San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-05
Will Come Through San
Antonio on Migration
From Canada-Have Been
Wandering for 800
Years-Religious Ideas
Regarding Fighting Has
Made Them Unpopular.

Disliked and harrassed, with no sat
tied home for 800 years, the Mennon-
ties of Canada will begin a migration
TO Mexico this fall where they expect
to find peace and quiet. They will
come through San Antonio on the l.
G. n. according to A. Il. Fox, district
passenger agent.
These people with their queer reiis-
ious ideas, for the last few years have
been seeking a haven where they might
be allowed TO live in their faith with
out molestation. They think they have
found such place in Southern Mex
leo. Most of those expected through
here will come from the province OF
Manitoba.
The wandering career of the Men
nonites began in the Sixteenth Cen
fury when the earliest members OF
that faith left Holland and settled in
Germany where they were promised
immunity from all military service.
They are sect of Christians who
believe that they should suffer all
kinds of indignities and death rather
thar offer resistance to an enemy
They desire no right nor favor except
to be permitted to worship and Ii, c
as they believe right.
Leave for Russia.
CcnseG uently, when the war party
Of Germany insisted that thay bear
their share of the military 1urGens
of the empire. they sought a refuge
on the wild and barren steppcs of Rus
sia, where they had been promised
they would never be called upon tC
take up arms. This migration &C.
CURED in the latter part of the Eigh-
teenth Century.
For the space of one hundred years
the rulers of Russia kept faith with
the Mennonites. and then the privil
ege of immunity from military ser
vice was revolged. The Mennontes i'm
mediately began TO look about for O
new home. America seemed most
| likely TO offer them the liberty they
were seeking. They therefore entered
into contract with the Canadian
government for land in the then wild
country of the province of Manitoba
In 1873. the Mennonites began theil
migration to this continent. They hat
been promised immunity from mill
tary service and given "the fulles
privilege of exercising their religious
principles" without any kind of mo
lestation or restriction whatever" Tn
same privilege was granted in regart
to the education of their children.
Canada Kept Her Promise.
Everything went we'll with the Men
nonites till the World War broke out
They developed the wild and worthless
lands of the north into fertile farms
Thev reached out into the provinces
of Alberta and Saskatchewan an,
aided in transforming them into pro
greSsive agricultural communities
When war was declared. a few of TIL
younger Mennonitcs were induced t.
volunteer: but the government o
Canada lived up to its contract anC
refused 10 force them to fight agains
their will.
At the termination Of the war {
feeling of hostility against the Men
nonites became apparent throughoC
Canada. Returned soldiers brough
with them the idea that no one shnul'
be permitted to enjoy the protection
of government for which no woul,
not fight. The government refused {
abrogate its agreement. but differen
provinces began to enact Legislation
hostile to them. Compulsory schoO
laws were nassed. requiring all chill
drpn to attend the public schools
These laws were in direct conflict wit
the agreement under which homes ha
been granted 10 the Mcnnonitcs
Hence. thoy turned their ewes 70 th
southwark. holievin" that the hand q
God was nointing tho way.
The first Mennonitps who entere
Mexico settled in Chihuahua. hi
found they could not mako n Twin
IN the desert country Of the nortl
They are IN agricultural ppnplr an
cannot earn n living in other wav'
Further 70 the south IRRIGATION can b
undertaken profitably, and il is Their