones who should go and remain long enough to get a fair first hand knowledge of conditions and return. Brethren Aaron Loucks, Scottdale, and William Derstine, Quakertown, both Pennsylvania, were selected to accompany the work ers.
From Eye-witnesses
A number of those who are responsible for this book thought that one of those who had been on the field in France, and one who had been connected with the work in the Near East should each write out some of their experiences and observations for this book. Brethren Vernon Smucker, then of Orrville, Ohio, and Orie O. Miller of Akron, Penn sylvania, have been chosen, and it is a great pleasure to have their contributions follow:
I. OUR RELIEF WORK IN FRANCE By Vernon Smucker
On the afternoon of May 24, 1919, the steamship Orduna of the Cunard Line sailed out of New York Harbor for Liverpool, England. Brother S. E. All- gyer and myself had left our homes some time be fore this and for over a week had stopped at Phila delphia where we were provided with the necessities
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for our voyage by the American Friends Service Committee, received passports, credentials, and other necessary papers, and then proceeded to New York in time to board the above mentioned vessel. We were on our way to France, sent by the Mennonite Relief Commission and the American Friends Service Committee to investigate the work which our Men nonite brethren were doing in the war-stricken dis tricts of France under the supervision of the Friends, as well as to bring them encouragement and cheer and to assure them of the support and good will of the Church at home in the work which they had undertaken.
After an exceptionally smooth and pleasant voy age we landed at Liverpool, England, on June 2. The next day we proceeded to London where we were met and provided for by English Friends. A little over a day was spent here getting the neces sary papers, etc., after which we left for Paris, arriv ing there on the evening of June 5. A day was spent here in getting the required papers and creden tials to travel in the war zone, and after an all-day trip from Paris we reached Clermont-en-Argonne on the evening of June 7. Our journey was uneventful but interesting, and everywhere we were shown the greatest courtesy. Travel in the war zone was then very much restricted. In fact no one was allowed to go there except by official permission based on good reasons. All our papers, passports, etc., were se cured with the aid of the Friends who were a recog nized relief agency and had established official con nections, so that we experienced little or no diffi culties along these lines.
At the time of our arrival in France some over
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three hundred persons were associated in relief work in what was termed the Friends Mission. Of these, the majority were Americans, though a number were English. In the early days of the work and during the war a majority of the workers in the Mission were English, but later the Americans predominated. Out of the number there in June, 1919, fifty-one were Mennonites. Two Mennonites had already re turned to their homes after a year of service. This made a total of fifty-three who were engaged in relief work in France. Five or six of this number were members of some of the smaller divisions in the central west, and not directly affiliated with the main branch of the Church, but the others were from our congregations in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Canada. With a few exceptions, all of the brethren had been to camp. Some were furloughed from camp in order that they might take up this work and others had gone after the signing of the armistice and their consequent release from all military obliga tions. Some had spent time at the Ft. Leavenworth military prison and went to France directly after their release, though of course under no obligations to do so.
We found the relief work in France thoroughly organized and efficiently conducted. One of the important phases of work was the building of tem porary wooden houses in the war-stricken districts so as to enable the people to come back to their old homes from which they had been forced to flee dur ing the war. In the southern part of France the Friends had established two factories, one at Dole and the other at Ornans, where houses were built
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in sections. The houses were two or three room structures, sometimes larger, and sometimes with a hangar or shed attached for the live stock which the family owned. The buildings were standardized, each section numbered or marked, and these sections shipped direct to the war-devastated areas. A num ber of our people, probably a dozen in all, were at one time or another stationed in these quiet villages, far from the scene of war and destruction, doing the routine work of building sections and shipping them to the north where they were erected as homes for the grateful French people.
Previous to our visit in France the work of re lief had been carried on in a more or less scattered area, but shortly before our arrival there the Red Cross gave over to the Friends what was known as the Verdun sector, where some of the hardest bat tles of the war had been fought. This comprised a section almost two hundred square miles in area and in many places presented a most desolate aspect. Scores of once prosperous villages lay in ruins, some without one single habitable dwelling, others with some buildings which could be repaired, and still others which escaped more or less unharmed, though the latter were few. Barbed wire entanglements, trenches, shell- holes, mine-craters, ammunition, and various implements of war were everywhere in evi dence and bore mute testimony to the fierceness and hatred with which the war had been waged.
The main offices of the Friends organization were at Paris, but the actual administration of the work was carried on from Grange-le-Comte, a large rural estate near Clermont-en-Argonne, in the prov ince of Meuse, in the aforementioned Verdun sector.
