Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-23
MENNON|TESEND
LONG PILGRIMAGE:
800 PaCifist Religious Order
Members to Establish COL
ony in Paraguay.
BY Cable TO The Star and Chicago Dali!
News. DOWNRIGHT. 1926.

BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Dali,
News, Copyright 1926.
BUENOS AIRES. December 23.--
Three hundred Canadian Mennonites,
members of the pacifist religious or
der. arrived today en- route for Para
quay. inaugurating one of the most
interesting migrations for a religious
ideal since the Puritans sailed on the
MayfloWer.
Four hundred others are en- route
from New York, and 1000 more have
paid for passages at various periods
up to April Of next year. The move
ment is being closely watched by
members Of the sect in all parts of the
world, including the rich Mennonite
colonies in Illinois and Iowa, which
next year will send some of their
members to Paraguay.
1t is expected that several hundred
thousand non-Combatant people will
settle in Paraguay during the next
few years. For 400 years the Men
nonites have been wandering the face
of the globe seeking a place to wor-
ship and educate their children ac-
cording to their ideals. which include
abstinence from fighting Of any ma
ture.
Granted Broad Charter.
The Paraguayan government has
granted them a charter, including the
terms they have been seeking for four
centuries. They and their descend
ants for all time are granted immu
nifty from participation in warfare,
either as combatants or non-comDat
ants. The charter is probably the
most liberal ever issued to a foreign
people by any government. 1t Gre
ates a Mennonite state within Para
quay, and places the government of
MONTE trust commissions.
The Mennonite churches and schools
are exempt from restrictions of all
kinds and they are granted the priv
ilege of teaching their own language,
German, to the exclusion of Spanish.
They are exempt from all customs
duties, national and municipal tax
alton for ten years.
The present movement is the out
come of political strife in Canada dur
ing the last nine years, when veterans
of the great war found Mennonite
non-combatants not only speaking
German, but refusing to send their
children to Canadian schools. There
have been bitter quarrelS.
The Mennonites began looking for
new homes and the agents visited
several parts of the world, finally de-
Gliding upon South America, where
seven years ago they discovered
eastern Andean slope in the region
known as Paraguayan Chako.
Preparations for Colony.
The Mennonite agents were the first
white men ever to enter the region in
which their colonies are to be estab-
lished. After preliminary negotia.
tons. a charter was granted five
years ago and ever since preparations
have been under way for the Men.
nonites who have now begun to ar
rive. They broke up their homes in
Canada, abandoned their farms and
boarded a steamer for the long voyage
to Buenos Aires.
Upon their arrival here they were
transferred direct to a small steamer
which will carry them LOO miles ur
the Parana and Paraguay Rivers &c
they will settle on 100000 acres OF
fine land with plentiful water and sun.
shine.
The advance agents have built a
hotel, dwellings. warehouses and have
installed a system of irrigation. The
colonists will work back from the
river, building up transportation ia
cilities, just as the Puritans worked
westward toward Ohio.
The Paraguayan government has
sent troops to build Notifications
against attack by Indians and also
to police the outskirts of the Men
MONTE community. AS a consequence
they will not be required to defend
themselves as did the pioneers In
North America. The President of
Paraguay will board the steamer al
Asuncion and welcome the Mennonites
in an address delivered in German
Mennonites from Illinois and Iowa and
other American States are expected
to start their migration early next
year.