The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-09

service. There is among our people
an intense desire and perhaps 1t would
not be egotisticaI to say, a capacity,
even a genius, to do reconstructive
work
The position which has caused
Friends colleges to take the course
they have taken is that the most pat
r!otic thing for man or institution
to do is to find the place where the
maximum contribution can be made
and work in that place. With all
this development back of this present
generation of the membership of the
Society of Friends, which has pro-
duced in us desire and capacity for
this reconstructive work, man!festly 1t
is not in the military end of this great
struggle in the world where we can
make our maximum contribution.
Therefore, 1t is not in affording mill
tary instruction that our colleges can
make their largest contribution, but in
lines of work To appreciate how
greatly these cor structive lines are
needed in the world, one has only to
consult the statements of President
Wilson, Secretary Barker and many of
the leading generals in this war, who
thoroughly appreciate the work which
the Red Cross and the Y. M. c. A. and
T, the Friends Reconstruction Unit are
doing in the war devastated region.
Many people do not know that the
Friends Reconstruction work is
branch of the Red Cross work. being
attached to the Civilian Branch.
Friends Work In France
The work which Friends have done
| in France has been of tremendous
effect In establishing the morale Of
the French people. Our workers have
gone into the devastated communities
and have found the inhabitants desi-
tute and despairing and have rehabil-
| itated them materially and spiritually
This sort of work has put the heart
into the French people and has laid a
| foundation for international good will
which will last for all time to come.
With the world devastated as it is, it
! is very apparent that not too much
, reconstructive work can possibly be
| provided for. That Friends do have
desire to do this kind of work is
proved by the fact that American
Friends contributed last year 100000
| to it, and when the present quota is
| filled, seven hundred and twenty-five
of our young men will be serving there
without compensation, and that we
do have capacity for it is evidenced
by the testimonials of appreciation
/ that come from every angle where
information is sought. We have been
| requested to establish a model farm
| for the purpose of teaching the French
people agriculture. This we have done
at our own expense.
With the spirit and genius OF our
society, as has been outlined here,
it would be disaster from which we
( would not recuperate in generation,
for our colleges to depart from thing
which we are fitted to do, to engage
in thing for which we are not fitted.
| 1t would be a tragedy to take fine
chemist who has the ability to work
with effect and result in his chosen
line in the interests Of the government
and put such a man into the trenches,
and it would equally be mistake for
Friends colleges to depart from the
training for reconstructive work and
engage in military activities.
Some two weeks ago a delegation
Of Friends, consisting Of President
William NJ. Comfort, of Haverford col
lege, Haverford, Pa. DR.. Rufus M
Jones. Professor of Philosophy in Hav.
erford college, and DR.. Wilbur K
Thomas, acting executive secretary OF
the Friends service committee, was
| appointed by the board of education
of the Five Years meeting, to present
the cause Of the Friends colleges to
thewar department. Previous to this,
a document had been prepared by
/ President David NJ. Edwards OF Earl
ham college, chairman of the board
of education OF the Five Years meet
ing of Friends, setting forth the sltua
ton, which document was taken by
this delegation and presented to those
who were interviewed. Interviews
were had with DR.. Keppel, third assist
ant secretary of war and Col Rees
chairman of the committee on col
leges. Our men were very cordially
received. and were advised that the
war department did not expect the
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