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This was a busy place. Over one hundred workers were gathered here, taking care of the stores, sup plies, etc., which were received here and then dis tributed to the various smaller groups out in the sur rounding villages. Probably twelve or fifteen of our brethren were stationed at Grange, helping in the various activities here. Over a hundred motor ve hicles of various kinds, ranging from giant Liberty trucks to motorcycles, were gathered in the yard at night. It took a small corps of mechanics to keep these in repair, two of our brethren among them for a time. Immense stores of food supplies, clothing, and other necessaries of life were stored here, to be sent out to the smaller stations, or equipes as they were called, for use both of the workers and of the French people. The old chateau was fitted up for offices and its walls redounded with the merry click of typewriters, while substantial outbuildings, tem porary barracks and even tents did duty for furnish ing shelter to the workers. A large mess hall or din ing room was built and other temporary improve ments were made. All this is mentioned to convey some idea of the kind and magnitude of the work in which our brethren were engaged.
The majority of our brethren who were not in the carpenter shops in southern France, or at Grange taking care of and sending out supplies, were sta tioned in small villages within a radius of five or ten miles from Grange doing actual building work. Small groups, or equipes, composed of from five to twenty-five individuals, organized with a chef and a sous-chef (leader and assistant), would go out into a destroyed village, erect a temporary shelter until a building could be set up, by some means get in
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touch with the mayor or some other pre-war official of the village, find out who wanted to return, who owned the land, where they desired the building to be located, etc., and then, being furnished with house sections and supplies by the transport department, would prepare foundations and begin to erect hous es. With four or five men working on one house it took an average of about two days or a little less to complete the house and have it ready for occupation by the family for which it was intended. Often the family would return even before the house was en tirely completed. In some mysterious way the word went out that a village was being rebuilt and soon the refugees of that village would be coming back. Sometimes the houses would be erected on the same plot of ground on which the ruins of the old lay, and at other times the new houses were built on sort of a village common to one side of the ruined village. In this way villages which were wholly desolate would in the course of a few weeks or a few months become alive with returned refugees, and old neigh bors would compare experiences during the past years of the war, congratulate themselves that it was all over, and once more begin their struggle for existence. A strange joy and good cheer seemed to radiate from each one, for were they not again at home, in their own village, and on their own plot of ground ?
Our brethren in the building work were not sent out in separate or distinctly Mennonite groups, but some were included in different groups, with the Friends and other workers. At one time there was a suggestion from our brethren themselves that they be sent out as Mennonite groups, but the suggestion
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was not looked upon with favor by the heads of the Mission and the brethren soon decided that perhaps it would not be for the best if they were thus sent out. In some of the groups none of our brethren were included, in others the number ranged from one to three, and in one of the groups there were at one time five and later eight Mennonites out of a total of not over ten or twelve in the whole group. This was very exceptional, however, and was a mat ter of chance rather than deliberate design on the part of those in authority. It may be noted that this particular group surpassed any other in the number of houses erected in a given time, and while there may have been various reasons for this, the heads of the Mission attributed it to the faithful and con scientious work of "The Mennonites," holding this particular group up as an example for the others. It was partly the spirit of rivalry thus created which convinced our brethren of the undesirability of work ing in separate groups, since there was danger that the rivalry might not always be friendly on the part of those groups that were surpassed in their own or ganization by members of another denomination.
But building houses and enabling the French people to come back to their homes did not end the responsibility of the relief workers. The country was devastated. All the live stock, farming tools, food supplies, etc., had been destroyed or carried off. The land was covered with barbed-wire, trenches, shell-holes, or ammunition, and it required time be fore it could again be made productive. Meanwhile, and until railway service and shipping facilities were again restored to normal conditions, it was necessary that these people should be in some way provided
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for. Otherwise they would starve in their own homes.
To meet these conditions, stores were estab lished m the different villages and goods were sold at cost, or less, to the returned refugees. Food sup plies were made available and in cases of extreme need food and clothing were given away. As a rule, however, this was not necessary, and every effort was made to prevent the people from becoming pauperized. It will readily be seen that the trans porting of goods was an important factor in giving relief and several of our brethren were busily en gaged in this work, using the big Liberty trucks, which had been built for war and destruction, for bringing comfort and cheer to the needy.
An agricultural department was also maintained and several of our brethren were engaged in that work. This consisted largely of plowing (either with horses or tractors), threshing grain, making hay, etc. These operations were not without their dangers, for sometimes an unexploded shell would lie in the field, or be buried just beneath the surface, needing only a touch at the proper place by the knife of the mower or the point of the plow to explode its deadly charge. Fortunately none of the relief work ers were injured through any of these dangers. Mowers and various kinds of agricultural imple ments were purchased by the Mission and loaned to the farmers to aid them in gathering their crops. The work of the agricultural department was not by any means the least important phase of relief work in France.
