The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1916-12-30

DIR. BACH AND SON ARRIVE IN ZION
CITY FROM SHANGHAI, AFTER MANY
MONTHS DETENTION
DR.. A. Bach and son Hans arrived in Zion
City last Saturday forenoon, having Travelled
from Shanghai to San Francisco aboard the
steamship China in company with Apostle
Royal and family.
1t will be remembered that, on February
18th last, just after starting for Zion City
and when but ten miles out from Shanghai,
DR.. Bach and son were removed from the
China, an American passenger steamer, to-
gether with thirty-six other Germans, by the
British auxiliary cruiser LGurentic.
The matter, at the time, attracted much
newspaper comment, and has since been the
subject of negotiations between the State De-
partment at Washington and the British
government.
Shortly before DR.. Bach and son left
Shanghai, a Chinese revolution broke out, in
which the rebels captured Chinese cruiser
and turned the guns on Shanghai, doing a
great deal of damage. The next day, Ger
man shipped one thousand boxes of what
was labeled medicine" to India. When the
boxes were searched, however, it was found
that each box contained a revolver and one
hundred rounds of ammunition. The British
were, therefore, very suspicious of all Ger
mans.
1t was charged that the thirty eight Ger
mans taken from the China were members
of an organization which was plotting to start
revolution among the Indian population of
Manila. In reality, they were practically all
strangers to each other, never having met
before. The American government took the
matter vigorously in hand.
1t must be understood that every German
up to forty-fve years of age, who is still a
subject of Germany, is in what is termed a
military position;" however, not every one
is called to active service.
The State Department said First, that if
those Germans had been in active service,
they would have gone over to Using Tau, the
German colony where the fighting occurred
with the Japanese; second, that if they had
wanted to start revolution in Manila, they
would not have taken passage for America,
and that, therefore, they could not be re-
garded as prisoners of war, but simply as
detained civilians; moreover, that civilians
could not be removed from an American ship
While the matter was pending, however,
DR.. Bach and son were treated as prisoners
of war. They were held in Hongkong for
three and one-half weeks, where they were
to detention camp in Australia.
AS soon as DR.. Bach arrived there, he
wrote to Elder Smith in Melbourne, and
regularly every week for five weeks there
after, but received no answer. He also wrote
to Apostle Royal every week, but received
only two letters in reply, in six months time
Zion literature which was sent to him from
Elder Smith was not received. A quantity
of Leaves of Healing which was mailed to
him regularly from Zion City each week.
however, was always received.
Five weeks after arriving at the detention
camp, the American consul visited him, and
he complained that he was not receiving his
mail. He was then called to see the manager
of the camp, who handed him a letter from
Elder Smith, with the remark that it had
been there about eight days. After that,
some Of Elder Smiths letters were received,
and others were not.
The Leaves of Healing sent to DR.. Bach
from Zion City passed through the hands of
Colonel Sands, chief censor, number one.
Colonel Sands remembered Leaves of Heal
ing, DR.. Dowie, and Overseer Voliva He
passed the papers through, saying that Vol
iva's publications were not dangerous to the
safety of the Australian commonwealth. At
ter that, DR.. Bach was allowed to hold meet
ings in his room at the camp.
The literature sent by Elder Smith passed
through the hands of subordinate censOrs,
who suppressed it.
When Elder Smith wrote to DR.. Bach, he
frequently quoted Bible texts to keep up his
spirits. Soldiers, however, are not Bible
students, for the most part, and, as result,
DR.. Bach twice found himself in the court
of the military prisons, to explain those Bible
texts. For instance, at one time Elder Smith
used the passage in Isaiah reading:
II will say to the north, Give up; and to
the south, Keep not back: bring My sons
from far and NV DAUGHTERS from the ends