THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

y neighbors who became suspicious of their behavior. Nevertheless, these individuals emigrated because of non-resistance, a fact they did not fail to impress upon anyone who was in the least inclined to listen. If there is any integrity in that kind of action, then there are no lies in the world. No, the foundation must be dug much deeper than that; otherwise, nothing will help— no migrating and no remaining. The devil then has an easy time bringing us down no matter where we are .... "Whether I have answered all of your questions, dear brothers, I don’t know; much less whether it was done correctly. Who, after all, is able to judge his own case? Of this much, however, I can assure you: what I have reported is my very deepest conviction and I have had no gain in mind except the welfare of my brothers .... Please accept hearty greetings from all of us. Your brother in Christ, Jakob Wiebe Elder of the Krimmer Mennonites.” J. Wiebe was a brother to Philipp Wiebe, the former chairman of the “Agricultural Association’’ and first chairman of the Molotschna Mennonite School Board. Jakob Wiebe had been a teacher at the Halbstadt District (later, Secondary School) around 1880. 20. The opinion of this author, as he recorded it some years ago in the already completed preceding passages, has altered significantly in favor of Mennonites in North America concerning their intellectual worth. This was due to very recent studies of the conditions among the North American Mennonites and more intimate acquaintance with then- leading men. Our opinion concerning the military service of Russian Mennonites, however, has not changed in the least. We consider this service now, as earlier, to be totally in keeping with the Gospel of Christ. Military Service and Emigration 609 21. Forestry Service of the Mennonites in the present (1910): a) We cannot go into the various minor changes which came about during the course of events in this matter from 1880 until the present (that is, a 30 year period). Essentially, especially externally, everything took place within the framework stipulated earlier and on the basis previously mentioned. Around 1000 young Mennonites serve as ‘‘drafted workers” at eight forestry camps and one phylloxera-detachment. 33 (Several years ago the number was already 1,100— presently it is 894. The decrease in number stems from a general cut-back in the length of active military service from four to three years— actually, two years and eight months.) For closer observation, we will focus on several of the incidents which appear most significant to us. And this, essentially, according to the “Annual report of the authorized representative of the Mennonite Churches in Russia concerning matters of support for the forestry service in the year 1909.” The "authorized representative,” 34 commonly called the forestry president or simply president, is lawfully elected by all the Mennonite groups duri