Among some of the other activities were such things as shipping goats, rabbits, chickens, and bees
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from other parts of France to the war-stricken reg ions and distributing them among the people. One of our brethren was on a goat-buying expedition in southern France when we arrived at Clermont, and others were at some time or other engaged in some of the other activities. An effort was made by the heads of the Mission to give each man work along the line for which he was best fitted and trained. All of the work required self-reliance and courage in the strange surroundings, as well as the skill necessary to perform the needful tasks.
Dentists, doctors, nurses, and sanitary experts were also included among the workers of the Mis sion. Aside from looking after the health and well- being of the more than three hundred relief work ers, they made regular trips to the surrounding vil lages and ministered to the needs of the French peo ple. During the war, a maternity hospital was maintained at Chalons, where large numbers of mothers and new-born babes were temporarily cared for. This hospital has since been endowed by the Friends and established on a permanent basis as a memorial of the relief work done in France and the good will which prompted this service.
We were privileged to have a number of relig ious services with the brethren during the time we spent in their midst. Communion service was held in a small tent on one Sunday in the little shell-torn village of Aubreville, and at another time a two-day meeting was held, where subjects of general religious interest and concern were discussed. The brethren were much interested in hearing news from the home Church and seemed deeply grateful for the greetings and good wishes which we were privileged
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to bring them. We were pleased to learn that in a number of cases they had ta ken the initiative in starting Sunday schools in the equipes in which they were working, and many of them exercised a very commendable religious zeal in their work and ac tivities.
The executive heads of the Friends organization spoke very highly of the work and character of the great majority of our brethren and expressed them selves as being highly pleased with their efforts. They gave them positions of responsibility, the same as their own men, and attributed a due share of the success of their undertaking to the work of the Men- nonite boys, as well as to the financial aid given by the Mennonite Church.
The work naturally had a marked effect on the French people. Their attitude was kind and hospit able throughout. They soon learned that these men were opposed to war, and that they were doing these deeds of kindness not from any selfish mo tives but because of definite religious convictions. And while there was always the barrier of language to their free intercourse, yet we are sure that the language of love and good will is understood every where, without regard to race, color, or creed, and no one can tell what the final result of the work will be.
There is another class of people who will always remember the relief workers. Numerous prison camps were located in the area in which the work was done, where thousands of German prisoners of war awaited the final signing and ratifying of the peace treaty. A number of these prisoners were employed in working for the French and also for
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the Friends Mission, giving the men an opportunity to come in direct contact with them. Many friend ships were formed and many expressions of grati tude were heard from the German prisoners toward those whom they had considered their enemies, but whom they now recognized as the enemies of none, and from whom they had received the first kind and considerate treatment that had been accorded them for months and in many cases years. Since these prisoners could not be recompensed for their work, and since the Friends Mission did not feel that they could conscientiously employ prison labor as such, a careful record was taken of the home, family, and condition of every prisoner who worked for them, and later, during the winter of 1919-20, they sent three relief workers, including one of our brethren, into Germany to look up the families of these prison ers, give them all the news possible of son or hus band or brother from whom nothing had been heard for so long, and pay them a fair wage for all the time which the prisoner had spent in the employ of the relief workers. Many touching incidents were met with in these visitations, and many never-to-be- forgotten impressions were received by both the visitors and the visited.
We believe that the money which we as a Church contributed to this work was well and effi ciently spent and that the work which our brethren helped to do was necessary and important. We be lieve too that such of our brethren who faithfully let their lights shine in their work were blessed and made a blessing to those with whom they came in contact, and that many real opportunities were pre sented for faithfully witnessing for Christ and mak-
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ing known His teachings. To the extent that these opportunities were made use of we believe that our participation in this relief work was a blessing to the Church in general and a much needed help to those who were in distress.
We spent about four weeks on the field, living with the brethren in the different equipcs and get ting all the first-hand knowledge and information possible. On July 9 the writer sailed for home on a troop transport from Brest, France, while Brother Allgyer spent a month longer in visiting among the Mennonite communities in France, Alsace, and Switzerland. The latter arrived home in time for a report to the General Conference held at Harrison- burg, Va., during the latter part of August, 1919.
II. OUR RELIEF WORK IN THE NEAR EAST AND RUSSIA
By Orie O. Miller
At the meeting held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the following few general decisions were made : first, that the invitation of the American Committee for opening work in Turkey and for sending over a group of workers, be accepted ; second, that about a dozen brethren be appointed to constitute this first group ; third that the brethren Aaron Loucks and William Derstine be appointed as leaders for this Unit. They were instructed to accompany the Unit to the field, to direct the opening of the work, to determine its further policies, and after a few months tt> return to America and submit a report of their findings to the Relief Commission. Next, a list of prospective workers was drawn up. This included Mennonite men who were still in camps, others who had volunteered for service with the Friends relief
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work in Europe, and other suggested names of those thought to be interested in such work. Within three weeks eleven young men had accepted this invitation for service, and were appointed.
