Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-21
WILL ENTER ALLIES SERv|(
Rev. Ernest Graham Guthrie
Join Ambulance Corps.
Former burlington Pastor Feels Co
strained to Offer Services to en-
tcntc--Bo-ton Church Gives
Absence Leave.

The Rev Ernest Graham Guthrie, r.
mer pastor of the First Church, writes
Burlington friend as follows:
In reply to your letter I shall he We |
glad to give what account / can of t !,
reasons that have determined me to off
myself for the American Ambulance ser
ice. or any other service assisting II
allied cause feel this is particularly dI
to the members OF the church who mai
It easier for me to leave Burlington, 81
rausc felt I was really being called to|
larger work here.
In the first place, | have had a groJ
ing conviction that the cause Cf the alli|
is, in Il very real sense, the cause of N
world have felt, further. the only rel
Justification for American neutrality hi
been that by netrality it could serve thu
for which the allied cause stands, bett|
then ny force of arms. Throughout the
two years | have lived in the presence
this conflict feeling, as Rupert Brool
said IF Anna geddon is on, | ought to
there" have no question tina; had | nj
just begun a new work here when VI
war broke out, | would have left for II
front then.
The two things that have kept me fro
taking this step have been. first, my ident
ncation with American life, and the fee
ing that | ought not to depart from
without great reason and second, the col
trolling thought TINT my duty surely cou
not lie outside the tnsk OF tho church he
to which | had Just set my hand. The:
two thoughts have determined for T.
what my duty was during these two year
but throughout this whole period I ha
felt what I must think is the larger OBJ
cation. instead Of growing fainter. bee Oh
more and more insistent. I suspect h;
entering into It has hecn the steady sto
OF the sacrifice 20 the u:termost of
scores OF my school fellows and friend
raising the irsistent question why Shot
he here safe when they were giving ever
thing there. This summer. therefore 4
inner pressure reached a point whore
felt | had to 60 and I came back he
determined that that was my call 70 di
cuss with the church how I could nnsw
T. without being unfaithful 70 my du
to them.
It seemed likely that I would Join
once the medical CORPS Of regiment fro
Montreal. involving my resignation fro
the church here. This I proposed, to "a
effect when It seemed right to the chUr,
The church, however, has entered n sire.
protest against this and they have su
rested that II should take the aftermath
course Of Joining the American Anb
lance corps in April which as you knc
nperntes on the front line, ( would
able to give my service to the church f
the main part Of the church year. al
! they would grant me leave Of absen
from that date.
! J am really just answering the inslste
call of duty that has seemed 20 me par
mount or to put it another way, il is n
response to my total environment WIFI
Is Providence. The only choice ha
allowed myself was that I should ent
the relieving arm OF this great confi
rather than the death-dealing, as bel
more In harmony with the permane
work of my life. There are a thousa
mystical things that enter into such a d
cision, Of which | can make no reco
here but trust that YOU and my 9th
friends will understand
with sincere regard for yourself.
Very sincerely your friend
ERNEST GRAHAM GUTHRIE