[To ter Marron or see "Sxmcmon."
fear that the paragraph in the Spectator of Jane 12th with reference to the attitude of the Society of Friends in the present crisis may be somewhat misleading. Although there may have been meetings attended by Mr. Graham "so full of emotion, so filled with concentrated utterance, an instinct with reality," in which the Society declared against taking part in the war, there have been others in which very different views were expressed. In the Friend newspaper, which is the most widely read organ of the Society, there has been much correspondence on the subject, including letters (such as the enclosed) which clearly indicate that very different views are held by some members. In the small congregation in this town, which includes about twenty adult male members, two Friends, who have since resigned their membership, have joined the Army and Navy respectively. Two more, who are still members, belong to the local Volun- teer Training Corps, and others have supported the corps by subscribing to its funds, and have taken a prominent part in a recruiting meeting. A letter containing a friendly greeting and sympathy to those of our number who are already serving in the forces has been signed by a large proportion of our adult members. I trust that these facts are sufficient to prove that the feeling in the Society against Friends taking part in the war is far from unanimous. " Love " is still regarded by many as the only legitimate weapon with which to oppose the enemy, but others consider that in the present circumstances force is not only allowable but essential.—I
[The copy of the Friend enclosed by our correspondent contains a letter on "Friends and War," by Mr. Bernard Ellis, who asks "How is a passive non-force attitude to protect humanity from the crimes that are now being cons. mated by Germany ? " and concludes ;—
"If we want the ruthless barbarity and iniquity to be stopped,. we must do our part in stopping it, wo cannot save our souls by, paying others to do for us what we think is wrong to do ourselves. Some Friends are already considering the terms on which pence should be arranged' at the termination of the war; but what moral right will Friends have to be beard if they have not given their help to the attainment of peace by the overthrow of the aggressor ? When a man fights a mad beast at the door of his house, it ie not meet for those inside, whose lives he protects but.
who are not willing to help him, to discuss what to do with the skin."
—En. Spectator.]
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