Near East Relief
On January 25, 1919, the first group of nine, sailed from New York on the Relief ship "Pensa- cola" direct for Beirut, Syria. Besides the brethren Loucks and Derstine, there were: Silas Hertzler of Newport News, Va. ; Chris Graber of Noble, Iowa ; Ezra Deter of Morrison, Illinois; Wm. and Frank Stoltzfus of Lima, Ohio ; David Zimmerman and Orie O. Miller of Ephrata, Penna. Thirty-three non-Mennonite relief workers sailed on this same ship. The cargo consisted of several thousand tons of relief supplies including clothing, cloth, shoes, sewing machines, food, medicines, complete hospital and surgical equipment for twenty, one-hundred bed hospitals, several hundred auto trucks, etc. To Beirut was a trip of twenty-six days. At this time of the year the Atlantic Ocean is usually stormy and rough, and this trip was no exception. The stormy weather, the poor accommodations for living and sleeping on shipboard, and the poor food which was provided during most of the journey, kept all except the most hardy ones from enjoying the trip as they otherwise would have done. There were Turkish language lessons every day, and usually a lecture in the evening describing the land and the people of Turkey or discussing some phase of the work await ing us. There were a number of books along these same lines available for reading, and among our own group there were daily Bible study and devotional
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hours. These various activities made the time pass quickly and profitably for all those who could take advantage of them.
It was with a good deal of eagerness, but also with considerable anxiety, that we first sighted Beirut. This city was destined to be the scene of the whole year's service for some of us. Seven Men- nonite workers, and three of the others with a good ly portion of the supplies were left at this port. The brethren Loucks and Derstine continued with the ship to Derindji, which is a small port on the Gulf of Ismid, and about fifty miles distant from Con stantinople. They understood from the New York officials of the American Relief Committee that our Unit was to be located north of Syria, perhaps in Cilicia. This section would be more accessible from Constantinople than from Beirut. At Constantinople was the American Committee's main foreign office, and there the final arrangements for our work need ed to be concluded.
Beirut is the port and largest city in the Leb anon. This district lies at the east end of the Medi terranean, between the ports of Tyre and Latakia. The length of its coast line is over a hundred miles and its average breadth about thirty. This region was nominally a part of pre-war Turkey, but the Lebanese always enjoyed a certain degree of in dependence. For instance, their men could not be conscripted into Turkish military service. As the war progressed this fact irritated the Turks more and more. Partly in retaliation, Lebanon had its food supply cut off. These rugged mountaineers had for generations past terraced and cultivated their rough mountain sides until every available foot
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of ground was made to produce; but still their wheat, sugar, beans, and material for clothing all came from the outside. After these supplies were entirely cut off they suffered terribly. As the Turk ish hatred of the Armenian resulted in deportations, so here their hatred of the Syrian resulted in a sys tematic starvation of a whole people. Out of a population of five hundred thousand more than one hundred and fifty thousand starved or died from the effects of starvation within a period of two years. Whole villages were depopulated, the houses left in ruins, the vineyards and orange groves neglected. Those who had not died there had gone to the larg er cities in search of food.
Three and a half months previous to our arrival the American Red Cross had extended its work north from Jerusalem into Syria with headquarters at Beirut. Their workers had gone into these large cities and in the sub-districts into which the sur rounding area was divided and relief was organized. Industrial workshops had been opened where women and girls were employed at a minimum living wage. At one time three thousand were so employed in Beirut alone. Here, at Sidon, Beirut, Damascus and at a number of other places orphanages had been opened into which were put full orphans and home less children as they were picked off the streets or brought in from out-of-the-way places. In various centers soup kitchens were opened where a daily serving of soup and bread was issued to properly in vestigated needy cases. Hospitals, clinics, medical dispensaries, departments of clothing distribution, provided for the relief of other needy classes. At first all of the new workers helped in that organiza-
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tion. The understanding with the officials of the Red Cross was that as soon as we would be called for by the brethren who had gone on to Constanti nople, we would be released at Beirut.
