The Detroit times., 1915-05-29
Advocates of Peace
Are Serving AS
Mine-Sweepers
OTHERS ENTER
RELIEF CORPS
Society of Friends In
u. s. Working Hard
for Peace
by the RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.


How can q Quaker be a patriot
and not night. when his country Is
at war. That question confronts
the men Of the Society OF Friends
In Great Britain. even as II con
fronted their coreligionists during
this Civil war.
They are answering II In dramatic
fashion. An envoy from the British
Friends recently told Americans
that scores OF the young men OF the
Society OF Friends are enlisting for
special service on the trawlers that
are engaged rs mine sweepers.
knowing that half OF those who set
out on this especially dangerous
mission. viii never return. Among
the recruits ts ut least one mem.
Der OF the famous Cadbury family.
The reasoning Is that a Friend
may consistently enlist for the pur.
pose OF saving life. but not 10 take
life, II 10 proper for him 10 incur
the extraordinary risk OF service on
. mine sweeper. for thereby he II
helping to preserve the lives OF
ships and passengers.
Similarly. Tiers has been organ
i,ed by the Friends, a special relief
corps for ambulance duty. The
members OF the society are exempt
In Britain. A. In America, from mil.
itary SERVICE. but they dsem hos.
pital work TO be non-military. They
are not required TO bear arms. and
their mission 10 wholly one OF
mercy,
TIL effect upon the British pub
uorof this entirely voluntary ser.
.ce By the members OF the Society
S'of Friends. has been marked.
Some Quakers. carried away by
the enlistment appeals. have entered
the army. a. was the case In the
American war. Whether these mem.
bers will be expelled by their meet.
ings. a. was done on this side. Is
yet TO be seen. On the whole.
though. the messenger reports the
Society OF Friends in Britain there
are very few Quakers on the con
ttnent) has been faithful to lie his.
toric testimony concerning peace.
There has lately leaked out an
extraordinary story OF the part
Quakerism had In the creation OF
The Hague tribunal A writer In
last weeks issue OF The Continent
tells the story:
The leading character Is an Aus.
tralian shoemaker. poor but
dreaming member OF the Society OF
Friends. Toward the close OF the
last century there came TO this
humble Christian. a vision OF the
nations OF the earth met In q par.
lament OF peace, n not unnatural
dream for a Quaker. Day after
day. a. he sat at his workman's
bench. this shoemaker mulled over
his concern and II was given 70
him 10 believe that II the car OF
Russia could be persuaded TO call
such q conference. the other nations
would surely respond.
THE idea must have seemed like
Q mad notion to anybody who heard
OF II at the time. but that has been
trus OF all the great ideals that
have been written large on the
pages OF history. With the Aus.
.trsiian shoemaker. the concern be
came an obligation OF faith. which
II was his solemn duty TO carry
out. 50 making what financial ar
rsngements he could. this Christie
pher Columbus OF pesce took pass
age In the stcerase OF a ship to
England.
There ne found members OF the
Society OF Friends whose ears had
not become 80 dulled by tbs clsmor
OF a material world that they could
not hear q dreamer's plea. One fel.
low Quaker. q man OF means, be-
came 10 impressed with the lofty
project that he agreed TO accom-
pany the shoemaker To 81. Peters
burg, bearing the expenses OF both.
because Of the historic Partially
Of the RomanoRs to the Society Of
rriends--recail. plsase. the Quaker
cemetery in Petrograd-the humble
deputation was ct length received
IN audience by his imperial males
b, Csar Nicholas. who listened with
aesp interest to the solemn con
eern' OF the world-citizen on q va
cation from his shoemaker's bench
IN the distant south seas. II was
not many months later that the
csar issued his memorable call for
1.-THE hrst internat ional peace confer
encs at The Hague. by which The
Hague court Of arbitration was
svsoted. The Quaker's dream had
bscoms . reality"
Member OF both branches Of the
pociety Of Friends In this country
have thrown themselves heartily
hto worn for world peace in this
me OF war. Not only have their
N meetings rung with their dis
pctivs message. but they have also
neaisned IN extension work.
, Yhila1sipAis sloUs, the two