[To THE EDITOR Or THR "SPECTATOR. "]
Sia,—I have been much interested in the correspondence in your paper entitled "Quakerism and This War." I may say that 1 am a member of the Society, and my forefathers on both sides have been Quakers for generations. At the same time, I am not in agreement with many of the methods by which some members of the Society of Friends support their principles. Those principles as regards war are well able to stand alone, and do not need to be bolstered up by the methods, which you so strongly and justly condemn, in J. W. Graham's letter in your issue of June 26th, wherein he accuses our statesmen of condoning broken Treaties, plunder and destruc- tion of nations, on the part of our allies. This is not the first time that Friends have insisted on finding " nothing but vices in their own countrymen and nothing but virtues in their country's enemies," as witness the South African War, when many of our members were openly on the side of the Boers. I believe that Friends by adopting such methods do infinite Harm to their own principles, and I should like them to hold themselves entirely aloof from all discussion of the war and what led up to it, and the means to be taken to bring it to a conclusion. The Society has always been in the forefront in relieving the distress of the victims of war. They raised large sums of money to relieve the distress caused by the ravages in the Balkan States, and they are doing the same now in aid of the peoples of France and Belgium, and many of their ablest members are on the spot administering the funds with economy and judgment. Let them confine their energies to such an admirable and Christian work, and " let those who made the war make the peace."—I am, Sir, &o., [We cannot continue this correspondence. We are glad to close it with so admirable a letter as the one above.—En. Spectator.]
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