Farther north in the Aleppo area the situation was worse in some respects and better in others. The plains about Aleppo for miles and miles are in habited by Arabs. These are a nomadic people, moving east with their flocks and herds in winter and away from the desert as the hot, dry season comes on. They live on a lower stage of civilization than the Syrians. Their needs are very simple. Milk and meat for food, wool and hides for clothing are all furnished by their flocks. They usually camp long enough in one place during the summer to pro duce a few vegetables. A few cooking utensils and their weapons for fighting are about all they need from the outside world. They also suffered by the war but not so severely. But into this region the Armenians were deported. From all points of Asia Minor these lines of fleeing, persecuted, driven refu gees converged towards Aleppo. Thousands and tens of thousands died along the way. The roads by which they came from Mardin, Marash, Caesarea, and the other large cities of the north were lined with their bleaching bones. But many succeeded in reaching Aleppo. After arriving they found no shelter, no food, no work. The Red Cross opened industrial shops, gave men work in building roads, distributed bread and soup in outdoor kitchens, fur nished blankets, clothing, and hospital facilities, re leased Armenian girls from Turkish harems and made an effort to get people back to their homes. Here also our men helped out wherever they could.
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About five weeks passed during which we had no news from Brethren Loucks and Derstine. Dur ing this time the terms of several of the Red Cross workers expired. Others resigned and left. Some of our men were appointed to fill these vacancies which were positions of considerable responsibility. There were similar places in prospect for the others. In the meantime the two leaders who had gone on to Constantinople were disappointed in the attitude taken by Relief Committee officials there towards our mission. Because of Bro. Derstine's mechanical ability his services were, however, for a time, almost indispensable at Derindji. Here hundreds of motor trucks were being assembled for carrying supplies into the interior. He was given general charge of this work for this short time. Bro. Loucks accom panied the first train load of relief supplies through Anatolia and into Cilicia, investigating conditions enroute. At Adana he left the train, spent a few weeks in helping to unload the supplies there, and in becoming acquainted with the need in Adana, Tarsus, and surrounding parts. The New York of fice had suggested that we work as a Unit in this section. The conclusions of Bro. Loucks were that no opening existed for such work there, and he shortly returned for Bro. Derstine. Together they looked over this field again, and the above conclu sions were confirmed in the minds of both. With this investigation they felt their work was done. It was deemed inadvisable to make further efforts to organize an independent Mennonite work. They ar rived at Beirut on March 29 and spent Sunday with the group there, before continuing their journey to America. The workers at Beirut were disappointed
202 MENWON1TBS IN TH/E WORLD WAR
in this report, but soon adjusted themselves to the thought of spending the whole year's service in the Syrian field.
On April 1 the management, control, and sup port of the work being done by the American Red Cross was transferred to the American Com- mitte for relief in the Near East. This made all of us regular members of the organization personnel. So while we were disappointed in not being able to organize a distinctly Mennonite Unit under the di rect supervision of our Relief Commission, all but one became members of this larger Syria Unit whose headquarters was Beirut. James H. Nicol, a mis sionary in Syria of ten years, who had organized and conducted the work of the Red Cross in Beirut, was continued as director of the work done by the American Committee for Relief in this same field. He most sympathetically and understandingly en tered into the purposes and ideals that had brought us to the field. His attitude tended to make the work agreeable to our men. Each of them consid ered him a personal friend.
The Syria field was divided into the Beirut and the Aleppo areas, and each of these areas into seven districts. In each one of these districts a small American Relief Unit was organized. In most of them the work was divided into four departments as follows : Orphanage, industrial, medical, and general relief. At the head of each department was placed an American worker with a staff of native assistants. In charge of the whole Unit was a local director, assisted in his work by a unit treasurer and a man ager of transportation and supplies. Different units may have varied slightly in organization. Special
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needs may have required still other departments, but usually the unit was made up of from six to eight American workers. This group lived together as one family and were given a great deal of freedom in working out local policies and in determining how their monthly budget should be spent. They were dependent on the headquarters office at Beirut for their funds, their supplies, their new personnel, and the decision on the larger general policies of giving relief. In Beirut were the treasurer's and executive offices for the field, and large warehouses filled with supplies.
