The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-10-19
WAR REPORT
MAY CAUSE
TILT AMONG
DELEGATES
Opposition Expected to Nom
Resistance Principle in
Statement Of Frien ds
Church's Stand.
BRITIsHER is QUOTED

Saturday the business committe o
the Five Years Meeting of Friends Il
expected to present report which
will reaff1rm the historic Quaker doc
trine of "non-resistance" Rufus M
Jones, chairman of the business com
mittee, in an interview today stated
that the committee had been consider
ing this question since the first of thu
week.
1t is quite probable the Meeting will
indorse the reafirmation Of the non.
resistance policy, but, It was limited
by some delegates, such action would
not be taken without some opposition.
will the statement the business
committee is preparing deal with the
present world war;" Mr. Jones waa
asked.
VIII Be General
81 believe the report, in its final
draft, will lot attempt to establish
the attitude of the American Society
of Friends toward the present war In
particular; that it will set forth the
church's attitude toward all wars,
amplifying but making no important
change in the church's policy \ that
direction" Mr.. Jones replied.
1t can be truthfully stated the ma
jority of the delegates to the Five
Year Meeting still support that car
dinal doctrine of the church, non-ret
sistance. here is a minority, how
ever, which subscribes to the thet>
! that the world war has antiquateda
this historic Quaker principles; meu
who believe in the non-resistance doc
| trine should be modified to be made
applicable only to wars Of aggression
This minority views the present war
as struggle between autocracy and
democracy, holding that victory on
| the part of the Entente allies means
| the abandonment of warfare as the
Imeans for settlement Of disputes be-
tween nations.
/ n Believe ouakers Should Help
aFshts minority is oi. the opinion that
&e1Brof the Friends church should
play their full part In bringing about
a victory over autocracy and militar.
ism, and hold that a continuance Of
the policy o. non-resistance on tha
part of the American Friends church
| during the world war will serve only
as a cloak to church members Of mill
! tary age VINO seek to avoid combatant
military service.
Alfred Kemp Brown, a member OF
the London meeting and one Of the
English representatives at the Five
Years Meeting, who arrived in the
United States ten days ago, in an in
| terview today expressed his regret
over the action of the United States In
entering the world war.
He also declared the English people
had become heartily sick of war.
Brown stated the majority of the
English people were enthusiastic over
the entrance of America into the war.
He also said this action on the part
of the United States had served to
stiffen the backbones of the Entente
allies and had encouraged them to
continue the war until German power
had been crushed.
/ AS Friend, as pacifist and as q
member of minority, but a steadily
growing minority of English public
opinion" Mr.. Brown deplored the fact
that America had aligned herself with
the belligerent democracies and had
drawn her reluctant sword. He as.
signed three reasons for his regret
over the action taken by the United
States; first, because it had increased
the area of the war; second, because
1t had eliminated the chief executive
of what had been the most powerful
Of neutral nations as a peace-maker
and mediator; third, because it had
been a powerful stimulus to the En-
tente powers to continue the war un.
til a complete victory had been won
over Germany and her allies.