All kinds and types of workers were needed in an organization of this kind. Our men were pe culiarly fitted for certain phases of this work. Grad ually they were distributed over the entire field. Ernest Miller and Jesse Smucker were both assigned to Mardin, and worked there for some months. Bro. Smucker opened and conducted the boys orphanage until he was sent with two other workers to organ ize work at Diabeker. He finished his term as treas urer of that unit, charge of the supplies, and carried on relief work in a few of the most needy villages about the city. Bro. Miller began his term at Mar- din as manager of transport and supplies. After Bro. Smucker left he also took charge of the boys orphanage, and during the last six months of his term was the director of the Mardin unit. Paul Sny- der served a short time as mechanic in the auto re pair shop at Aleppo, but was stationed for the bal ance of the year at Marash, where he had charge of transport and supplies. He was one of the few American workers who remained at his post during the siege of that city, and was a personal witness to
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the horrors of the Marash massacre which occurred in February, 1920. Chris Graber was stationed in Bei rut until the latter part of May, working principally in the transport department. He was then transferred to Aleppo and for a short time had charge of the supplies for that area, and then was placed at the head of the Armenian refugee work in that city. There were at times as many as eight thousand Armenians in the army barracks in which the com mittee sheltered them. In these barracks was a fully equipped hundred and fifty bed hospital, workshops providing employment for the women, an orphanage, and soup kitchens furnishing a daily serving of food to all. The men were grouped in squads and given work on the roads. The strain of looking after this work coupled with Aleppo's unhealthy climate af fected Bro. Graber's health. After a month in the hospital he was allowed to return to Beirut, and after a few weeks further rest there he was sent to open work in the Antioch district. He was in charge of this unit during the remainder of his term. Kzra Deter was stationed in Beirut, and spent the first half of his term in hauling supplies to the var ious out-stations with one of the big G. M. C. trucks. He was later assigned to Aleppo and succeeded Chris Graber there as manager of supplies. He com pleted his term there. After a few months service in the Beirut transport department both Wm. Stoltzfus and Silas Hertzler were assigned to the Sidon dis trict. Bro. Stoltzfus became the director of the work in this district, and Bro. Hertzler had charge of three hundred boys in the orphanage. Until July, 1920, Frank Stoltzfus assisted in hauling ; supplies from Beirut to the out-stations, and then was as-
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signed special work at Jerusalem. Here was a well equipped orphanage of five hundred children. He was assistant director of the institution, and had charge of the educational work in the orphanage. David Zimmerman was given charge of the motor transport and repair department at Beirut very soon after his arrival on the field. He continued in this capacity during his whole term of service with the American Committee. His special qualifications as a mechanic made him very useful for special work at the various out-stations. He and the writer were the only two of the group who remained at Beirut throughout the year. Until May 1 I assisted in the supply department, and from that time was its director. On August 1 I was given additional duties as director of the Beirut district, and a month later became the assistant director of the Syria field.
Leon Myers left the second unit of Mennonite workers at Constantinople and gave his first year of service in Asia Minor in the Marsovan area. He had charge of a number of motor trucks, which were kept busy carrying supplies from the coast towns to the far interior stations. During his second year on the field he was stationed at Constantinople and operated the Near East relief bakery. The capacity of this plant was eighteen thousand loaves of bread per day.
In July, 1919, A. M. Eash of Chicago, 111., and John Warye of West Liberty, Ohio, arrived on the field. Bro. Eash was at once appointed director of the Syrian Orphanage at Jerusalem, where he re mained for a period of two years. Bro. Warye was assigned to the Caesarea area in Asia Minor. He
206 M EiNfNONITES IN THE WORLD WAR
organized and conducted industrial work among the orphan boys.
In December, 1919, Chris Augsburgo" of West Liberty, Ohio, Ernest H. Miller of Fentress, Vir ginia, and Eli Stoltzfus of Lima, Ohio, reached Constantinople and were all three assigned work in the Syrian field. The administration in Beirut called for another group of Mennonite workers early in 1920. On April 8 of that year this group reached Beirut. Roy Kaufman of West Liberty, Ohio, Ray Bender of Springs, Pennsylvania, Martin Weaver of Newton, Kansas, Milo Zimmerman of Harper, Kans as, Roy Myers of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Daniel Stoltzfus of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, Fred Swartz- endruber of Wayland, Iowa, and Menno Nussbaum of Orrville, Ohio, were in this last group. These men took in large measure the places vacated by the first group of eleven whose term of one year had ex pired. In all twenty-five men have been recommend ed and sent out by our Relief Commission, for work in this field. Twenty-three of the total number have given their service in the Syria field.
In Syria the common language is Arabic. Out side of the coast cities, where the population is mixed, the race is also Arabic. Missionary work has been done among these people for over a hun dred years. The Presbyterian mission has organized native churches in all of the larger cities and towns, and in many of them has schools of various grades and kinds. The American University of Beirut furnishes a course of training which compares well with the best colleges of our own country. Some of the American missionaries, and of the College teachers, as well as large numbers of the native
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Christians and students became a part of the Relief organization. The work would have been impossible without their help. This in turn has given our own workers a close and intimate association and contact with the missionary movements and problems in that part of the foreign field. Such an opportunity for studying foreign missions in a first hand way has probably not come to any group of our people before. In the minds of the native people our men were classed with the missionaries. These condi tions presented numerous opportunities of witness ing for Christ and His teachings. Among the mis sionaries and the other relief workers our men were always designated as the Mennonite group. This gave many real opportunities for an explanation of our attitude towards war as well as of other special points for which we stand. The year's experience has tested in a practical way the reality of these be liefs for every man.
The first of the regular workers returned in April, 1920. The terms of service were for one year. Every worker who has returned, remained on the field longer than his agreement required. The Near East Relief organization has in many ways shown its appreciation for the particular service rendered by our workers, as well as for the generous support given the work by our people. Our men seem to have filled a needed place in the Relief program, and a lasting work has been accomplished.
Russian Relief
Early in 1919, sentiment developed urging the Mennonite Relief Commission to investigate needs and conditions in South Russia, and to consider ex-
208 MlEiNNONITES IN THE WORLD WAR
tending relief operations into that country. Russia's suffering from the result of the World War, and her economic collapse following the revolutions were common knowledge by this time. The fact that Civil War continued to rage for two more years in various sections of South Russia, where large col onies of Mennonites lived, drew the attention of the Mennonite Church in America to this particular country. The Relief Commission took the first of ficial action in August, 1919. A committee of three of the workers in France were appointed to proceed to South Russia, investigate conditions, and submit a report of their findings. The brethren Alvin J. Miller, Roy Allgyer, and A. E. Hiebert composed this committee. They visited Odessa, Sebastopol, and sections about these two cities, and reported the existence of an alarming and terrible need. They recommended the immediate shipment of a quantity of clothing and medical supplies and the sending of a Unit of workers. The Commission proceeded at once in line with these recommendations. Several definite proposals from other organizations for co operative efforts were considered, but nothing def inite was undertaken for some months.
In June, 1920, a delegation from the Mennonites of South Russia came to the United States. They were appointed and sent to solicit help for the Men nonites of their country, and to find a new location to which their people might emigrate. These four men came into touch with the various branches of the Church, but spent most of their time in the mid dle west, where previous groups of Russian Menno nite immigrants had settled. As a result of their visit, the interest in their particular field grew in
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every branch of the Mennonite Church in this coun try.
About this same time, several of the returned relief workers from Syria suggested sending a small unit as far as Constantinople. Such a unit actually so near the field, having on hand supplies and funds, might be in better position to make arrangements for entering South Russia than would be possible from this country. The Near East Relief offered to assist such a project in whatever ways they could, and further suggested that, should the way into Russia be closed, relief work be organized for the Russian refugees in and about Constantinople. The Relief Commission considered these suggestions favorably.
The next important development, was the or ganization of the Mennonite Central Committee, un der whose direction work was finally begun, and is still being conducted. In July, 1920, at Elkhart, Indiana, representatives from the various Mennonite bodies came together, and as a result of action taken at that meeting, the Central Committee was formed. It consists of six members, one being appointed by each of the Relief Committees co-operating in South Russian Relief. Its function is to co-ordinate the efforts of these different committees. This commit tee appoints and sends workers, determines the monthly budget, and makes the final decision on general relief policies.
During August, a church-wide effort was made to gather a quantity of new and used clothing for distribution on the field. In most of the local con gregations and in at least one conference district, this campaign was conducted by the Sisters Sewing
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Circles. More than forty thousand garments were given, besides quantities of bedding, cloth and mend ing material. In September a shipment of twenty- five tons was sent to Constantinople. A unit consist ing of Arthur Slagel of Flanagan, Illinois, Clayton Kratz of Blooming Glen, Pennsylvania, and One O. Miller of Akron, Pennsylvania, was appointed. Au thority was given to open the work on a minimum budget of ten thousand dollars per month. On Sep tember first, by the steamer Providence, we sailed from New York for Naples, Italy. After a stay in Italy of eight days, we secured passage on another steamer, and landed at Constantinople on Sept. 27. All of us were strangers in this city. After securing temporary hotel accommodations, we pro ceeded to get in touch with government officials who would help us in continuing the journey across the Black Sea. Since we represented an independent Mennonite Relief Unit, considerable explanation was necessary as to our motives, plans, and purposes, so that our mission could be properly understood. In every case there was a sympathetic and helpful in terest in our efforts. The Near East Relief in Con stantinople expressed the same willingness to be of assistance as had their New York office earlier. The U. S. Government officials at the embassy gave us the same recognition, and granted the same facilities and privileges that they did to any other American Relief organization. The American Red Cross, who already had an organization in the Crimea, were pleased to have us help in the relief of that needy section. The later attitude of these various organ izations was entirely in accord with the attitudes they took in the beginning. Without their assist-
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ance the work would hardly have been possible. The help and advice given by others of both American and Russian nationality was most valuable to us. They were men whose experience had put them in vital touch with conditions existing in Russia.
After arranging for Brother Slagel to remain in Constantinople, where he could continue to represent our interests, Brother Kratz and I sailed on October 2, by American destroyer for Sebastopol, Cri mea. This port was reached five days later. At that time the Crimea, and a goodly portion of South Russia just north of the Crimea, was under the con trol of the anti-Bolshevist leader, Baron Wrangel. The first few days there were spent in getting in touch with American and Russian officials who could grant us permit and facilities for travel in the in terior of the country, and also to acquaint them with the work we had in mind to do, so that the same could later be organized and carried on unhindered. We learned also of the actual work being done by the American Red Cross, and worked out with their officials a scheme whereby what we had in mind, would supplement and not overlap what they were doing. Several Mennonite families lived in this city as refugees. We lived with one of these during our stay. They gave us information concerning the needs among their people farther north, and in part prepared us for conditions as we saw them a little later.
On October 6 we left Sevastopol for a two weeks journey into the interior. Twenty-four hours by train brought us to our first stop, Melitopol. Here we spent our first Sunday on Russian soil, and during the day attended the Mennonite services
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there. On the following day the journey was con tinued by carriage to Halbstadt, which is the most important town in the largest colony of Mennonites in Russia. During the next few days we could see and get first hand information of the need existing there. This section of Russia had been overrun re peatedly by the fighting armies as well as by roving bands of robbers. The people had been repeatedly robbed of practically all their movable possessions. Some of their leading men had been cruelly mur dered and the women defamed and diseased. Typhus had been brought into these Mennonite communities by the soldiers, and large numbers had died from the disease. The people had become poor, miser able, and their outlook hopeless. We met with their relief organizations, and together worked out plans for the distribution of the funds and supplies among them which had been sent us from America, and which were then waiting at Constantinople. Plans were made for the opening of orphanages, helping the hospitals, the distribution of clothing and in giv ing other relief of a general nature. We then jour neyed on to Alexandrovsk, which was the center of another large Mennonite community, saw even a greater need there, and worked out similar plans for helping them. Brother Kratz then returned to Halb stadt, where he began the organization of the work in preparation for the coming of the supplies, while I returned to Sebastopol, and after a few days pro cured passage back to Constantinople.
Brother Slagel and I gathered our supplies and he had just left Constantinople in charge of this ship ment when the news of Wrangel's defeat reached us. It was then that I made another short trip to Sebas-
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topol, but was there only long enough to leave a few written suggestions for the further conduct of the work. These were left with the Mennonite families, and were to be given to Brother Kratz, as soon as communication would again be established between them and Halbstadt. I also succeeded in bringing along back to Constantinople about two-thirds of the supplies belonging to the Unit. After the return from this trip, the prospects for work such as we had planned were poor indeed.
With Baron Wrangel's defeat and flight from Russia there came to Constantinople about 130,000 Russian refugees. Over eighty per cent of these were soldiers or officers of his army. The remainder were either families of these soldiers or those who lives would be in danger under Soviet government be cause of their past anti-Bolshevik actions. Of this number there were nearly two hundred Mennonites. One hundred five ships brought this army of refu gees across the Black Sea. Many of them had to stay on these ships -for over two weeks. The situa tion soon became appalling. Here was our oppor tunity. In various ways the Unit was soon aiding in their relief. Efforts were made to get these peo ple back again into normal self-supporting life, either by findinfg them work in that vicinity or arranging for their emigration to countries where friends could assist them. An orphanage was opened in which homeless and under-nourished Russian refugee chil dren could be temporarily cared for, until parents could again assume such responsibility. Later, after Brother Slagel succeeded in bringing the supplies back to Constantinople, a department was organized for distributing the new and used clothing that had
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been sent from America. In these and various other ways efforts were made towards an efficient distribu tion of the funds and supplies that had been put at our disposal.
Early in December Frank Stoltzfus of Lima, Ohio, and Joseph Brunk of Denbigh, Virginia, came from America to assist in this work. On March 29, 1921, Vesta Zook of Topeka, Indiana, and Vinora Weaver of Goshen, Indiana, sailed from New York to join the Unit. Before leaving Constantinople on my return to America, policies were drawn up and adopted by the Unit for the further conduct of the work in that city, and for its extension again into South Russia. There the need exists in a larger way, affecting the whole population, and there relief can be given which might do a more permanent good. That is the section for which the work was undertaken in the first place.
As a distinctly Mennonite Relief Unit, this has been a new extension or department in the work of our Church. In a missionary way opportunities have come to our workers, such as has not been pos sible in any relief work which the Church has sup ported hitherto. The workers are taking advantage of these opportunities to the extent of their ability and time. But it will be the duty of later writers to note the lasting effects of a distinctly Mennonite re lief work on the general missionary extension program of the Church.